An Idaho high school senior took book censorship into her own hands at her graduation ceremony earlier this month. During the Idaho Academy of Fine Arts graduation ceremony on May 23, Annabelle Jenkins presented West Ada School District Superintendent Derek Bub with a copy of the graphic novel adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel The Handmaid’s Tale. The book was removed from the school district’s libraries in December 2023. According to Idaho statesmanthe novel was one of 10 books, incl Water for elephants by Sarah Gruen and Kingdom of Ashes Sarah J. Maas, be removed from the school district. The management concluded that “the graphic representations contained within [the graphic novel adaptation of The Handmaid’s Tale] was not appropriate for the student population of the West Ada School District,” according to a statement from district representative Niki Scheppers.
Annabelle Jenkins.
West Ada School District/Youtube
“I just realized I don’t want to walk across that stage and get my diploma and shake the chief’s hand,” Jenkins told KTVB. “I just didn’t want to do it.”
Jenkins’ TikTok post, which currently has more than 24 million views, shows the graduate shaking hands with other professors on stage during the ceremony. When he gets to Bub, Jenkins hands him a copy The Handmaid’s Tale a graphic novel instead.
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“I climbed up and took out the book. I showed it to the audience very quickly,” she said. “He crossed his arms like this and didn’t accept it.” Jenkins placed the book at his feet before she left the stage.
The PEOPLE Puzzler has arrived! How fast can you solve it? Play now! The graduate said she first picked up the graphic novel, written by Atwood and Renée Nault, when she overheard her teacher arguing with the school librarian about the book. Jenkins said her main problem in that situation was that the teacher hadn’t actually read the book.
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Annabelle Jenkins.
West Ada School District/Youtube
Scheppers said Idaho statesman that Jenkins’ protest “unfortunately overshadowed the celebratory occasion”.
“While we respect the right to express concerns, it is important to maintain a focus on the achievement and hard work of our students during such significant milestones,” Scheppers continued.
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Censorship of books has been on the rise across the country in recent years. PEN America reported 4,349 cases of book bans, in 23 states and 53 public school districts, during the second half of 2023. Jenkins, who plans to major in English and work toward a master’s degree in library science, told KTVB that she doesn’t like “being the center of attention “, but he thought it was important to solve the censorship. According to Idaho statesmanJenkins and other students had already spoken about the issue earlier in the school year.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. “When I do things, I want them to be very purposeful. I want people to know that this is something deeply, deeply important to me,” she said. “My goal was never to disrupt or ruin the ceremony. And I really don’t believe I did. I mean, at the end of the day, I think it was my time at stage and that was my moment and that was something that was important for me to do.”
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education