🔥 Are Books Political? The Debate in 2025 and the Black Community’s Path Forward

In recent years, the literary world has found itself in the middle of a growing debate: are books and the spaces that celebrate them political? Some argue that books are simply art, entertainment, or education. Others insist that every book, particularly those written by and about marginalized communities, carries political weight whether we acknowledge it or not.

For Black authors, readers, and publishers, this debate is far from theoretical. Books have always been more than stories for us; they’ve been weapons, shields, and blueprints for survival. And in 2025, the struggle over who controls stories and who gets to read them continues.

Books as Political Pawns in Black History

Here are just a few examples of how books and reading have historically been tied to politics in the Black community:

1. Slave Literacy Bans (18th–19th Century)

   • During slavery, laws were passed across the South making it illegal to teach enslaved people to read. The very act of reading was considered a political threat because literacy meant access to freedom, power, and resistance.

2. The Bible and Abolition

   • Enslaved people and abolitionists used scripture as both shield and sword. While enslavers weaponized the Bible to justify bondage, Black readers and preachers reinterpreted those same texts to argue for liberation and dignity.

3. The Harlem Renaissance (1920s–1930s)

   • Books by Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes, and others weren’t just literature — they were political declarations of Black humanity, artistry, and identity during a time of segregation and systemic racism.

4. Civil Rights Era (1950s–1960s)

   • Works like James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time and Martin Luther King Jr.’s Why We Can’t Wait became rallying cries. These weren’t just books; they were strategies for organizing and visions for America’s future.

5. Mass Incarceration & Prison Literature (1970s–Present)

   • From George Jackson’s Soledad Brother to modern-day prison writing programs, books have been used to expose injustice, radicalize thought, and provide hope for incarcerated Black men and women.

The Politics of Books in 2025

Fast forward to today, and the fight over books has not gone away — it has only shifted forms:

• Book Bans & Censorship: Across the U.S., books by Black authors or about race, sexuality, and identity are being challenged and removed from schools and libraries at alarming rates.

• Publishing Gatekeeping: Black authors often face systemic barriers in publishing, from fewer marketing dollars to being pigeonholed into narrow categories.

• Digital Access: As more literature moves online, questions of who has access — and who controls platforms — are deeply political.

• Narrative Erasure: Political leaders attempt to rewrite or sanitize history in classrooms, stripping away the truth of Black experiences.

• Cultural Influence: Bookish spaces like TikTok (#BookTok), Instagram (#Bookstagram), and community-led expos are becoming political battlegrounds — places where visibility and representation are fought for daily.

Pushing Forward as a Community

So what can we do in the face of politicization? Here are a few ways to resist, rebuild, and reclaim:

1. Support Black Authors: Buy, review, and share their work. Visibility is resistance.

2. Create Independent Platforms: From Black-owned bookstores to digital reading groups, we must control our own narratives.

3. Challenge Book Bans: Advocate at school boards, libraries, and community spaces to keep Black literature accessible.

4. Teach Our History Through Books: Make reading central to cultural education in families, churches, and community groups.

5. Celebrate Literacy as Liberation: Remember that every time we read, write, or share books, we are engaging in an act of political power.

Final Word

To say books aren’t political is to ignore history. For Black communities, books have always been tied to the fight for freedom, dignity, and justice. In 2025, as attempts to censor, control, and erase our voices continue, it’s up to us to remember the legacy and to keep pushing forward.

Because when we read, we resist. And when we share stories, we win.