without question, tony morrison's work expanded literary convention, and without beloved clearing the taking us, there may never have been an all-boy aren't blue to feature in ou series the very presence of these books on summer reading list an english class curricula, is not just revolutionary, it's a credit to morrison herself beloved tells the story of a formerly enslaved woman wh lives with the spirit of her youngest daughter. it is one of those books tha is challenging to summarize. it is nuanced, lyrical language, it's themes are as inherent to the story as are the bones o the plot miss joni morrison once that herself, it is not the fas food, it is a meal that yo should relish. there is no classic work o american literature that i captured both the attention an the ire of americans, includin repeated calls for banning quite like beloved has the reality is, this the truth and morrison writes will remain, even if every copy of belove is snatched from your librar shelves. it is a hard read, but it is a necessary one. we had two friends of the show princeton university's dr. edward

as tony morrison once said herself, it's not the fast food, it's a meal you should relish.f american literature that i captured both the attention an the ire of americans, that won't repeated calls for banning like beloved has the reality is if. the truth moors will write wil remain, even if every copy o beloved is snatch from you library shelves. it is a hard read, but is necessary one. we have two friends of the show, princeton university's dr. edd -- junior, and dr. imani perry, t join us to discuss morrison' legacy and help us unpac beloved. they taught a college course o tony morrison together i begin by asking them why the both kept returning to beloved over the years here is what they told me. >> it tells you the story of how slavery became a nationa institution with the fugitiv slave act. she can be caught in ohio. it also tells a story of the post slavery period, tha interstitial period where th promise of citizenship becam still elusive. there are these human themes that are so important. what does it mean to try t make a life after so muc trauma and violence? how

rockland county, this was the home county of toni morrison.r friend of yours. she was your editor. is it true she got you to write the autobiography in and 274? and what it means -- you are asked if her literature -- she won the nobel literature prize. she won a pulitzer prize. she required reading in rocklin? >> apparently, the most renowned resident of rockland county is not required -- her works are not required. i pointed out that i actually had a relationship with rockland county because of the fact that i visited toni morrison many, many times. three different residencies in rockland county. i learned a bit about the problems in that county. but i think students are convinced they can bring about change and i would not be rprised if the wereot at the foreont of t effort arantee that the students who attend public schools in tha countyead the rks otoni morrison. america we're going to do part two of our conversation and we are going to posted online at democracynow.org and also at democracynow.org we will link to this whole remarkable his

from ruby bridges, whose book ruby bridges for school, the target of censorship moves aside by toni morrison prize-winning author. a kids book about racism targeted for censorship. a book called their love. the infamous antiracist baby book. little legends, exceptional men in black history and little dreamers, visionary women around the world so these are the most common books targeted right now. obviously a legitimate subject for parents and school boards to discover which of the best and age-appropriate curricular choices for different age groups and grades. it's what educators who do investment includes families, parents and experts in the decision-making process across the country but the normal selection process is different from whipping people up into a moral panic over the use of this or that word or passage in a book and then demanding removal from school library. fashion and censorship pages, books were censor because we were considered decent or politically subversive. the slavery system like uncle tom's cabin which was censored and burned in southern states as propaganda. many bo

republican book bands turned classics like beloved by toni morrison the first black woman to win a nobel prize in literature focuses not only on works of fiction but prohibits students from reading nonfiction and historical recounts for the truth of racial injustice in america. ms. bridges, you know this all too well. this is on a list of books that is removed from public schools. and the so-called moms for liberty group launched a campaign. ruby bridges goes to school make students feel uncomfortable. what do you say to the parents that don't want their children to hear your story or the racism that your family experienced firsthand? >> as i said earlier, i've been taught we need to know our history and where we are going. thinking about everything that i've read this morning, it seems to me in the book we do not have a choice and that is in our textbooks so it seems to me that it's even more crucial that we have them so that we have a place to go to find the stories and contributions. at some point in time we might be calling on these young people to serve and defend and as my father f

