Pink to Give Away 2,000 Banned Books at Florida Concerts

On Monday, Pink revealed her intention to give away 2,000 books that have been banned by schools in Florida during her four concerts in the state. “Books have been a source of joy for me since I was a kid, and that’s why I can’t sit idly by while books are censored by schools,” she stated in a press release.

The singer, who has won three Grammys, joined forces with PEN America, a national organization that defends free speech, and announced her initiative on Instagram Live with Amanda Gorman, the youngest poet to read at a U.S. inauguration. Pink will also partner with Books & Books, a bookseller, to hand out four books from PEN America’s Index of Banned Books: “The Family Book” by Todd Parr, “The Hill We Climb” by Gorman, “Beloved” by Toni Morrison, and “Girls Who Code” by Stacia Deutsch.

Florida is the state with the most book bans in the country. PEN America documented more than 3,300 book bans across the U.S. in the 2022 to 2023 school year, a 33% increase from the previous year. Out of those books, 40% of the bans happen in Florida school districts, with 1,406 books removed from the shelves. Texas came in second with 625 bans. Book bans often target female authors, LGBTQ authors, and authors of color. For instance, the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, supported by Florida governor and presidential hopeful Ron Desantis, forbids K-12 teachers from talking about sexuality and gender identity in schools. “It’s particularly hateful to see authorities attack books about race and racism and against LGBTQ authors and those of color,” Pink said in her press release. The pop star has scheduled shows in Miami and Sunrise, Florida, on Nov. 13 and 14, and two shows in Orlando on Nov. 18 and 19 to end her Trustfall tour. She will distribute books from Florida’s banned list at each show.“We have made so many strides toward equality in this country and no one should want to see this progress reversed,” Pink said.