645 10 9760 https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/cefcbde0e56e865dd99a00441536c624.jpg 774ac52ef3fa137c87698694fd20e023 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Records of Weather Service Office Station #74 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NKC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NKC/1.0/</a> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1940-1992 Description An account of the resource This digital collection currently consists of the profile photo albums and station histories of Weather Service Office Station #74. This station was the first weather station and operated on top of the hanger at Wardwell Field. Type The nature or genre of the resource Image; Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Weather Service Office Station #74 Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Records of Weather Service Office Station #74, NCA 01.ii.2003.1. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context NCA 01.ii.2003.01 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPG Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Photographic prints Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Four photographs of Weather Service Station #74 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NKC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NKC/1.0/</a> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1940-1992 Description An account of the resource Four photographs from a profile of Weather Service Station #74 outside of Casper, WY at or near where Wardwell Field was located. Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Weather Service Station $74 Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Records of Weather Service Office Station #74, NCA 01.ii.2003.1. Casper College Archives and Special Collections (Western History Center). Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context NCA 01.ii.2003.01_StationProfilePhotos_74_35 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPG https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/1f385f936983230e7561edcac4a59875.jpg 91e2083f7aed0a5a3f84ab26a6aaf351 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Records of Weather Service Office Station #74 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NKC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NKC/1.0/</a> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1940-1992 Description An account of the resource This digital collection currently consists of the profile photo albums and station histories of Weather Service Office Station #74. This station was the first weather station and operated on top of the hanger at Wardwell Field. Type The nature or genre of the resource Image; Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Weather Service Office Station #74 Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Records of Weather Service Office Station #74, NCA 01.ii.2003.1. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context NCA 01.ii.2003.01 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPG Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Photographic prints Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Four photographs of Weather Service Station #74 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NKC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NKC/1.0/</a> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1940-1992 Description An account of the resource Four photographs from a profile of Weather Service Station #74 outside of Casper, WY at or near where Wardwell Field was located. Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Weather Service Station $74 Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Records of Weather Service Office Station #74, NCA 01.ii.2003.1. Casper College Archives and Special Collections (Western History Center). Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context NCA 01.ii.2003.01_StationProfilePhotos_74_37 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPG https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/2b870c3cf4c767dcabe6c9cdd06cdd58.jpg 8a7dfe330540e3afcbe9bda3255433af Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Photographic print Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Framing the Status of Women Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Casper Star-Tribune Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context NCA 01.ii.2000.01_VerdaJames_Framing Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPG Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Casper Star-Tribune Photographs, NCA 01.ii.2000.01. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Subject The topic of the resource James, Verda. Description An account of the resource The Verda James folder contains 15 photographic prints of Verda James. These photographs are part of a collection that consists of photographs and negatives created and used by the Casper Star Tribune from 1967 until the middle of 1995 according to a newspaper article on the donation from February of 2000. In the words of Special Collections Curator, Kevin Anderson, the photographs in this collection serve to document "events in our own lives, events in our own history." There were 19,000 envelopes that were gifted to the repository, which totaled between 330,000 and 460,000 images. Images in this collection may support the use of other collections in the repository or vice versa. Access Rights Information about who can access the resource or an indication of its security status. Access Rights may include information regarding access or restrictions based on privacy, security, or other policies. Archivists are happy to assist anyone with accessing the physical or electronic copies of photographs. The Casper College Goodstein Foundation Library is glad to grant uses of this material that it actively manages and cares for and will provide its publication policy upon request. Provenance A statement of any changes in ownership and custody of the resource since its creation that are significant for its authenticity, integrity, and interpretation. The statement may include a description of any changes successive custodians made to the resource. The Casper Star-Tribune gifted 20 years of photographic negatives and prints to Casper College early in the year 2000. These photographs and negatives have been managed by the Casper College Archives and Special Collections housed in its Western History Center. Extent The size or duration of the resource. 