TULSA, Okla. — It’s likely you’ve seen the cover of the book ”Maus” float across your social media feed recently as a Tennessee school district banned the book for “its depiction of violence and suicide”. Now two bills have been filed to make sure this isn’t a fight we have in Oklahoma classrooms.
State Rep. John Waldron worked with the Jewish Federation of Tulsa to file a bill (HB 3720) to ensure the Holocaust is taught in Oklahoma schools. A second bill (HB 3721) would create a select commission to advise schools on Holocaust education, help implement antisemitism awareness and organizing a Jewish Holocaust remembrance event.
MORE: Sales soar for ‘Maus’ after its banning in Tennessee
“Maus” was the creation of Art Spiegelman, an artist who took stories shared by his father about his time Nazi Germany and his parents’ imprisonment. Throughout the book, you will see a graphic narrative what millions of Jews endured at the hands of fascists.
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum stated, “‘Maus’ has played a vital role in educating about the Holocaust through sharing detailed and personal experiences of victims and survivors. Teaching about the Holocaust using books like ‘Maus’ can inspire students to think critically about the past and their own roles and responsibilities today.”
After the announcement that “Maus” would be banned Nirvana Comics in Knoxville, Tennessee, and other shops offered free copies to students in McMinn County, the home of the school district banning the novel. The support generated through their “Go Fund Me” account led to four times the amount requested, which created the opportunity to for students from across the United States to reserve a free copy simply by messaging the shop on their Facebook or Twitter accounts.
Joe Dorman, the CEO for Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy, says “discussions of the Holocaust, or the Tulsa Race Massacre, or many of humans’ failings with one another will make most anyone uncomfortable. Humanity has often stumbled, but the miracle is that we have always strived to be better. We cannot understand the miracle unless we stop the censorship or “canceling” of one another. "
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