In May, the Knox County School District (KCS) in Knoxville pulled the historical novel “Roots” off the shelves, sparking a statewide debate and confusion over Tennessee’s current law.
Confirmed on May 14, the decision based on Tennessee’s Age Appropriate Material Act drew criticism from officials and citizens alike. The 1976 novel by Alex Haley, whose presence in Knoxville inspired a sculpture of the author, was one of the first pieces of popularized fiction that recounted the transatlantic slave trade.
School district leaders cited a rape scene in chapter 84 as the reason for its decision, Knox News reported…