21,7 megabytes https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/e291ad679d941ddb8b5c86996f2e3a49.jpg 229c3989a11258b8dd1cf1b8427dbabb Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Mrs. Robert Blackmore Collection Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NKC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NKC/1.0/</a> Description An account of the resource The Mrs. Robert Blackmore collection consists of 140 photographs dating from 1888 to 1938, including images of the Blackmore family and friends, the Standard and Midwest Oil Refineries, the Gothberg Ranch, and historical photographs of early buildings in Casper, Wyoming, and various locations in Bessemer, Wyoming. The collection also includes letters, writings, genealogical information, scrapbook pages, news clippings, and various family documents. Mrs. Robert Blackmore was the wife of Robert Blackmore, who was the son of Walter A. Blackmore (1863-1923). Walter A. Blackmore was a prominent early Casper resident and was mayor of Casper from 1920 until his death in a train accident in 1923. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context NCA 01.v.1974.01 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Print photographs and paper documents Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Mrs. Robert Blackmore Collection, NCA 01.v.1974.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections.<br /><br />The finding aid for these and other items in this collection is available for viewing:<br /><a href="https://caspercollegearchives.libraryhost.com/repositories/2/resources/307" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://caspercollegearchives.libraryhost.com/repositories/2/resources/307</a> Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Blackmore Family Type The nature or genre of the resource Image, Text Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Mrs. Robert Blackmore Collection, NCA 01.v.1974.01. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Casper College Archives and Special Collections (Western History Center) Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Photographic print Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Frances Lock Blackmore Date Created Date of creation of the resource. Undated Description An account of the resource Black and white photograph of Frances Lock Blackmore. He was the son William C. Blackmore (1868-1920). The Blackmore family is known for their influence and presence in early Casper, Wyoming. His paternal uncle, Walter A. Blackmore (1863-1923) was a prominent resident of early Casper, Wyoming. Type The nature or genre of the resource JPG Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Blackmore Family Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Mrs. Robert Blackmore Collection, NCA 01.v.1974.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context NCA 01.v.1974.01_Frances Lock Blackmore Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPG Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Casper College Archives and Special Collections (Western History Center) Relation A related resource <a href="https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/collections/show/42">https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/collections/show/42</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NKC/1.0/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NKC/1.0/</a> Access Rights Information about who can access the resource or an indication of its security status. Access Rights may include information regarding access or restrictions based on privacy, security, or other policies. The reformatted images in the Mrs. Robert Blackmore Collection are for personal, not-for profit use of students, researchers, and the public. Any use must provide attribution to the Casper College Archives and Special Collections (Western History Center). While being the property of Casper College, all text, images and other materials are subject to applicable copyright laws. Commercial use, electronic reproduction, or print publication of text, images, or other materials is strictly prohibited without written permission. All permissions to publish must be obtained from the rights holder and are not the repository's responsibility for securing. The rights holder may or may not be the repository. Users also agree to hold the repository harmless from legal claims arising from their use of material held by the institution and made accessible in this digital repository. https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/bec38f7c2367726bc44b125c8538f528.jpg 026cd7dbd6b5e62710788805b80dafdf Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Wilda Berry Family Photographs Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NKC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NKC/1.0/</a> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1910-1971 Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Language A language of the resource English Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context NCA 01.2024.28 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPG Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Photographic print Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Frank James Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NKC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NKC/1.0/</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Language A language of the resource ENG Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context NCA 01.2024.28_FrankJames Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPG https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/2c4afe29018f22e06d29c19020eedb88.jpg df188ecdc822c2aa239e874984e3cec2 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Wilda Berry Family Photographs Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NKC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NKC/1.0/</a> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1910-1971 Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Language A language of the resource English Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context