Churches throughout history have engaged in promoting social justice, from organizing meetings to push for political change to arranging marches and rallies.
Samirah Horton, a 16-year-old from Bedford Stuyvesant, is following that legacy by creating the Banned Book Library at the Nazarene Congregational United Church of Christ.
Horton, who is also an author, public speaker and known as DJ Annie Red, said she was inspired by the works of Toni Morrison. After reading Song of Solomon and The Bluest Eye, Horton began to research more about Morrison’s work.
Morrison’s work has been the target of literary bans for many years. The Bluest Eye has been frequently challenged and banned since its 1970 publication, and continues to be on American Library Association's (ALA) Top 10 Most Challenged Books list.
"Churches have the freedom to operate the way they want more than other institutions,” Horton said. “Knowledge is the one thing people can’t take away from you.”
In 2024, ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom tracked 821 attempts to censor library materials and services. In those cases, 2,452 unique titles were challenged. Book banning is a form of censorship that involves removing books from libraries, schools, or other institutions due to objections to their content.
Horton’s mother, Minister Sonya Horton, said she encouraged her daughter to give back to her community.
Members of the church came together to help create the library. The goal is to engage people—especially children—in reading and learning in an alternative space, according to Minister Horton.
“When you get the people involved, it becomes greater than just you,” Minister Horton said.
Deborah Balfour Chisholm, a lifelong member whose family has attended the church for generations and is known as the church historian, said she is thrilled with Horton’s initiative to create the library.
“Having young people interested in what’s going on, even if it’s not in the rituals of the church, is really encouraging,” Chisholm said. “We have to understand that churches have a responsibility to social justice.”
The library includes a mix of banned books, historical works, children’s books and coloring books. Horton hopes the library space is for both reading a safe space to gather.
For Horton, the library is a project rooted in community, faith and a shared purpose. “I think young people are all capable of pursuing their passion,” she said. “That’s my biggest piece of advice, always find your passion and use it to make a difference.”
Book donations can be dropped off at the Nazarene Congregational United Church of Christ at 506 MacDonough Street. An opening celebration will be held on Saturday, July 19 at 12:00pm.
