09/20/2026
COBB COUNTY NAACP STATEMENT
Regarding the Removal of Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye from Cobb County Schools
The Cobb County Branch NAACP is deeply concerned about the decision by Cobb County School District Superintendent Chris Ragsdale and district leadership to remove Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye from middle and high school media centers.
We recognize parents’ and educators’ responsibility to protect children from age-inappropriate material. We also recognize the public school system’s responsibility to provide a broad, rigorous, and inclusive education that prepares students to understand the world around them.
Our concern is not simply about one book. It is about what happens to education when difficult subjects are removed rather than taught within appropriate educational context.
Published in 1970, The Bluest Eye is a significant work of American literature by Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison. It addresses racism, colorism, poverty, child abuse, trauma, beauty standards, and the effects of racism on a young Black child’s identity and sense of worth. Although the novel contains deeply disturbing material, including sexual abuse, those subjects should be addressed thoughtfully and age appropriately—not excluded without meaningful review.
The NAACP has previously opposed the removal of The Bluest Eye, emphasizing its importance in helping students understand racism and prejudice and its place in America’s literary heritage.
The Cobb County School District has stated that the book was removed because certain passages violated standards for materials available to students in grades 6–12. The district characterizes the action as the removal of sexually explicit material rather than a book ban.
The larger question is whether limiting access to challenging literature protects students—or limits their ability to engage critically with difficult realities of history and society.
We are also concerned by reports that the book came to the superintendent’s attention through conversations with other superintendents and an educator rather than through the parent-initiated process described in Cobb’s library policies. This raises questions about transparency, consistency, due process, and decision-making authority.
Continued removals can affect:
• Academic freedom — Teachers and media specialists need access to diverse literature and the ability to facilitate meaningful discussions.
• Critical thinking — Students must learn to analyze difficult subjects, not simply be shielded from them.
• Cultural representation and equity — Black students deserve access to literature reflecting the complexity of Black life, history, identity, and experience.
• Trust in educational leadership — Families, educators, students, and community members deserve a transparent and consistent review process.
• Preparation for adulthood — Students need the knowledge and critical-thinking skills to understand difficult subjects responsibly.
The Cobb County NAACP is not asking parents to surrender their right to determine what is appropriate for their children. We are asking that parental rights, professional judgment, student access, and district policies be balanced through a transparent and accountable process.
There is a meaningful difference between protecting students from inappropriate material and eliminating opportunities to encounter challenging ideas under appropriate educational guidance.
Cobb County is home to approximately 100,000 students. Decisions about access to literature shape not only what students read, but how they think, understand history, recognize racism, and engage with people whose experiences differ from their own.
The Cobb County NAACP therefore calls for:
1. A transparent public review of the circumstances surrounding the removal of The Bluest Eye.
2. A clear explanation of the process and authority used to make the decision.
3. Consistent application of the district’s library-material policies to every challenged book.
4. Meaningful participation by parents, educators, librarians, students, and community stakeholders in decisions concerning educational materials.
5. Consideration of age-appropriate access, professional guidance, or alternative placement as alternatives to eliminating access.
6. A commitment to maintaining diverse literature that helps students understand race, history, culture, identity, and the human experience.
The Cobb County NAACP will continue advocating for an education system where every child has access to knowledge, every parent has a voice, educators are respected professionals, and difficult history is not erased simply because it is difficult to teach.
Our children deserve an education that does more than protect them from uncomfortable truths.
They deserve the tools to understand those truths.
Cobb County NAACP
Advocating for Equity, Education, Justice and Opportunity for All