NCA 01.2024.28 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPG Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Photographic print Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Frank James and Wilda Berry Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NKC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NKC/1.0/</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Language A language of the resource ENG Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context NCA 01.2024.28_FrankJamesAndWilda_1 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPG https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/47e5d6d941b24193e51a57a19c9a9739.jpg 4b0e491696ed0572b1606271f4326a6d Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Wilda Berry Family Photographs Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NKC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NKC/1.0/</a> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1910-1971 Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Language A language of the resource English Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context NCA 01.2024.28 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPG Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Photographic print Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Frank James and Wilda Berry Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NKC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NKC/1.0/</a> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1946 Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Language A language of the resource ENG Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context NCA 01.2024.28_FrankJamesAndWilda_2 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPG https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/75ed8c2257b35d6539d8feca946f87ed.tif 7d5a649f21a2a104d55dedb34d10aa49 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Print Magazine Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Free Bird Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <div class="element-text"> <div class="element-text"> <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <div class="element-text"><a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="dublin-core-rights" class="element"> <div class="element-text"> <div id="dublin-core-rights" class="element"> <div class="element-text"> <div id="dublin-core-rights" class="element"> <div class="element-text five columns offset-by-two"> <div id="dublin-core-rights" class="element"> <div class="element-text five columns offset-by-two"> <div id="dublin-core-rights" class="element"> <div class="element-text five columns offset-by-two"> <div id="dublin-core-rights" class="element"> <div class="element-text"><em>Expression</em><span>&nbsp;</span>claims first North American rights to submissions selected for publication. All rights revert back to the author/artist after publication.</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 2023 Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Jessee Lee Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Expression Literary and Arts Magazine, CCA 04.ii.c.2022.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 04.ii.c.2022.01_Exp_2023_Art_20 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource TIF Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Casper College https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/d43e13d255121cac6dcf5b9d0afe6369.pdf 35362659db8ae1ad4acfd11847db0a8d PDF Text Text Jreebm to Read: IVhal is yrepress? Skylar Rowyn Cooper Academic Prose “The cyclical rebirth of caste in America is a recurring racial nightmare” (Alexander, 2010, p. 4). The deafening cries of the American people for social and political progress go unheard; protests, riots, and petitions fall upon the deaf ears of the powerful men in America that benefit from these gross miscarriages of justice and systemic inequality. The country spins in endless cycles of calls for progress, but every time society moves a step forward, the systemic oppression America was built upon pushes it two steps back. The “ALA Freedom to Read Statement” is a terrifying demonstration of America’s inability to make meaningful political and social progress. The banning of books upholds pre­ existing power structures that harm marginalized communities by restricting their access to the language needed to communicate their experiences of oppression and discrimination. The American Library Association’s (ALA) statement condemning banning books is horrifying due to its uncanny timelessness. Though the statement was released in 1953, its words have been true for long before the words were published and ring as true today as they did almost sixty years ago. The topic of banned books has exploded in the media over the past two years as heightened political tensions have steadily increased bringing a new wave of organized challenges against "controversial" literature - read: inclusive literature. The ALA (2013) received 729 reported challenges in 2021 targeting 1597 unique titles; this is drastically increased from the 156 challenges against 273 titles from the year before. Clearly, despite the over half a decade that has passed since the release of this statement, libraries and school boards across the nation have been fielding exponentially increased challenges against materials that challenge the status quo and urge 98 �Freedom to Read: What is Progress^ audiences to expand their viewpoints and think for themselves. This unprecedented number of challenges is sickening to any lover of literature or simply any person who believes in upholding the freedoms allowed to all citizens via the First Amendment’s right to freedom of speech. Ultimately, the act of restricting access to knowledge is unnerving because of the reasoning people push for the information to be banned. Why are books requested to be pulled from public access? Historically, books recognized on the ALA’s Banned Books List are challenged because they tackle ideas of race, gender, sexuality, violence, and disobedience against parents or oppressive societies (ALA, 2013; Niccolini, 2015). Youth are often at the center of these conversations; adults who may be uncomfortable with these topics frequently cite protecting