Staff reports
On Saturday, Oct. 19, the students of DAYLO will participate in the national Freedom to Read Community Day of Action from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Witness Tree Park on thecorner of King and Bladen streets in Beaufort, across from the Pat Conroy Literary Center.
Free and open to the public, the afternoon event will feature an open-mic-style banned books read out. Attendees are encouraged to bring a favorite banned book to briefly read from (for up to three minutes). The afternoon will also include a community art project; a postcard station to write in support of librarians, educators, and students; and an opportunity to learn more about the South Carolina Association of School Librarians.
The national Freedom to Read Community Day of Action on October 19 is organized by Unite Against Book Bans, an initiative of the American Library Association. Across the country, libraries, bookstores, readers, and other partners are hosting rallies, read-alouds, and community events to unite against book bans and demonstrate a shared commitment to this fundamental democratic freedom.
DAYLO, or Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization, is a student-led book club and community literacy service group fostering empathy and understanding through the power of story, with a growing number of chapters across South Carolina.
DAYLO was first established at Beaufort High School in 2021 by Holland Perryman, then a high school junior, inspired by literary and social justice community programs she experienced as an intern of the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center.
During the 2022-2023 school year, six DAYLO students from Beaufort High, Beaufort Academy, and Battery Creek High Schoolspoke out in public comments at Beaufort County School Board meetings in response to challenges against 97 books in district school libraries. The advocacy of DAYLO students led to additional opportunities regionally and nationally, and has since empowered the creation of new DAYLO chapters across South Carolina.
