This pillar addresses the barriers in access to literature that reflects the lived experiences of BIPOC communities across intersections of marginalization and shares the often untold history of the contributions of these communities. 

Specific challenges:

• Book bans have been a longstanding challenge in the state of Arizona with a focus on books by and about minority groups with a focus on books related to BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities. 

Examples:

HB2281: A bill banning ethnic studies, removing vital historical and cultural literature reflecting the experiences of Mexican Americans and other minority groups from the state's school curriculum. It is posed as a law which prohibits any class that “advocates ethnic solidarity.” This law is still in effect for the state of Arizona.

HB2495 A bill requiring parent permission for "sexually explicit" content. Many educators stand against the bill which they see is being used to disproportionately limit access to books by and about minority groups, specifically titles with BIPOC characters and LGBTQIA+ themes.

• BIPOC Representation In The book industry has not significantly improved over the last 5 years, and the industry has historically been predominantly white, with a disproportionate representation of white publisher staff, published authors, and booksellers. 

According the Lee & Low diversity baseline survey, there has been no significant changes in the historically white and cis publishing industry over the last five years. In 2019 the publishing industry was 79% white cis women and is now 76% White cis women. There is also a decrease in the percentage of gay representation in the industry from 10% to 4%. This is important because it reflects on whose stories are published.

According to the Cooperative Children's Book Center, there has been no significant increase in the share of books that have at least one creator who is BIPOC, with 41% of the books documented in 2024 having at least one BIPOC author, illustrator, or compiler (in the case of anthologies) — up from 40 percent in 2023. Notably, books by Asian (19%) and Indigenous (3%) creators saw slight increases. By comparison, 70% of the books the CCBC received included at least one white creator.

Palabras Bilingual Bookstore

Curated Collection of Literature 

 BIPOC Open Mic

New Suns Book Club  

Durango Juvenile Detention Center Book Drive 

Author events and workshops