children as their primary goal. However, as Alyssa Niccolini (2013) notes in her article “Precocious Knowledge,” “The reality is that young people live in and read about—as we adults also did—a decidedly complex world where sex, violence, intolerance, and profanity are a reality” (p. 27). She notes that adults often attempt to censor youth from sensitive topics to prevent them from gaining “precocious knowledge,” or knowledge that could corrupt their innocence. However, children and young adults often have much more maturity than adults give them credit for; they are exposed to these topics anyway and not having the knowledge to understand them properly can be extremely detrimental to their development (Niccolini, 2015). The ALA supports this idea, stating that most modern artwork and sharing of ideas are shocking - but so is life. Parents and educators have the responsibility to educate youth about what they will be exposed to in life rather than actively doing them a disservice by withholding information they may be uncomfortable with themselves (ALA, 1953). Barring children from access to texts about LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer) identities and racial injustices is especially harmful because it robs them of the language needed to communicate their experiences and limits broader social empathy for those communities. While the banning of books may seem trivial to some, real“world effects follow each of these challenges. Bill Lawson’s “Nobody Knows Our Plight” discusses the harm that lexical gaps do to marginalized communities. Lawson analyzes America’s lack 99 �Freedom to Read:What is Progress? of social progress through the lens of MGT; MGT states that oppressed groups struggle to move past oppression in society because language is created by oppressors. Without the ability to discuss their experiences with legislators and the world at large, oppressed persons are unable to share their realities with those who don’t experience them to build empathy Without empathy, those outside of marginalized communities continue to fear and ostracize those who are different from them based on prejudiced misunderstandings. “These words do not merely refer to our reality, they help to define it [...] There is no word in our political/moral vocabulary that captures this state of affairs and such a word is needed if we are to develop just social policy” (Lawson, 1992, pp. 1-2). Lexical gaps are exactly why censorship of marginalized communities is so dangerous; it is a purposeful tactic used to withhold power from persons who are already oppressed in American Society According to Wilson Coates (1948), “illiteracy is evidence of the government’s attempt to adjust its social system to increasing control over natural resources at a time when it is more clear than ever before that knowledge is power” (p. 73). The “ALA Freedom to Read Statement” affirms the idea that knowledge is power by stating that “free communication is essential to the preservation of a free society and a creative culture” (1953). These effects are not only seen on a wide-scale national level, but also in day-to-day classroom settings. Both Niccolini and Jennifer Rossuck (1997) describe how utilizing banned book lists in their classrooms helped facilitate conversations around and understanding of alternative identities and experiences. Youth are frequently kept from guidance about how to tackle difficult subjects, but discussing them in a safe, controlled space like the classroom is the perfect way to prepare children to face these topics in the real world (Nicolini, 201$, pp. 23, 25). Rossuck discusses the idea that banning books denies authors their First Amendment rights to express their ideas and experiences. During final projects, one of Rossuck’s students demonstrated this idea by asking her fellow students to write down their fears and the origins of those fears. She read each one aloud then crumpled up, ripped, and threw away the papers while dismissing her fellow students’ fears and feelings in order to demonstrate how banning books is akin to labeling an author’s 100 �Freedom to Read:What is Progress? “past life, his concerns for the state of present society, and his warnings for future societies {asl invalid garbage” (Rossuck, 1997, p. 69). Rossuck’s student was able to demonstrate to her class how to empathize with members of marginalized communities and how harmful the restricting of language can be. These fears and experiences are precisely what marginalized communities attempt to communicate but can’t without access to an audience to hear them. With access to these materials, members of marginalized communities can begin to craft and create the language needed to overcome adversity and fight oppression. Democracy itself depends on the freedom of expression and the circulation of new and diverse ideas. Without it, oppressed individuals have no way to make progress toward a more free and equal society. But, what is progress? Coates attempts to answer the question in his article by the same name. Coates (1948) defines progress as providing “social accommodation,” or the reasonable equilibrium of individuals within society Reaching social accommodation has been historically difficult to achieve due to the cyclical nature of society, history, and culture. Forward progress is nearly impossible to make because of the inevitability of progress’ impermanence (p. 72). Progress never sticks because as soon as marginalized groups start to gain ground towards equality, those in power restrict their rights in order to re-establish harmful power structures. For example, in the late 1800s slavery was abolished via the 13th, 14th, and 13th Amendments; however, society, as well as the law, continued to oppress Black individuals, who just recently could be labeled as citizens rather than property, by restricting their access to voting through poll taxes, literacy tests. Black Codes, segregation, and Jim Crow Laws.Then, in response to the end of segregation in the 1960s, increased rates of inequity and poverty among Black individuals skyrocketed hand in hand with increased rates of poUce brutality. In the 21st century, the Black Lives Matter movement has pushed back against systemic racism and police brutality to be met with excessive force, the continued murders of BIPOC individuals by