Anti-censorship advocates have joined the book publisher Penguin Random House in condemning a Texas county that reclassified an account of European settlers’ colonization of Indigenous Americans as fiction.
The furor in Montgomery county – near Houston – follows the decision by a citizens review panel, at the behest of rightwing activists, to place Colonization and the Wampanoag Story by Linda Coombs in the fiction section of children’s libraries.
A Texas county’s decision to shelve a nonfiction children’s book about colonization in the fiction section is facing backlash.
Montgomery County Commission decided to reclassify Linda Coombs’ book Colonization and the Wampanoag Story as fiction in the seven libraries in the county — a move that has sparked criticism from the book’s publisher Penguin Random House and advocacy groups.
The Texas Freedom to Read Project is a parent-led organization dedicated to safeguarding the rights of Texans — especially young people — to freely access information. We collaborate with local residents to combat censorship attempts across our state.
Although we are frequently disheartened by these attempts, rarely are we surprised. But a decision made this month in a county near Houston left us stunned. The Montgomery County Commissioners Court ordered librarians there to reclassify the nonfiction children’s book “Colonization and the Wampanoag Story” as fiction.
Decision in Texas Reclassifying Celebrated Native Book Diminishes Indigenous History in America
(NEW YORK)— A coalition of national and Texas freedom to read advocates, joined by publisher Penguin Random House, today called for the reversal of a decision in Montgomery County, TX, to reclassify from juvenile nonfiction to fiction a celebrated book that presents the Indigenous perspective on European colonization.
In a letter, the groups responded to the decision by Montgomery County Citizens Review Committee to reclassify Colonization and the Wampanoag Story by Linda Coombs, saying it “communicates distrust of material that reflects the truths of our American history. It diminishes the legitimacy of Coombs’s perspective as a member of the Wampanoag Tribe and Indigenous educators who recommend its use.”
When you’ve attracted the attention of Fark, you have seriously screwed up.
Although this story is carried by major international news sources (even FARK, for heaven’s sake!), it is not covered locally. This is the kind of news you will never see on local central Texas stations. There is a kind of “quiet” censorship that permeates Texas – a subtle “fox-lite” vibe, even in the blue island of Austin.
The Book: Colonization and the Wampanoag Story by Linda Coombs
This book is from the Random House Children’s book collection
Colonization and the Wampanoag Story is part of the Penguin/Random House Race to the Truth series.
Elder G nets this out for us….
The Race to the Truth children’s book series aims to tell the true history of America from the perspectives of various marginalized communities. The series corrects common misconceptions and celebrates underrepresented heroes and achievements. Some notable titles include:
This Land – Focuses on Native American history, teaching children about the Indigenous nations that lived on American land long before European settlers arrived.
Borderlands and the Mexican American Story – Highlights how Mexican culture shaped the Southwestern U.S. long before borders existed.
Slavery and the African American Story – Tells the story of African Americans’ profound impact on building the country, from slavery to the fight for freedom.
Exclusion and the Chinese American Story – Details Chinese American history, going beyond just their contributions to the railroads, and celebrates their resilience despite exclusionary laws.
Colonization and the Wampanoag Story – Until now, you’ve only heard one side of the story: the “discovery” of America told by Christopher Columbus, the Pilgrims, and the Colonists. Here’s the true story of America from the Indigenous perspective.
These books encourage young readers to ask questions and think critically about history. They also provide a more inclusive narrative that is often missing from mainstream textbooks.
Elder G
Montgomery County, TX
Politics Montgomery County has given Republican candidates 70 percent or more of the vote since 2000, and the county has not been won by a Democratic presidential candidate since 1964, when native Texan and favorite son Lyndon Johnson won 60.9% of the county’s vote.
In 2004, county voters gave 78.1 percent of their vote to Republican candidate George W. Bush. In 2008, 75.8% of the voters supported the Republican ticket of John McCain and Sarah Palin. In 2016, this was the only county in the United States where Republican nominee Donald Trump won against Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton by a margin of greater than 100,000 votes.
In 2020, Trump won Montgomery County again, with an expanded margin of 119,000 votes.
The combination of heat, humidity, authoritarianism, dismal drizzle, and those sweet petrochemical fumes[1] make Montgomery County a delightful place to live.
[1] Nod to the Lounge Lizards
¿Dónde está la biblioteca?
On the web: https://www.countylibrary.org/ Comments/Questions?: https://www.countylibrary.org/about_us/comments_questions.php Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mcmlsTX
Profiles in Cowardice: The library is closed for two weeks.
With the courage, integrity, transparency, and commitment to democracy that is emblematic of the MAGA movement, the Montgomery Library decided to shut down for two weeks amidst and amongst this controversy.
This sham of a library doesn’t even have the courage to link to its own social media accounts.
But the librarians welcome you!
James Noack: Montgomery Country Commissioner
And who is this gravedigger of American democracy?
