Pink fights 'hateful' book bans with pledge to give away 2,000 banned books at Florida shows

For Pink, it’s time to turn the page on book banning.

The star teamed up with literary nonprofit PEN America and Florida bookseller Books & Books to give away 2,000 banned books at her upcoming concerts in Florida, according to a news release published Monday. Pink announced the collaboration in an Instagram live with PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel and author Amanda Gorman.

“Books have held a special joy for me from the time I was a child, and that’s why I am unwilling to stand by and watch while books are banned by schools,” Pink said in the release. “It’s especially hateful to see authorities take aim at books about race and racism and against LGBTQ authors and those of color.”

Pink, who is currently performing on her Trustfall Tour, will give away four books that have appeared in PEN America’s Index of Banned Books at her Miami and Sunrise shows on Tuesday and Wednesday. The books include “The Family Book,” by Todd Parr, “The Hill We Climb,” by Amanda Gorman, “Beloved,” by Toni Morrison and a book from the “Girls Who Code” series, founded by Reshma Saujani.

“We are thrilled to be working with Pink on this important cause,” said Kasey Meehan, director of PEN America’s Freedom to Read Program. “Every child deserves access to literature that reflects their lives. Rampant censorship is depriving kids of the chance to see themselves in books and learn about the world and its history.”

According to newly released data from PEN America, Florida surpassed Texas during the last school year as the state with the highest number of books banned in public school classrooms and libraries, now accounting for more than 40% of all documented bans.

Nationally, there has been a 33% spike in book bans, with nearly 6,000 instances of book bans recorded by PEN America since 2021. Black and queer authors, as well as books discussing race, racism and LGBTQ identities, have been disproportionately affected by the book bans documented.

“We have made so many strides toward equality in this country, and no one should want to see this progress reversed,” Pink said. “This is why I am supporting PEN America in its work and why I agree with them: no more banned books.”

Fans can visit pen.org/pink to learn more about efforts to combat book bans.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pink pledges to give away 2,000 banned books at Florida concerts