JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Some books you can’t find in Florida classrooms and libraries were on display in James Weldon Johnson Park Thursday night.
It was part of a banned book readout event to challenge what organizers call unjust policies leading to books being banned in Florida schools.
The Association for the Study of African American Life and History is hosting the event has brought a little more than 200 books they say are banned in Florida schools.
People were able to take a book with them and listen to passages from other books challenged in Florida schools.
One of the guest speakers Thursday included Dr. Johnetta Cole, a Jacksonville native who served as the president of Spelman and Bennett colleges.
Historian, Dr. Lisa Brock, who helped organize the event said the books help open people's minds.
“First its books on black history and books on LGBTQ history they are not just books for those communities these are books that open up all our minds to these communities and that’s why it's important that we all come out and read these books," Dr. Brock said.