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Connections

Coming up on Connections: Friday, February 18, 2022

CCAC North Library
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First hour: How banning books impacts young readers

Second hour: RMAPI's 2022 policy agenda

Data shows book banning in the U.S. is on the rise.According to the American Library Association, there were 330 "book challenges" last fall. A school district in Tennessee recently banned the graphic novel Maus, which seeks to educate children about the Holocaust. The move led a number of individuals and organizations to donate or purchase copies for readers in that district and nationwide. In Oklahoma, a bill in the State Senate seeks to prohibit public school libraries from having copies of books that focus on sexual activity, sexual identity, or gender identity on their shelves. How does all of this impact young readers? Our guests share their perspectives on book banning. Our guests:

  • Rachel Crawford, owner of Akimbo Books
  • Hillel Deutsch, local attorney and parent
  • Linda Sue Park, author
  • Adrienne Pettinelli, director of the Henrietta Public Library
  • Ryan Prendergast, associate professor of Spanish at the University of Rochester

Then in our second hour, the Rochester-Monroe Anti-Poverty Initiative(RMAPI) has released a policy agenda. The document outlines a series of actions aimed at reducing poverty in the region. They include raising wages, making equitable and inclusive decisions, investing in families, and decriminalizing poverty. We sit down with RMAPI representatives to discuss how they plan to put these steps into motion. Our guests:

  • Rev. Cynthia Cole, D.D., member of the RMAPI Community Advisory Council, and community advocate
  • Larry Knox, political coordinator with 1199 SEIU
  • Rebekah Meyer, operations manager with RMAPI
  • Jill Paperno, acting public defender with Monroe County
Connections
Evan Dawson is the host of "Connections with Evan Dawson." He joined WXXI in January 2014 after working at 13WHAM-TV, where he served as morning news anchor. He was hired as a reporter for 13WHAM-TV in 2003 before being promoted to anchor in 2007.
Megan Mack is the executive producer of "Connections with Evan Dawson" and live/televised engagement programming.
Emmarae Stein is the production assistant for "Connections with Evan Dawson."