Aryana Noroozi
In a powerful tribute to Black voices and historical resilience, community members gathered on Saturday, June 14 at the Moreno Valley Library for a “Celebration of Black Literature and Literacy.” The event focused on the official reading list of the Black Panther Party and the urgent need to protect Black stories from modern-day censorship.
Hosted in collaboration with Assemblymember Dr. Corey A. Jackson, the event spotlighted books that have shaped generations of Black thought and activism. Each book on display was part of the Black Panther Party’s official reading list—works that span politics, history, philosophy, and liberation theory. Jackson personally purchased and donated the entire collection to the public library to ensure they remain accessible to all. He unveiled the collection alongside Moreno Valley Mayor Ulises Cabrera, who also spoke at the event. Six public libraries in Jackson’s district and the 60th Assembly district will receive this collection including Moreno Valley Library, the Cesar Chavez Library in Perris, the Hemet Library, the Riverside Library, the Mead Valley Library and the San Jacinto Library.
“There is a growing effort to silence Black voices and remove our history from the shelves,” said Jackson. “I donated these books to make sure our stories remain visible and accessible to everyone. Black literature is essential to understanding where we’ve been and where we are going. It must be protected, shared, and celebrated.”
In recent years, school districts and states across the country have banned or challenged many of the very titles featured at the event. This gathering was framed as both a celebration and a response—an act of resistance to the erasure of Black history.
The event also served as a reminder of the library’s role as a space for inclusion, access, and empowerment.
“Libraries are the protectors of our knowledge and our history,” Jackson said. “If we can make sure that these collections are always in a place that’s accessible to the public, [then it] doesn’t matter what they try to ban, it doesn’t matter what they try to erase off the internet. People will always be the protectors of our liberty, which are our libraries.”
Currently the focus is on Black consciousness, but Assemblymember Jackson plans to annually donate collections that are important and serve as a foundation of consciousness for all people – including Latino, API, and LGBTQ literature.
The “Celebration of Black Literature and Literacy” event underscored a broader cultural and political movement intended to protect marginalized voices in education and public life. As book bans and suppression of minority voices continue to spread across the U.S., events like this shine a spotlight on what’s at stake — and who is fighting back.
