Amanda Gorman spoke out Tuesday after access to the poem she recited at President Joe Biden’s inauguration was restricted at a school in Miami-Dade.
At Bob Graham Educational Center, a K-8 school in Miami Lakes, one parent objected to four books in the school library, as well as the poem "The Hill We Climb," read by Gorman at Biden’s inauguration.
The school ultimately decided to restrict access to the poem among elementary-age students by moving the book to the middle school area of the media center.
Gorman, the nation's first National Youth Poet Laureate, tweeted Tuesday that she was "gutted" by the news that her poem was "banned."
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A few hours later, Miami-Dade County Public Schools released a statement on Twitter, clarifying that the book was not "banned" or "removed" from the school.
MDCPS added that the poem will still be available to students among the titles in the middle school collection of the school's media center.
“What we’re doing is just moving books to areas in which they’re appropriate for students," said Miami-Dade School Board member Robert Alonso, whose district includes the school at the center of the controversy. "We’re never removing any books unless it has content which is really not appropriate for any of our kids in the school system."
Daily Salinas, the parent who filed the initial complaint, claims the titles contained "inappropriate content," listing the topics of "gender ideology, CRT, and communism."
In her formal complaint for “The Hill I Climb,” Salinas wrote that it was “not educational,” contains "hate messages,” and that its function is to "cause confusion" and "indoctrinate students."
A day after the controversial decision was made, Bob Graham Education Center sent a message to parents that read as follows:
Dear Parents,
Bob Graham Education Center remains committed to providing a quality program of library media center services to our students that includes quality materials in a variety of formats and reading levels that offer a well-balanced coverage of subjects and support the diverse interests, needs, and viewpoints of our school community.
Recently, there has been media coverage regarding one of the books in our collection entitled The Hill We Climb. This text was reviewed and placed in the middle grades area of our school media center.
As an additional point of information, The Hill We Climb is classified as Young Adult in Titlewave by Follet and categorized as Middle Grades in Accelerated Reader.
However, to be clear, even though The Hill We Climb is located in the middle grades area of our media center, it remains accessible to all students.
United Teachers of Dade also released a statement on Wednesday saying they 'strongly condemn' the school's actions surrounding Gordon's poem.
"This decision not only limits the access to an important literary work but also hinders the educational and intellectual growth of our students," the statement from UTD read in part. "We stand with Amanda Gorman and all authors facing censorship."
The statement goes on to discuss the recent controversy surrounding "book bans" by Florida lawmakers.
"Book bans undermine the power of literature to foster understanding, empathy, and critical thinking," said UTD. "They restrict our students from exploring diverse voices and perspectives, which are essential for their development and the cultivation of a well-rounded education. We champion inclusivity, open-mindedness, and diverse literature that reflects the rich tapestry of our world and fosters cultural appreciation."
UTD also said they "proudly support" Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava's invitation for Amanda Gorman to share her poem in Miami-Dade County.
According to the nonprofit free-speech organization PEN America, 175 books have been removed so far in Florida’s public schools since the law took effect.
Just last week, Gorman’s publisher, Penguin Random House, joined PEN America in filing a lawsuit that challenges the “unconstitutional book bans.”
PEN America and Penguin Random House sued the Escambia County School District over its removal of 10 books about race and LGBTQ+ identities, alleging that the district and its school board are violating the First Amendment.
