This week on The State of Belief, host Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush welcomes Kelly Jensen. She’s a passionate advocate for intellectual freedom, democracy, and the right to read. As an editor at Book Riot and a former librarian, Kelly has been at the forefront of the fight against book bans and censorship. The urgent conversation covers the growing wave of censorship, the role of religious extremism in book-banning efforts, and what we can do to safeguard free expression and democratic values.

Kelly shares her personal experiences and insights on the emotional impact of censorship, the importance of diverse stories, and how communities can come together to support libraries and schools. The discussion includes practical steps each of us can take, such as attending library board meetings, writing letters of support, and engaging in local elections to protect the freedom to read.

Later, Paul is joined by Rev. Amos Brown, the longtime president of the NAACP of San Francisco and a lifelong civil rights leader. He tells the story of loaning the Smithsonian Institution precious personal items – a historical Bible and the first book about Black American history – and how, seemingly in implementing an anti-diversity executive order, the Smithsonian attempted to return them. (He notes that most recently, there seems to be movement toward reversing this decision.)

Kelly Jensen is editor at Book Riot, the largest independent editorial book site in North America. Her weekly newsletter tracking violations of the right to read and opportunities for advocacy is titled Literary Activism.

Rev. Dr. Amos Brown is a longtime pastor of Third Baptist Church in San Francisco, a congregation attended by Vice President Kamala Harris. One of the very few students at Morehouse College who were taught by Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., Amos serves as president of the NAACP San Francisco branch.

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