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Oct 29, 2024 | 
msmagazine.com | Katie Blankenship
Under Gov. Ron DeSantis, Florida has become the epicenter of an alarming assault on core American freedoms, with free speech in the cross hairs. From schools to universities to private business, DeSantis’ administration seems bent on dismantling the pillars of the First Amendment.
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Jun 14, 2024 | 
pen.org | Lisa Tolin |Katie Blankenship
Jodi Picoult was surprised to find herself in the middle of a surge in book banning last year when 20 of her books were pulled from shelves in Martin County, Florida. She had not seen anything like it in 30-plus years as an author. In the ensuing months, the bestselling author gave up keeping track of how many times her books have been banned across the country.
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Apr 15, 2024 | 
tallahassee.com | Katie Blankenship |Raegan Miller
It’s no surprise that Florida’s top leadership is still promoting groups leading the effort to ban books in Florida. But news that the Florida Department of Education appointed three Moms for Liberty members to a six-person working group to provide guidance to school media specialists is especially troubling after Gov. Ron DeSantis and FLDOE Commissioner Manny Diaz, Jr. held a press conference in February admitting books bans are a problem requiring government intervention.
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Apr 3, 2024 | 
pen.org | Katie Blankenship |Sophia Brown
Over the past three years, Florida has endured an invasive and far reaching attack on rights to free speech and expression. This has resulted in Florida banning more books than any other state in the country, as well as the passage of legislation and policy that has undermined academic freedom, created a culture of fear and self-censorship, and sowed chaos and division in Florida’s public education system.
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Mar 14, 2024 | 
pen.org | Katie Blankenship |Lisa Tolin
On Friday, the Florida legislature wrapped up a session unlike any others of recent years. PEN America had a direct hand in making sure several “culture war” bills failed without becoming law, keeping censorship from infringing on free speech and free expression. Floridians do not want, nor will we tolerate, censorship. There is a movement in Florida to protect our democracy that has needed support, connection, and cohesion.
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Mar 5, 2024 | 
welcometoflorida.buzzsprout.com | Katie Blankenship
The Florida legislature is attempting to solve climate change by ignoring it. Florida is the epicenter of right wing efforts nationally to ban books, discriminatory efforts targeting books with LGBTQ+ as well as Black and brown characters. Katie Blankenship is the Director of PEN America Florida, a new outreach effort to combat the government suppression of free expression here. More information on PEN America's Free to be Florida Network can be found here.
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Mar 5, 2024 | 
welcometoflorida.buzzsprout.com | Katie Blankenship
The Florida legislature is attempting to solve climate change by ignoring it. Florida is the epicenter of right wing efforts nationally to ban books, discriminatory efforts targeting books with LGBTQ+ as well as Black and brown characters. Katie Blankenship is the Director of PEN America Florida, a new outreach effort to combat the government suppression of free expression here. More information on PEN America's Free to be Florida Network can be found here.
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Mar 4, 2024 | 
miamiherald.com | Katie Blankenship
As Gov. Ron DeSantis has tacitly admitted, the tide of censorship in Florida schools and colleges has gone too far. And it’s long past time to reverse this destructive trend. More harmful legislation poised to undermine our education system is working its way through Tallahassee this week. Despite an outcry from organizations across the state and country, the House of Representatives is expected to pass House Bill 1291 at any moment.
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Mar 1, 2024 | 
pen.org | Katie Blankenship |Samantha LaFrance
PEN America Speaks: How We Defended and Celebrated Free Expression The Week of February 26PEN America works tirelessly to defend free expression, support persecuted writers, and promote literary culture. Here are some of the latest ways PEN America is speaking out. CEO Suzanne Nossel wrote in Foreign Affairs that culture is not a sideshow to geopolitics, but rather a central arena with sweeping implications for international relations.
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Feb 26, 2024 | 
pen.org | Katie Blankenship |Erica Galluscio
HomeAnti-Diversity Law Will Inflict Harm Across FloridaI had the shameful experience of witnessing the Florida Board of Governors pass Regulation 2.016 on January 24. In a matter of hours, we saw the devastating consequences: the University of North Florida shuttered its Intercultural Center, LGBTQ Center, Women’s Center, and even its Interfaith Center – amid outrage, heartbreak and protests from students.