and toni morrison toni morrison. toni morrison coined the term the white gaze about the value of black life only being and having meaning and depth as and when the white gaze , culture, economy, power gaze, culture, economy, power began to give it meaning. i'm i'm quite generally you . the i'm quite generally you. the critique of the media is a bit of a red herring, to be honest. yeah. okay. to these people responded. paul responded , i responded. paul responded, i think i think we just a little bit denise and lady phillip let bob respond to. no, i just think generally, like there's like the way she talks is a lot of black people are really racist against white people. and bob seely wants you can't just say i think meghan she plays on that all the time she's not even i'm darker than she is like she's okay . and than she is like she's okay. and bob's bob seely i think that's part of the racism stuff because it's just it's a really divisive argument . there's a simple truth argument. there's a simple truth here, not th

and toni morrison toni morrison. toni morrison coined the term the white gaze about the value of black life only being and having meaning and depth as and when the white gaze , culture, economy, power gaze, culture, economy, power began to give it meaning. i'm i'm quite generally you . the i'm quite generally you. the critique of the media is a bit of a red herring, to be honest. yeah. okay. to these people responded. paul responded , i responded. paul responded, i think i think we just a little bit denise and lady phillip let bob respond to. no, i just think generally, like there's like the way she talks is a lot of black people are really racist against white people. and bob seely wants you can't just say i think meghan she plays on that all the time she's not even i'm darker than she is like she's okay . and than she is like she's okay. and bob's bob seely i think that's part of the racism stuff because it's just it's a really divisive argument . there's a simple truth argument. there's a simple truth here, not th

tony morrison often talked about racism as a distraction because so many people are distracted and they need to figure out and see the true source of their harm, which is not people who don't look like them. it's typically often times people who they're voting for, who have taught them that they're their saviors when we need to look around and see our neighbors as our saviors. >> our neighbors are our saviors. we're all in it together. ibram x. kendi, it's such a joy to have you on the show and to hear your words of wisdom when a lot of us feel quite lost. dr. kendi, thank you so much for your time tonight. >> of course. thank you for having me. >>> still ahead tonight, leaks for the supreme court has many people concerned including members of congress who want answers and they want accountn't. judiciary committee member sheldon whitehouse joins me to discuss. >>> and the georgia runoff, there's no shortage of scandal facing republican herschel walker as senator raphael warnock brings out the closer. that's next. stay with us. out the closer. that's next. stay with us we planned well fo

and really, we can't be distracted by these bigoted ideas, by racist ideas, tony morrison oftentimesraction because so many people are distracted and they need to figure out, and see, the true source of their harm. which is not people don't look like them. it is typically, oftentimes, people who they are voting for. who have taught them that they are their saviors, when we need to look and see our neighbors as our savior's. >> our neighbors are savers, we are in it together, ibraham exkendi, it is such a joy and an honor to have you on the show. and to have your words of wisdom in a moment where i feel like a lot of us feel quite loss. professor and founder of the director of the center for a tight races research at the boston center. but candy, thank you so much your time today. >> >> of course, thank you for having me. >> still ahead tonight, leaves from the supreme court have many people concerned, including members of congress, want answers and they want accountability. judiciary committee member, senator sheldon whitehouse, joins me to discuss. and, tomorrow. is the last day of

previous winners of this include toni morrison, stephen king and hong kingston. this honor is given to a writer who has over the course of their career grade, enriched our literary heritage through their body of work. tonight's honoree and his work has proven again and again the power of comics and graphic novels. here to present the is neil gaiman. neil gaiman. neil is the author of numerous new york times bestsellers, including sandman series of graphic novels neverwhere, american gods and the ocean. at the end the lane. his fiction has received a newbery medal, carnegie medal and hugo nebula fantasy and will eisner awards. he is a creator of works of prose poetry, film, journalism, comics, song lyrics and drama. originally from england, he now divides his time between scotland where good omens and anansi boys are filmed in. the united states, where he is a professor in the arts at college. he is a fellow of the royal society of literature. it gives me great pleasure to welcome neil gaiman gaiman. thank you. i'm not here as arts colleague today. i'm here as art