Angie Thomas celebrated a recent judicial ruling striking down parts of Florida’s book-banning law on the MSNBC show Velshi.
Thomas, the author of the frequently banned young adult novel The Hate U Give, was one of the plaintiffs in a lawsuit challenging Florida’s House Bill 1069, which required that schools remove books that students’ parents object to while they undergo review. The bill was signed into law by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2023.
Last week, U.S. District Judge Carlos Mendoza struck down parts of the law, saying that the state’s interpretation of it was unconstitutional.
Thomas, wearing a shirt featuring actor and anti-censorship activist LeVar Burton, told host Ali Velshi, “I am so thrilled by the court’s decision. I’m relieved. There’s been a lot of conversation about book bans and parents’ rights, but one thing I think this lawsuit really highlighted was there are parents who want these books in their kids’ hands as well….I’m thrilled that our First Amendment rights were upheld.”
Velshi noted that the book-banning law wasn’t an “abstraction” to Thomas.
“I, growing up, was that kid who, at times, I wasn’t sure books were meant for me, because…at the time, we were lacking so much diversity when it comes to storytelling, and when you don’t see yourself in pages, when you don’t see characters who resemble you live lives like yours, it makes you think that your life isn’t worth reading about,” she said. “Now, as an author, I want to make sure young people who may look like me, who grew up in neighborhoods like mine…have those mirrors.”
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
