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LGBTQ book ban in South Carolina library thwarted after community stands up for acceptance

Read books, don’t ban them.

sc book ban, lgbtq books, south caolina
via Pixabay

Children reading in a library.

Over the past two years, there has been a rash of attempted book bans in the United States. The idea that children are being “groomed” to become LGBTQ through schools and libraries has become de rigueur among conservatives. So politicians have been trying to make names for themselves by supporting banning books with LGBTQ themes from schools and libraries .

Do they think that by removing a book from a library it’ll prevent a child from being exposed to LGBTQ people?

Greenville, South Carolina, County Councilman Joe Dill, who recently lost the Republican primary and will be losing his seat, proposed a resolution that would ban books “promoting sexuality” in the children’s sections of public libraries.

The Greenville Republican Party had recently asked the council to remove the books “Daddy & Dada” about a girl and her two dads, “Teo’s Tutu” about a boy who does ballet and “Pride Puppy” about a dog at a pride parade. What's interesting is that the books don’t promote sexuality, they simply have gay characters. The books weren't telling kids to be LGBTQ, they were merely showing that these people exist.

Further, reading a book is about as likely to turn a heterosexual person gay as it is to turn a gay person straight. Not very likely. However, the benefits of someone being able to see themselves represented in media can play a big part in self-acceptance, which is very important given the high suicide rates among LGBTQ youth.

The Greenville County Council held a public debate featuring 10 speakers, five for the ban and five against, and the speeches were passionate.

Susan Ward, who has a gay son and is a member of PFLAG, discussed the importance of representation in books. “All of us worry about our children. I worry because my child has been subjected to hate and discrimination,” she said according to LGBTQ Nation.

“Every student—no matter their race, background, sexual orientation, or gender identity—deserves to feel safe and welcomed in schools, libraries, and bookstores alike. They deserve to read books and see themselves represented,” Carolyn Caldwell, president of Upstate Pride SC, said according to The State.

Barbara Evans, who supports the ban, made a speech where she conflated the idea of representation with promotion. “I can’t even believe we’re having this conversation. Of course, we shouldn’t have any sexual material in our children’s library,” she said. But is showing that a girl has two dads sexual? By that logic seeing the parents on “The Brady Bunch” being together is sexual as well.

At the end of the debate, the council voted 9 to 3 against discussing the proposed resolution. Many of those on the council didn’t believe they should interfere with how the library operates.

“If we pass this, we’re directing them and they have to do this according to us,” Chairman Willis Meadows said, according to The Post and Courier. Next, the issue will be taken up by the library system’s board of trustees. Let’s hope they have the same common sense.

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Women working in Africa’s cocoa farms have received business education programs for 15 years. Here’s how that benefits the entire world.

All images provided by CARE & Cargill

The impact of the CARE and Cargill partnership goes beyond empowering cocoa farmers

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Cocoa, the key ingredient found in your favorite chocolate bar, has been a highly revered food product throughout human history. It’s been used for religious ceremonies in Peru, royal feasts in England and France, traded as currency for the ancient Mayans. And considering that many of us enjoy chocolate on a regular basis (mochas and candy bars, anyone?) it seems like that love is still going strong even today.

And if you are someone who looks forward to that sweet chocolate pick-me-up on a regular basis, you likely have the women of West Africa to thank.

Women like Barbara Sika Larweh, a mother of six who works as a cocoa farmer in Larwehkrom, a community located within the Sefwi Wiawso Municipality in the Western North Region of Ghana.

care, cargillMama Cash now empowers other women to gain independence

Nearly 60% of the world’s cocoa comes from both Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, where Barbara and other mothers make up over half of the labor force. These female cocoa farmers shoulder the same physical burden as their male counterparts—all while also running households and paying for their children to go to school. And yet, they typically don’t receive equal income. Nor do they have access to the resources that could help them achieve financial independence.

Thankfully, positive changes are taking place. Barbara’s story exemplifies the impact of programs offered by CARE and Cargill, such as Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA), which are small groups that offer low-interest loans to individuals living in poverty, helping them to build savings without going into devastating debt.

Through these initiatives, women, like Barbara, are equipped with vital knowledge like financial literacy to improve household incomes, sustainable agriculture practices that improve yields, and nutrition education to diversify their family’s diets.

“They came and trained me on the VSLA. I dedicated myself and volunteered so that I would be able to train my people, too,” Barbara explains.

Within the first year of using the programs, Barbara and the people she trained profited—earning her the nickname of “Mama Cash.”

This is no isolated event. In cocoa-growing communities supported by CARE and Cargill programming between 2019-2022, the number of households living below the national poverty line decreased by nearly 32% in Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana - as a direct result of increasing and diversifying income through using these programs.

Like Barbara, who today is an executive member of the Community Development Committee, more than 2.4 million women have used their success as entrepreneurs to transform into leaders and decision-makers within their communities. Whether it’s giving most of their earnings back to their families, reducing child labor, or exponentially increasing overall farm yields, the rippling effect is profound.

The impact of the CARE and Cargill partnership goes beyond empowering cocoa farmers. The joint initiatives have fostered progress on complex global issues related to social justice, such as gender equality, climate change, and food security. By improving access to quality nutrition, water, and hygiene, the joint programs have positively influenced the cocoa communities’ well-being.

Suddenly there’s a lot more to think about the next time you eat a candy bar.

Find out more about the important partnership between CARE and Cargill here.
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