Unstoppable Stories: A Banned Books Festival
Location:
- Offsite
Unstoppable Stories: A Banned Books Festival is part of the Teaching Truth Campaign and coincides with the launch of Banned Books Week, Oct. 1-7, 2023. As the festival name declares, Stories are Unstoppable. They celebrate who we are out loud, despite attempts at censorship. They lift up our experiences, connect us across our differences and are how we learn to be better people. The festival will offer opportunities to build community, learn about the good work people are doing for equity and inclusion, uplift stories and have family fun.
When and where
- Saturday, Sep. 30, 2023, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., River Road Unitarian Universalist Congregation (RRUUC), 6301 River Road, Bethesda, MD 20817 (entrance on Whittier Blvd.)
- Sunday, Oct. 1, 2023, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax, 2709 Hunter Mill Road, Oakton, VA 22124
Why is the festival important?
- The overturning of Roe v. Wade and affirmative action, the targeting of LGBTQIA+ people, the whitewashing of history and other attempts to overthrow democracy make it clear that right-wing factions are set on enshrining hate into local, state and federal policies. Book banning is an historic, fascist tactic designed to silence, target and marginalize people.
- From the organizers’ perspectives, it’s important for progressive faith communities to come together in solidarity with marginalized groups whose stories are being silenced and even erased by these efforts.
- Through the festival, organizers and sponsors hope to raise awareness of efforts to ban books and demonstrate why fighting and overcoming these efforts is important to the worth and dignity of all human beings. The event will also offer tools and strategies for taking action against book banning efforts.
- Family programming
- A youth art show
- A panel discussion: Libraries on the Front Lines
- An author panel
- Author readings
- Food trucks
- Sponsor tables
- A Banned Books store
For up-to-date information on specific events, go to uucf.org/unstoppable. For potential sponsors interested in offering an activity at the festival, please fill out this form.
Who should attend?
This is a community event open to everyone with an interest in stories and book access. Activities being organized will represent diverse experiences. If you would like to support access to stories, banned book authors, and diversity in all realms of life, this festival is for you.
Organizers
The festival originated within the Unitarian Universalist (UU) Potomac Partnership (Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church (CLUUC), UU Congregation of Fairfax and River Road UU Congregation). Other organizers, represented by more than 30 grassroots volunteers, include the VIrginia UU State Action Network, FCPS Pride, the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers, SURJ NoVA (Showing Up for Racial Justice Northern Virginia), Rock Spring United Church of Christ and Unity of Fairfax. The organizing team grows every week.
Many of these groups had previously collaborated on the 2022 teach-in related to critical race theory, Teaching Truth: Putting Students First, which had over 700 attendees. Organizers will be reaching out for formal sponsorships to a variety of community groups with an interest in banned books in Virginia, Maryland, DC and nationally.
