The Fiery History of Banned Books (Feat. Princess Weekes) | It's Lit

PBS Member Stations rely on viewers like you. To support your local station, go to: http://to.pbs.org/DonateStoried ↓ More info below ↓ Since at least 213 BCE, book burnings have been a reaction to the power of the written word. When roasting paper in a giant circle went out of style (at least in the intellectual sphere), the governments would take it upon itself to ban books. However, when we talk about book bannings today, we are usually discussing a specific choice made by individual schools, school districts, and libraries made in response to the moralistic outrage of some group. This, while still hotly-contested and controversial, is still nothing in comparison to the ways books have been removed, censored, and outright destroyed in the past. So on that happy note, let’s … explore how the seemingly innocuous book has survived centuries of the ban hammer. Hosted by Lindsay Ellis and Princess Weekes, It’s Lit! is a show about our favorite books, genres and why we love to read. It’s Lit has been made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the human endeavor. Interested in using this video as a teaching resource? Check it out on PBS LearningMedia: https://to.pbs.org/3GRAOoO Hosted/Written by: Princess Weeks Director: David Schulte Executive Producer: Amanda Fox Producer: Stephanie Noone Editors: Stephen Fishman Writing Consultants: Maia Krause Executive Producer (PBS): Adam Dylewski Editorial Producer (PBS): Gabrielle Ewing Produced by Spotzen for PBS Digital Studios. Follow us on Twitter:   / itslitpbs     / thelindsayellis     / weekesprincess   Follow us on IG:   / itslit_pbs