Ariana Grande, Padma Lakshmi And Sharon Stone among Celebs Opposing Book Banning in US

Celebrities like Ariana Grande, Padma Lakshmi, Guillermo del Toro, Mark Ruffalo and Amanda Gorman have joined other artists in signing an open letter calling out Hollywood to use their voice to oppose book bans in America. 

Actors, Authors, Activists and Entertainers from their respective fields of work have joined this initiative. 

The open letter organised by MoveOn Political Action and led by the host of Reading Rainbow LeVar Burton insists artists from various fields of art protest against this ban culture. 

They’ve called book bans in American schools “restrictive behaviour” and “antithetical to free speech and expression.”

They say that the ban can start at a basic level however it can creep into other platforms of art, beyond literature, in time to come. It may also affect marginalised communities. 

Padma Lakshmi insisted that the decision concerning books in the libraries should rest with the librarian rather than politicians. 

Actress and producer Gabrielle Union said that banning books instills fear and hatred in society. 

Emma Roberts and Karah Preiss, co-founders of the online reading community Belletrist, expressed that book banning will deprive children from gaining access to resources for self discovery and growth. 

The open letter coincides with the National Banned Book month. Banning of books in America reached an all time high in the year 2022.