Students across the nation have learned lessons alongside Huck Finn and Scout Finch for decades. Now, students in the Duluth district may be losing these lessons. As reported by the Star Tribune, the Duluth Public Schools district has now chosen to remove the classic novels “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain and “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee from high school English curriculums.   

This is not the first times these books have been challenged. With the two novels combined, the “n-word” is used over 250 times, according to articles by The Guardian. Due to the word’s long history, “Huck Finn” and “To Kill a Mockingbird” frequent yearly banned book lists.

“Huck Finn” was originally published in 1884, and “To Kill a Mockingbird” published in 1960, with both authors being white. While the books have historically been praised for their ability to challenge and critique racism, Stephan Witherspoon, president of the Duluth chapter of the NAACP, told the Star Tribune the repeated usage of the word is “oppressive language.” Witherspoon supports the school’s choice to remove the book, as he believes other novels can teach similar messages.

Book banning is often debated as a form of censorship, but from what Hamline English professor and Oracle advisor David Hudson acknowledged, the books were only removed from the curriculum, not banned. The books are still available as voluntary reading for Duluth students.  

“[The books] are powerful books dealing with racism, but with the perspective of white people. The authors and audiences were white people,” Hudson said. He explains that he is against censorship, but the topics are difficult. He expresses that young, modern audiences now approach racism in different ways than Twain.   

“I do think there is a time when it is appropriate in a student’s development…but in a high school, or middle school, there are times context [is] lacking.”

Hamline English professor Davu Seru believes there is little difference in messages between a school removing or banning a book.

“I think they are the same. I know the intention is to not feed the trauma of the past by reiterating a word that many find offensive. The real effect is that it causes confusion. It causes confusion among the people who claim to be [working] on behalf of black people… and the people they claim to be looking out for.” Seru explains that to young people, the word is very present in popular media, especially in hip-hop where many consumers are white youths. Seru does not think censorships will provide the results the district hopes.  

Junior Becky Hirsch, who is majoring in education, explains that many teachers like traditions, and want to teach students the way they were taught. Regardless of a change in times, teachers like to teach classics.

“As a future teacher, we are taught that narrative and novel books are easier for students to read and follow, so whenever we can, we should put one of those into the curriculum instead of just having students read from the textbook.”

Regarding the youth of today, Professor Seru had this to say about the usage of the derogatory term,

“Kids are using the word, especially black kids, at a very young age,” Seru explained, “Teaching books like Huckleberry Finn, and teaching each reader, that they have a responsibility to the text. You have to decide which kind of person you are, are you a person who is comfortable using that word? And ask yourself why?”

Duluth Public Schools has stated that the replacement books have not yet been selected, but claim teachers will play a large role in the decision process.