Song of Solomon
by Toni Morrison
16 jurisdictions · Banned 1990-2025 · Published
Song of Solomon is Toni Morrison's 1977 National Book Critics Circle Award-winning novel following Macon "Milkman" Dead through a journey of self-discovery, banned or restricted in 16+ U.S. jurisdictions.
Why it was banned
The novel has been challenged in Michigan, Texas, and Florida high schools for language and sexual content. President Barack Obama cited it as one of his favorite novels, which raised its profile and likely contributed to subsequent challenges.
Cited reasons
- language
- sexual content
- violence
Primary states
Michigan, Texas, Florida
Why it matters
Song of Solomon won the 1977 National Book Critics Circle Award and was the book that established Morrison as a major American writer before Beloved. The title refers to the Black folk tradition of the flying African, a story of enslaved people who escaped by flying back to Africa. Milkman's journey reframes American myth-making around Black folk culture rather than European immigrant narratives.
Themes
- Black masculinity
- folk traditions
- family history
- American classics
Awards
- National Book Critics Circle Award (1977)
- 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.
- Uncle Bobbie's Coffee and BooksPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania · Founded
Coffee shop and bookstore in Germantown, Philadelphia, named for the founder's uncle.
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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.