Authors of George Floyd book told not to discuss systemic racism at event
- Journalists Robert Samuels and Toluse Olorunnipa were prevented from reading from their Pulitzer Prize-winning book "His Name Is George Floyd" and discussing systemic racism to high school students in Memphis. They expressed disappointment that the students were denied access to the book's themes and believed it was a disservice to them. It remains unclear who ultimately determined these restrictions.
- Memphis-Shelby County Schools denied placing restrictions on the authors' speech, calling it a miscommunication. However, due to state and district regulations, the book needed to be reviewed before distribution. The authors plan to make the book available to students through a local nonprofit, outside of the campus.
- The event was organized by Memphis Reads, a community reading program, but the school district claims they were not directly involved in the restrictions. Tennessee has placed limitations on school library books discussing race, requiring reviews to deem them appropriate for students' age and maturity levels.
7 Articles
7 Articles
George Floyd biography authors reportedly told not to discuss racism at school speaking engagement
Two authors of a George Floyd book were reportedly told not to discuss racism at a speaking engagement for K-12 students in Tennessee. Last month, authors Robert Samuels and Toluse Olorunnipa spoke to students at Whitehaven High School as part of a reading program in Memphis, Tenn. According to NBC News, the authors of the Pulitzer-Prize-winning book "His Name Is George Floyd" were "blindsided" by "last-minute restrictions" on what they could di…
Authors of George Floyd book were told not to talk about systemic racism at Tenn. school event
Journalists Robert Samuels and Toluse Olorunnipa, authors of “His Name Is George Floyd,” are unclear why they were told they couldn’t talk about systemic racism to a room full of high school students in Memphis.
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