Maya Angelou Estate Joins Legal Battle Against Utah’s “Sensitive Materials” Law

SALT LAKE CITY— Today, the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah Foundation, Inc. (ACLU of Utah), together with its co-counsel, filed an amended complaint in Vonnegut v. Utah, adding the family-run entity charged with stewardship of the literary works of Dr. Maya Angelou as plaintiff in its federal lawsuit challenging Utah’s recently enacted sensitive materials law.

The amended complaint follows the banning of Dr. Angelou’s universally acclaimed autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by two school districts in Utah, acting under color of that law. Utah authorities are currently considering a further statewide ban of the book.

Dr. Maya Angelou, a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, was a legendary poet, author, and civil rights icon. She authored 30 books, all or almost all of which are still in print.

During her lifetime (she passed in 2014 at the age of 86), Dr. Angelou was one of the most banned authors in the U.S. Over the years, her works were systematically removed from school and library bookshelves under laws, like Utah’s, that often targeted historically silenced voices of people of color and of women.

“The Angelou estate fully supports the ACLU of Utah’s lawsuit challenging Utah’s sensitive materials law and the removal of books from public schools, including I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” said Ms. Stephanie Floyd-Johnson, manager of Caged Bird Legacy and the daughter-in-law of Dr. Angelou. “Maya Angelou believed in the power of literature to illuminate truth, expand understanding, and affirm the dignity of every human being. Efforts to silence or restrict access to stories, especially those speaking to race, identity, trauma, and resilience, run counter to the values she championed throughout her life.”

“When the government tries to limit what young people like us are allowed to read it limits our ability to think critically and empathize broadly, as well as to understand the world we are set to inherit,” said Ms. Caylin Johnson and Mr. Brandon Johnson, Dr. Angelou’s two great-grandchildren. “We are grateful to the ACLU of Utah and to all who are championing the freedom to read.”

“Protecting access to literature is protecting access to truth, and Dr. Angelou devoted her life to that cause,” said David Given, attorney for Caged Bird Legacy. “By the addition of Caged Bird Legacy to this lawsuit, the Angelou estate furthers Dr. Angelou’s commitment to safeguarding constitutionally protected First Amendment rights and ensuring that her voice, and the voices of countless others, will continue to be heard.”

A copy of the amended complaint is here.