Judd Legum just published "Meet the Florida English teacher trying to ban 150 books from school libraries," at Popular Information, his Substack site.
Responsible for 148 of 150 challenges to books in Escambia County, Florida, Vicki Baggett seems to have much time on her hands and cares about children and what the learn about the history of the United States.
Bassett sees herself as a warrior for the so-called Stop Woke Act,
"legislation pushed by Governor Ron DeSantis (R) and signed into law in April 2022. The legislation, among other things, prohibits instructing students that they 'must feel guilt, anguish… because of actions, in which the person played no part, committed in the past by other members of the same race, color, national origin, or sex.' The Stop WOKE Act applies to classroom instruction, but Baggett believes it also applies to library books."
Legum outlines his article in this thread on Twitter, "Buckle up," he counsels, "this one gets a bit wild."
Legum highlights one of the books in Baggett's line of fire, When Wilma Rudolph Played Basketball, about the young life and struggles of the legendary sprinter who, in the 1960s, won three Olympic gold medals in Rome.
As Legum writes,
"It is a wholesome and inspirational story. But When Wilma Rudolph Played Basketball is one of nearly 150 books that Vicki Baggett, a high school English teacher, is seeking to ban from school libraries…. According to a challenge form submitted by Baggett on August 24, the purpose of When Wilma Rudolph Played Basketball is "race-baiting," and the book is not appropriate for any student. Baggett didn't dispute the book was accurate but insisted it would make white students "feel uncomfortable" because "they are being white-shamed." She said the book was inappropriate because "not all whites treated blacks like this."
A Florida judge temporarily blocked the Stop Woke act in November. You can purchase When Wilma Rudolph Played Basketball here.