On Toni Morrison Day in Ohio, lawmakers and literacy advocates gathered to defend challenging literary works amid growing concerns over book bans and restrictions on 'controversial' topics. The day, established through a bipartisan vote in 2020, honors the Nobel and Pulitzer Prize-winning author from northeast Ohio.

'Words are powerful and that means that they're dangerous,' stated children's author Elisa Stone Leahy during a news conference. She emphasized that while Morrison's works may be challenging, they are transformative, arguing that the answer isn't censorship - the answer's connection. We have to have conversations with our children.

The defense of Morrison's works comes at a critical time. In Ohio, the Protect Ohio Children Coalition has been actively mapping what they term 'dangerous and radical materials' in Ohio schools, maintaining an 'indoctrination map' targeting specific districts.

State Representative Joe Miller, representing Morrison's hometown of Lorain, emphasized how early reading development enhances critical thinking, empathy, and creativity while broadening perspectives about different people. He shared Morrison's humble beginnings, noting how she learned to read and write using chalk on the sidewalk.

The importance of protecting literary freedom was underscored by Sharon Hawkins, director of Right to Read Ohio, who reminded that constitutional free speech rights extend to reading and that courts have consistently protected children's access to books in schools, regardless of controversial ideas they may contain.