Welcome to Unban Coolies
Hi, I’m Christopher! Welcome to Unban Coolies, where we champion access to diverse books and tackle the literacy crisis head-on. With rising book bans and declining reading habits, our mission is to keep literature accessible, engaging, and meaningful for all.
My passion began with one of my favorite childhood books, COOLIES. Discovering it had been banned in some schools felt personal – it erased the representation I saw of myself and my family. Unfortunately, many beloved classics face similar challenges, from The Diary of a Young Girl to To Kill a Mockingbird and The Bluest Eye.
At Unban Coolies, we provide solutions for schools, libraries, and communities, fostering critical thinking, empathy, and a lifelong love of reading. By promoting diverse perspectives and open dialogue, we help readers of all ages access the stories they need and deserve.
We feature interviews with authors whose books are being banned, librarians who risk their jobs to keep stories on shelves and advocates working on the front lines to defend the freedom to read.
Each interview gives students and educators direct access to the people behind the headlines, the authors whose stories are challenged, the librarians protecting intellectual freedom, and the voices pushing back against censorship. Alongside the advocacy, you’ll also hear about craft, inspiration and the personal stories that shaped these books.
Teachers and librarians can use these videos as part of an author study or as a virtual author visit, especially in schools that cannot afford in-person programming. They are practical tools for classroom dialogue, critical thinking and literacy engagement.
Watch the conversations below to defend the right to read, connect students to the stories that matter and help build a stronger, lasting love of books.
