Banned Together

Banned Together is a powerful documentary that lingers long after the credits roll. It follows three high school seniors from Beaufort County, South Carolina-Isabella Troy Brazoban, Elizabeth Foster, and Millie Bennett-as they fight against book bans in their district. Nearly 100 books, many featuring LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and female voices, were pulled after complaints from a very small group of parents influenced by organizations like Moms for Liberty.

What makes this film so compelling is its personal nature-you're not just watching a policy debate, but real students with real stakes refusing to be silenced. Their journey through school board meetings, protests, and national advocacy highlights their passion for free speech and representation. If you think 'today's generation' is only interested in TikTok trends, these students tenacity will surprise and inspire you.

Beyond their local battle, Banned Together connects to a nationwide wave of censorship, forcing viewers to ask: Who decides what students can read? What are we really protecting them from? And why are marginalized voices often the target?

Critics have praised the film for good reason-it's inspiring, eye-opening, and, at times, infuriating. It showcases both the courage of these students and the creeping threat of censorship in public education. If you care about free speech, education, or youth activism, this is a must-watch.

Sometimes it takes youth, not yet jaded, not so beaten down, to stand up for what is so obviously right... to call the fanatical, un-American book banning what it is, and to actually do something about it. As an adult battling for the rights of parents, students and teachers against the faux-"parental rights", astroturf groups, it's often exhausting to face the same nonsense arguments again and again. These kids show the power of community, of supporting and encouraging one another, and the power of hope. The film does a great job of showing the scope of the issue -- talking to authors, educators, even letting the censors speak for themselves.

Banned Together is an incredibly timely, important film filled with powerful characters- beloved authors, passionate students, and voices from all walks of life resisting acts of censorship that are happening all around the US in this very moment.

It is wonderful to experience advocacy in action, and I felt that I really learned on a very personal level, who is affected by the attack on public education, and more importantly - what can be done to stop these attacks. Extra kudos to the volunteers from Defense of Democracy who were featured in the film!

This is a wonderful and necessary work, and I highly recommend it!

Banned Together is an excellent film documenting the challenges faced by students, community members, and librarians as censorship in the US increases.

No community is immune to book challenges and bans. It is happening everywhere. The antidote to the fear based tactics used to censor the right to read is education. Each of us has a responsibility to be prepared to defend the freedom to read. Each of us deserves to be able to read books where we can see ourselves and our experiences represented. The attack on books disproportionately affects BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities - the very same communities that need representation in these trying times.

This film provides necessary knowledge as well as a good dose of hope. It is heartening to know that people from all walks of life are standing up for the freedom to read. I hope that you will watch this film and that it will spark conversations in your circles about the importance of reading and how crucial it is we protect the right to read.

This was such an amazing documentary about the importance of free speech and the right to read. It was told beautifully through the eyes of high school students in South Carolina as they worked to reintroduce books that were banned in their school district. It highlights the importance of books in our society and really peels back the curtains on why people are trying to ban books which I found fascinating. Unfortunately, it does end right before the current administration took office so obviously things are even more volatile in this area right now. But if anything that just reinvigorates me more to stand up for what I believe in.