3 Classic Books Banned as America Tries to Re-Write African-American History

African-American history is, at it's core, simple. Africans were abducted and brought to America, where they became slaves. The Civil War freed them, and the 1960's battle for their Civil Rights made sure they could no longer be treated as second-class citizens. In world history, this is not new or even very remarkable- slavery, then freedom, then rights has happened many, many times before. But what is interesting is how hard America is trying to forget that this integral part of U.S. history happened at all; and some of the materials on the front lines are books we know and love, censored for their historical accuracy.

Perhaps one of the best-known and most iconic American books of all time, 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn' was first banned in 1885, one year after the book came out, and has been banned multiple times ever since, even up to today. Why? Because it treats the African-American character, Jim, as a second-class citizen, and uses the 'n' word. You know, exactly like they would've back then.

Uncle Tom's Cabin, published in 1852, was one of the widest-read books of its time and is considered a heavy contributor to the events that led to the Civil War. Although it's themes are heavily faith-based and at times a bit naive, Tom being sold twice and finally beaten to death by his last master for helping two other slaves escape is as realistic as a slave novel can get. It was explosively divisive when published, and remains an object of contention today for 'language concerns'.

'To Kill A Mockingbird' was published in 1960 and continues to be censored up to this day. It tells the story of a black man wrongfully accused of rape and the lawyer and little girl who set him free despite the prejudiced disapproval of the largely-white town. Again, the official reason is always 'inappropriate language'.