Dr. Elias Serna will present a multi-modal lecture on contemporary book bans nationally, analyzing conservative attacks on Ethnic Studies, critical race theory, the 1619 Project, LGBTQ-themed youth literature, and the first amendment lawsuit by PEN America/Penguin Random House against Florida’s book ban. Through his involvement in education activism against recent books bans of Chicana/o Studies texts by the state of Arizona a decade ago, Serna draws links between current censorship, traditions of assimilation and colonial book burning of indigenous texts five hundred years ago.

Serna won first prize for the 2013 National Collegiate Book Collecting Contest sponsored by the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America and the Library of Congress. His collection titled “Chicano Movement: Banned Books” – which will be featured in part in Broome Library display cases alongside currently banned books and pop-up art - also responded to attacks on Tucson's Mexican American Studies department and includes rare texts from the Chicano movement and books banned in Arizona in 2012. Additionally, the talk describes his role in the Xican@ Pop-Up Book, a resistance arts allegory movement, teaching pop-up techniques and displaying student work as a form of demonstrating that “You can ban Chicano books, but they still POP UP!”   

This event is free, light refreshments will be served.

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