The Bluest Eye
by Toni Morrison
116 jurisdictions · Banned 1970-2025 · Published
The Bluest Eye is Toni Morrison's 1970 debut novel, banned or restricted in 116+ U.S. jurisdictions, most often cited for its depiction of sexual violence and its examination of internalized racism.
Why it was banned
Conservative groups have challenged the novel since the 1990s for its portrayal of rape and incest, with renewed intensity after 2021 when state-level book ban legislation began targeting books addressing race. The novel tied for #3 most challenged book of 2024 according to ALA. Cited reasoning often pairs objections to sexual content with newer objections to what challengers call "EDI content," a euphemism for race-conscious literature.
Cited reasons
- depiction of sexual assault
- depiction of incest
- EDI content claim
Primary states
Florida, Texas, Missouri, Iowa, Pennsylvania
Why it matters
Morrison's debut introduced one of the defining themes of her work: the way white standards of beauty deform Black girlhood. Pecola Breedlove's prayer for blue eyes remains one of the most cited images in American literature on internalized racism. Banning the book in schools where Black girls are most at risk of the very harms Morrison documented is a particular kind of erasure. Morrison was the first Black woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Themes
- Black girlhood
- internalized racism
- sexual violence
- American classics
Awards
- Nobel Prize in Literature (1993, body of work)
Where to buy
The Ledger recommends Black-owned booksellers. Each stocks this title or can order it.
- MahoganyBooksNational Harbor, Maryland · Founded
Independent bookstore specializing in books written for, by, and about people of the African diaspora.
- Marcus BooksOakland, California · Founded
The oldest independent Black-owned bookstore in the United States, named for political activist Marcus Garvey.
- Hakim's BookstorePhiladelphia, Pennsylvania · Founded
Philadelphia's oldest Black-owned bookstore, specializing in African American history, philosophy, and religion.
- Semicolon Bookstore and GalleryChicago, Illinois · Founded
Chicago's only Black woman-owned independent bookstore, with a mission to raise literacy rates among Chicago Public School students.
The Ledger may earn commission on affiliate links. All commissions route to Black-owned booksellers.
Related banned books
Books in the catalog that share themes with this one.
Documented by The Ledger. A record of what Black America built and what was taken.
Book cover via Open Library. Editorial use under fair use.