Orwell's 1984—a fictional tale of censorship & absolute authoritarianism—foreshadowed the anti-democratic playbook in use today by extremists seeking to bend the arc away from justice. Today a vocal minority is systematically stripping away the freedom to read, community by community. But 2024 is not 1984. Panelists will discuss the rising censorship agenda & how, with the leadership of parents, librarians, authors, & advocates in communities across the country, we can leverage collective power to defend the freedom to read & turn the page on this Orwellian playbook.