The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

First published in 1970, The Bluest Eye is one of the most challenged and banned books in the US, with 62 challenges just in 2023 and 29 bans in the 2022-23 school year alone. 

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)’s statement on March 20, 2023, regarding the bans, countered that The Bluest Eye “is an important work that offers insight into how racism and prejudice can affect individuals, and it is a critical part of our country's literary heritage.” The NAACP also articulated the impact of censorship on Black communities: “this censorship reflects systemic inequalities that exist within our education system—inequalities that disproportionately impact Black students and leave them more vulnerable to censorship.” Read the full statement on NAACP's website.

The Bluest Eye has been targeted due to its exploration of themes of sexual abuse, racial identity, racism, motherhood, and slavery. These themes, which often appear in Morrison’s work, have made her no stranger to censorship; her novels Song of Solomon (1977) and Beloved (1987) have also been chronically challenged and banned. Despite these attacks, her books have received significant popular and critical acclaim: Morrison was the first African American woman to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, in 1993.