RachelBlackSpaulding

To say this film triumphs in highlighting local issues representative of a national crisis is an understatement. Witnessing three teenage women from different school districts in Beaufort County, SC come together to confront their local school boards, the state, and national forums with such intelligence, grace, and aplomb is breathtaking. Their high school efforts would seem nothing short of miraculous were it not for their keen and astonishingly mature awareness of the social, educational, and legal implications of book banning. "Banned Together" beautifully guides us through their journey, illustrating how these young women galvanized other students and the community through their unwavering commitment and hard work to protect intellectual freedom, to advocate for teachers, librarians and education as a whole, as 97 books were removed from their school shelves. The fact that this film was produced and filmed well before the current dismantling of public education and outright ignoring of truth is telling, serving as an unfortunate prediction that highlights a dangerous pattern emerging and calls for immediate attention to a much broader societal issue. Don't miss this - it's spellbinding.