police, and the censorship of Black cultural ideas by the banning of books discussing these topics. Another example of this is the backlash against queer identities amidst the push for increased legal protections. Queer lOI �Freedom to Read: What is Progress? rights activists mark the Stonewall riot in 1969 as the first large demonstration of the gay rights movement. In the late 1970s, the Supreme Court ruling trans women could play as women in certain professional sports. The Sos brought on the AIDs epidemic which was widely blamed on gay men and villainized the queer community Shortly after, laws restricting gay rights such as Don’t Ask Don’t Tell were put in place. The 1990’s introduced the first states to legalize gay marriage, and subsequently, many more states passed laws banning gay marriage. Finally, in 2015, the Supreme Court ruled that these laws banning gay marriage were unconstitutional on a technicality about marriage licenses having to be valid across state line. Directly following this was a slew of Trump-era laws restricting the rights of gay and trans* individuals including banning trans* persons from using restrooms in accordance with their gender identities, joining the military, and playing sports in schools; Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill; and bills in classifying the affirming of trans youth by their parents as child abuse. Throughout the 2023 legislative session, onslaughts of copycat bills were proposed in nearly every Republican-ruled state. This happened hand in hand with challenges across the nation calling for the banning of books with LGBTQ+ content. Both of these examples demonstrate the oppressive cyclical cycle of marginalized persons being put down every time they gain a small amount of ground toward equality Banning books is yet another tool members of oppressive groups use to put down marginalized communities and restrict social progress. In the act of protecting free speech, the ALA (1953) states, “no group has the right to take the law into its own hands, and to impose its own concept of politics or morality upon other members of a democratic society Freedom is no freedom if it is accorded only to the accepted and the inoffensive.” It is inherently an affront to constitutional freedoms to silence LGBTQ+ and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People/Persons of Color) narratives; scholars and instructors agree that the best way to tackle controversial ideas is to confront them directly Stories are able to reach people in ways that conversations, essays, statistics, and textbooks often fall short. Despite the fact that suppressing freedom of speech is clearly unconstitutional, America has been unable to make 102 �Freedom to Read: What h Process? meaningful progress towards social equality in the over two hundred years the country has existed. Coates (1948) suggests that America’s resistance against Arnold Toynbee’s analysis of cyclical civilization structures is partially why American society has made so little progress toward these issues. Toynbee’s analysis states that civilizations exist in a cycle of origin, growth, breakdown, and disintegration where they experience various deaths and rebirths (p. 75). Many other western first^orld countries rewrite their constitutions every three to five years, yet legal rights and social accommodations in America are still based on a text written over two hundred years ago. Nation-wide resistance to change is preventing American society from making any real strides toward equality for oppressed individuals. The ALA asserts that in order to make forward progress, “It is in the public interest for pubUshers and librarians to make available the widest diversity of views and expressions, including those that are unorthodox, unpopular, or considered dangerous by the majority” (1953). Recognizing and validating diverse perspectives is essential to effectively provide genuinely equal individual rights and freedoms. America’s refusal to accept and embrace change continues to maintain harmful societal structures. Is there a solution to this lack of progress? As Lawson (1992) details, many marginalized groups, particularly people of color, have never been free in America and continue to face prejudice and discrimination, regardless of the technical letter of the law, because society was built upon power structures that uphold straight, white, male power. Lawson’s argument primarily revolves around the concept of Muted Group Theory (MGT) and the need for proper language to discuss oppression and marginalization. He is widely unable to propose solutions to the country’s lack of progress and is unable to propose language that would be sufficient in describing these experiences. Explaining the struggles and hardships of a marginalized community while one is within it is nearly impossible, especially when access to literature and stories about their experiences is challenged, banned, and restricted. To be oppressed is to exist in the margins of the book that is society; books about these topics attempt to pull this information from the margins into the body text of language and common understandings of society. Lawson states that while he recognizes he’ll face criticism 103 �Freedom to Read:What is Progress? for his lack of solutions, “the only word that has always come to mind for this situation has been the word ‘hell’” (p. 19). Fortunately, Coates offers a suggestion for moving past this constant cycle of building and demolishing rights and protections for LGBTQ+ and BIPOC individuals. Coates recognizes that social and political adjustments are rarely accomplished smoothly; however, he argues that the answer lies in radical social change. The only way to make true political change is to disassemble the broken systems and put radical changes in place regardless of the abrasiveness it may inflame in those who oppose that change. Coates states, Progress may be no less progress for its being precarious, for it has never been, and by definition can never be, identified with stasis. Hence, to dissociate it from stability and security is only to make it correspond more closely with historical reality Indeed, it might be said that as social stability can lead to rigidity, atrophy, and decline, so a measure of insecurity may be a positive attribution of progress. (Coates, 