I was informed that on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day the book "Rethinking Columbus," designed to make pupils and teachers think about how this county was founded and developed by its many peoples, was banned from the classrooms of Tucson, Arizona. The book, which has been in print for twenty years and has sold 300,000 copies, carries essays donated by noted Native American, Mexican American, African American, Hispanic American and white authors and educators. This includes two essays of mine entitled "Black Indians and Resistance” from BLACK INDIANS: A HIDDEN HERITAGE.
First, let me say that I am delighted to appear in such distinguished company, and hope this book banning leads to a victory for civil liberties, restoration of educational sanity and a deeper understanding our multicultural past. Meanwhile, I accept the Arizona censorship as a badge of honor.