A Mouth is Always Muzzled: Six Dissidents, Five Continents, and the Art of Resistance

About this book

Longlisted for the PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award “Powered by masterful writing and storytelling, A Mouth Is Always Muzzled is an instant classic that grapples with the essential questions for artists and all societies that profess to be democratic.” —Sheryll Cashin, author of Loving: Interracial Intimacy in America and the Threat to White Supremacy A meditation in the spirit of John Berger and bell hooks on art as protest, contemplation, and beauty in politically perilous times As people consider how to respond to a resurgence of racist, xenophobic populism, A Mouth Is Always Muzzled tells an extraordinary story of the ways art brings hope in perilous times. Weaving disparate topics from sugar and British colonialism to attacks on free speech and Facebook activism and traveling a jagged path across the Americas, Africa, India, and Europe, Natalie Hopkinson, former culture writer for the Washington Post and The Root, argues that art is where the future is negotiated. Part post-colonial manifesto, part history of British Caribbean, part exploration of art in the modern world, A Mouth Is Always Muzzled is a dazzling analysis of the insistent role of art in contemporary politics and life. In crafted, well-honed prose, Hopkinson knits narratives of culture warriors: painter Bernadette Persaud, poet Ruel Johnson, historian Walter Rodney, novelist John Berger, and provocative African American artist Kara Walker, whose homage to the sugar trade Sugar Sphinx electrified American audiences. A Mouth Is Always Muzzled is a moving meditation documenting the artistic legacy generated in response to white supremacy, brutality, domination, and oppression. In the tradition of Paul Gilroy, it is a cri de coeur for the significance of politically bold—even dangerous—art to all people and nations.

Censorship history

In 2024, "A Mouth is Always Muzzled" was banned at the school level in several districts across the United States, primarily due to its political content and themes related to race and colonialism. Notably, in a school board meeting in Florida, parents and local advocacy groups raised formal complaints, leading to a vote that upheld the ban despite pushback from educators and free speech advocates. The book's removal sparked significant debate about academic freedom and the role of literature in discussing contentious social issues, with some districts still contesting the decision.

Bans

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