Book Description
"Ghana, eighteenth century: two half sisters are born into different villages, each unaware of the other. One will marry an Englishman and lead a life of comfort in the palatial rooms of the Cape Coast Castle. The other will be captured in a raid on her village, imprisoned in the very same castle, and sold into slavery. Homegoing follows the parallel paths of these sisters and their descendants through eight generations: from the Gold Coast to the plantations of Mississippi, from the American Civil War to Jazz Age Harlem. Yaa Gyasi’s extraordinary novel illuminates slavery’s troubled legacy both for those who were taken and those who stayed—and shows how the memory of captivity has been inscribed on the soul of our nation." - Penguin Random House
Where It's Banned
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi has been banned in school districts in the following states: Florida, Maryland, Virginia, Iowa, Wyoming, Texas, Utah, Alaska, Wisconsin, Oregon, North Carolina, Georgia, & Missouri (2021-2024 school years). https://pen.org/book-bans/pen-america-index-of-school-book-bans-2023-2024/
Why It's Banned
Most of the articles I've seen in reference to Homegoing's ban cite "sexual content" and discussions of race. BookLooks* rated Homegoing as “Not For Minors,”and claims, "This book contains sexual activities; sexual assault; sexual nudity; profanity and derogatory terms; violence; hate involving racism; alcohol and drug use; and controversial social commentary."
My response? This is History. No matter how painful it may be to read about this history, it is necessary in order for us to understand the past and our present. The "sexual activities"literally refers to the violence inflicted upon Black women in connection to colonization and enslavement. Skating over that is irresponsible, as is avoiding conversations about racism and "alcohol and drug use." In my opinion, high school is the perfect time to assign this. If you can assign The Scarlet Letter, The Crucible, and The Great Gatsby, your students are capable of reading Homegoing.
*What is BookLooks?
According to Book Riot, "across Moms For Liberty Facebook groups, as well similar “parents rights” groups across the country, a new resource has emerged heeding the call: BookLooks...It is a tool developed by Moms For Liberty being used to push their agendas even further under the guise of protecting children."
Why I Recommend This Book
Homegoing gives readers a chance to see the ways in which the past actually affects the present and our future. This multi-generational story shows us how interconnected we actually are. When I read this book in 2018, I felt like I could finally understand the choices my ancestors made. Similar to the impact of Roots: The Saga of an American Family by Alex Haley, the story of Black History does not begin at enslavement. If we want to push back against the age old narrative that Black folks don't have history, everyone needs to read stories like these.
How to Access This Book
This is one of my most used apps on my phone because I can add e-cards from my local library, state library, AND the Queer Liberation Library to check out e-books and e-audiobooks. It is available on browsers, Apple's app store, Google Play, and the Amazon app store.
Similar to Libby, I can access e-books and e-audiobooks from my library on here but I can also access films, comics, and music. On Hoopla, we also don't have to wait until another person is done with the book before we borrow it! It is available on browsers, Apple's app store, Google Play, and the Amazon app store.
Books Unbanned is a resource is meant to help those who are struggling to access banned books in their states! Brooklyn Public Library founded Books Unbanned in 2022 and now, you can get access through multiple library systems as residents of the US.
The Banned Book Club, launched by Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) makes digital versions of banned books available to readers nationwide. The ebooks are available to all readers across the country for free via the Palace e-reader app.
More Resources
Book Résumés help teachers, librarians, parents, and community members defend books from censorship. They detail each title’s significance and educational value and are easy to share with administrators, book review committees, elected officials, and board members.
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