American Booksellers for Free Expression (ABFE) is the free speech initiative of the American Booksellers Association (ABA). ABFE is a non-profit organization whose mission is to protect and promote free expression in the United States.[1] ABFE advises individuals who oppose book challenges and bans nationally and in local communities across the country. ABFE provides resources and education on the importance of free expression to booksellers, politicians, the press, and the public.

The current director of ABFE is David Grogan, who took over the role in 2018.[2] The previous director was Chris Finan, current director of the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC).[3]

ABFE was founded in 1990 as the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE).[4] As of 1 January 2015, the ABFFE merged with the ABA and became ABFE.[5]

ABFE Era (2015-Present)

ABFE participates in legal cases involving First Amendment rights and Fourteenth Amendment rights and participates in coalitions dedicated to the defense of free expression through organizing and legal advocacy, such as Banned Books Week Coalition, Media Coalition, the Kids' Right to Read Project, and the Free Expression Network (FEN).[6]

ABFFE Era (1990-2015)

ABFFE likewise participated in legal cases involving the First Amendment and free speech. They filed an amicus brief in the Supreme Court case US v Stevens (2010). ABFFE also filed a brief in Federal Communications Commission v. Fox Television Stations (2009) and celebrated two free speech victories in the courts after filing briefs in the American Academy of Religion, Association of American University Presses, PEN American Center, Ramadan v Chertoff et al. and Trump v O’Brien.

ABFFE was active in a five-year campaign to restore reader privacy safeguards affected by the USA PATRIOT Act.[7] ABFFE tracked all cases of attempts by law enforcement to seize bookstore records during that period.[8]

Activities

ABFFE, or the American Booksellers for Free Expression, organizes Banned Books Week annually, a national event that celebrates the fundamental right to read. This event is held in collaboration with several prominent organizations, including the American Booksellers Association, the Association of American Publishers, the American Society of Journalists and Authors, the National Association of College Stores, and the American Library Association. Banned Books Week serves as an important reminder of the value of intellectual freedom and the challenges faced by books and authors that have been subject to censorship or restriction. ABFFE and its partners aim to raise awareness and promote discussions about the importance of open access to diverse ideas and perspectives in literature.[9]

ABFFE also sponsors the Kids’ Right to Read Project, a collaboration with the National Coalition Against Censorship, that "offers support, education, and advocacy to people facing book challenges or bans and engages local activists in promoting the freedom to read."[10]

The organization also often participates in Banned Books Week, an annual event that celebrates the freedom to read and draws attention to the issue of censorship.

See also

References

  1. ↑ ABFFE
  2. ↑ "ABA Promotes David Grogan to Director of ABFE, Advocacy and Public Policy". the American Booksellers Association. 2018-02-05. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
  3. ↑ "ABFE Director Chris Finan to Leave ABA". the American Booksellers Association. 2017-06-21. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
  4. ↑ "Free Expression (ABFFE)". the American Booksellers Association. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
  5. ↑ "ABFFE to Merge With ABA: Free Speech Programming to Expand". Nov 18, 2014.
  6. ↑ "ABFE & Free Speech". the American Booksellers Association. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
  7. ↑ "Restoring Safeguards for Reader Privacy Eliminated by the USAPatriot Act". Archived from the original on 2009-10-01. Retrieved 2009-08-13.
  8. ↑ Brasch, Walter (2005). America's Unpatriotic Acts: The Federal Government's Violation of Constitutional and Civil Rights. Peter Lang. ISBN 0820476080.
  9. ↑ "Read a banned book". Plaquemine Post South. 2014-08-20. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  10. ↑ "Kids' Right to Read Project". National Coalition Against Censorship. 2013-08-30.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.