1948, p. 71) Progress inherently stands in opposition to stability and comfort; therefore, in order to progress as a society, we must dissociate the concept of progress from staticity The only way to break cycles of violence and marginalization is to destroy them completely Coates’ solution merges perfectly with the ALA’s “Freedom to Read Statement.” The statement declares that the censorship and suppression of knowledge “restls} on a denial of the fundamental premise of democracy” (ALA, 1953). The ALA also acknowledges that suppression is most dangerous and impactful during times of social turmoil, division, and tension. Restricting access to information and education from slaves in the 1800s kept the power of knowledge in the hands of the oppressors; banning books discussing racism and LGBTQ identities today serves the same function of withholding knowledge about these issues from oppressed groups in order to retain power for cishet white Americans. The high spikes of challenged books in the past two years is proof of this; when people’s ideas of the world are challenged in a way that threatens their perceived way of life and the power they hold in society, the immediate response is to shut down the perceived threat. That is why so many books about LGBTQ+ and BIPOC issues have been challenged or 104 �Freedom to Read: What is Progress? banned throughout the country. The number one banned book of 2021 was Maia Kobabe’s Gender ^eer, a young adult graphic novel memoir about Kobabe’s experiences growing up as a trans* individual in a world made to suppress and quiet gay and trans voices (ALA, 2013). Six out of the top ten most challenged books of that year were restricted for containing LGBTQIA+ content, and three out of the ten were books relating to the experiences of people of color; the only outlier was about child abuse and was still cited as having sexually explicit content (ALA, 2013). These book challenges demonstrate the clear cultural resistance that cisgender heterosexuals have against queer identities; they remove LGBTQ stories from general public access in an attempt to silence and eradicate queer experiences. Silence removes the opportunity for those outside the LGBTQ community to empathize with queer experiences and also limits empathy within the community itself. The only way to combat demonstrations of public oppression is to uphold the freedom of access to knowledge and to enact radical social change at a national level that protects and equalizes marginalized individuals with their long-time oppressors through social accommodation. The “ATA Freedom to Read Statement” attempts to protect marginalized individuals by advocating for free access to knowledge and personal expression. Unfortunately, speaking truth to power is often not enough to make real societal change. However, stories can be a powerful tool that educates oppressed individuals on concepts and ideas that they may not otherwise understand or have the language to discuss with others. Facilitating freedom through access to knowledge is one of the first steps towards making progress toward freedom; this freedom to read is the ultimate goal and purpose of the American Library Association. However, in a nation that supposedly prides itself on being the “home of the free,” can one truly be free if their experiences are silenced and their mere existence brings on prejudice and discrimination? Coates suggests that radical social change is the answer, but the statement of that is much easier than the logistical implication of that statement. In a country where progress has been a slowmoving and excruciatingly painful process, how do we attempt to break down power structures that have been in place since before the founding of our country? While there may be no clear �Fntdom to Read:What is Progress? answer currently, acknowledging the need for a radical upheaval of societal norms and expectations, and growing spaces of empathy and learning towards experiences divergent from tradition or “the norm,” may be the first large step towards enacting social accommodation and equality References Alexander, M. (2010, March 9). The Jim Crow. Brown University [PDF}, https://wwwbrown.edu/ DepartmentsEconomics/Faculty/Glenn_Loury/louryhomepage/ teaching/Ec%2Oi37/The%2oNew%2oJim%2oCrow^from%2O The%2oNation.pdf American Library Association. (1953, June 25). Thefreedom to readstatement, https://wwwala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/ freedomreadstatement American Library Association. (2013, March 26). Top 10 most challenged book lists, https://wwwala.org/advocacy/bbooks/ frequentlychallengedbooks/topio Coates, W. H. (1948, January 29). What is progress? TheJournal of Philosophy, 45(3), 67-77. https://doi.org/1o.23o7/2o2o364 Lawson, B. (1992). Nobody knows our plight: Moral discourse, slavery, and social progress. Social Theory and Practice, 18(1), 1-20. https://wwwjstor.org/stable/23557455 Niccolini, A. D. (2015, January). Precocious knowledge: Using banned books to engage in a youth lens. The English Journal, 104(3), 22-28. https://www.jstor.org/stable/24484452 Rossuck, J. (1997, February). Banned books: A study of censorship. The English Journal, 86(2), 67-70. https://doi.org/1o.23o7/819679 106 � Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Print Magazine Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Freedom to Read: What is Progress? 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Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Spec Coll 01.2024.01 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Physical map Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Freemont County Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/</a> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1926 Description An account of the resource Digital data set of the Post Route Map of the State of Wyoming showing post offices with intermediate distances on mail routes in operation on the 1st of November 1926 under the direction and leadership of Post Master General Harry S. New. Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Post Office Department of the United States of America Language A language of the resource ENG Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context SC 01.2024.01_FreemontCounty Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPG