A graphic with the header "Rhode Island Freedom to Read" and a quote from "To a Young Poet" by Mahmoud Darwish that reads "A poem in a difficult time is beautiful flowers in a cemetery."

#FreedomToRead
#PassRIFreedomToReadIn2025

Let Them Not Say by Jane Hirshfield Let them not say: it was not spoken, not written. We spoke, we witnessed with voices and hands. Let them not say they did nothing We did not-enough. #PassRlFreedomToReadln2025 #FreedomToRead RHODE LISLAND

We’ve spoken, we’ve written. In support of the RI #FreedomtoRead Act, sharing an excerpt from Let Them Not Say by Jane Hirshfield. Happy #GreatPoetryReadingDay! Let’s #PassRIFreedomToReadIn2025 and not have to say “we did not-enough”
@ridwomenscaucus.bsky.social
@rihouseofreps.bsky.social

A handwritten note saying "This is not somewhere else but here, our country moving closer to its own trust and dread, its own ways of making people disappear. From What Kind of Times Are These by Adrienne Rich"

Great Poetry Reading Day seems as good a reason as any to remind everyone that when we lose the freedom to books, we lose the freedom to so much more.

Support RI's Freedom to Read Act! #FreedomToRead #PassRIFreedomToReadIn2025 @aabbri.bsky.social @davidmoralesri.bsky.social

Let America Be America Again by Langston Hughes Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed— Let it be that great strong land of love Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme That any man be crushed by one above. #PassRlFreedomToReadin2025 #FreedomToRead RHODE

Happy #GreatPoetryReadingDay! Censorship is unamerican and against Rhode Island’s values. In support of #FreedomtoRead sharing an excerpt from Let America Be America Again by Langston Hughes #PassRIFreedomToReadIn2025
@rihouseofreps.bsky.social @joeshekarchi.bsky.social

Happy #GreatPoetryReadingDay! Censorship is unamerican and against Rhode Island’s values.

Please #PassRIFreedomToReadIn2025 #FreedomToRead #booksky

@aabbri.bsky.social @davidmoralesri.bsky.social @meghankallman.bsky.social

Protest by Ella Wheeler Wilcox 1850 - 1919 To sin by silence, when we should protest, Makes cowards out of men. The human race Has climbed on protest. Had no voice been raised Against injustice, ignorance, and lust, The inquisition yet would serve the law, And quillotines decide our least disputes. #PassRlFreedomToReadln2025 #FreedomToRead

Happy #GreatPoetryReadingDay! We are sharing poetry quotes all day in support of the RI #FreedomToRead Act. Here is “Protest” by Ella Wheeler Wilcox - written in 1914 but speaks to our time. Inviting you to join in our celebration of verse & free speech today! #PassRIFreedomToReadIn2025

In honor of #GreatPoetryReadingDay I share the poem Safe Spaces from
#SafeHarbor (#NancyPaulsenBooks @penguinschoollib.bsky.social ) . Happy #PoetryMonth2025 and Let’s #PassRIFreedomToReadIn2025! @aabbri.bsky.social #FreedomToRead @meghankallman.bsky.social @dawneuer.bsky.social

Happy #GreatPoetryReadingDay! RI was created as a safe harbor for freedom of speech & thought. In support of the RI #FreedomToRead Act, I’m sharing an excerpt from Still I Rise by Maya Angelou. Please #PassRIFreedomToReadIn2025
@davidmoralesri.bsky.social
@bridgetvalverde.bsky.social

FTR socials for Legislators

Need to find your rep on socials? Check this list:

docs.google.com/spreadsheets...

#FreedomToRead
#PassRIFreedomToReadIn2025

And remember to credit your poet!

FtR Great Poetry Read Resources 11 poems below with themes that relate to our cause which are, we believe in the public domain or for which we have use permission; admittedly a non-diverse selection. Rock the Boat by Elizabeth Acev...

Inviting you to join us! Post a clip of yourself reading a poem excerpt or post text.
Tag your RI reps.
Use hashtags:
#FreedomToRead
#PassRIFreedomToReadIn2025

Wondering what poem to read? Take a look at our doc with poems about freedom & democracy:

docs.google.com/document/d/1...

let words lend it dimension: to name the pain to confirm how it may be borne: through what in ourselves we dream to give voice to, to find some word for how we bear our lives.

Kicking off #GreatPoetryReadingDay with “Saying It” by Philip Booth. Your voice matters. Use it! All day today we’ll be sharing & reposting poetry & supporting #FreedomToRead RI H5726 sponsored by @davidmoralesri.bsky.social & S0238 headed to committee vote Wednesday #PassRIFreedomToReadIn2025

Poetry and verse novels have regularly been on the most challenged books list (Laurie Halse Anderson, Jacqueline Woods on, and Ellen Hopkins immediately come to mind). Please make sure to tag your state reps and use our hashtags #PassRIFreedomtoReadin2025 #FreedomtoRead DM me 4 questions/more info!

Celebrate the Freedom to Read on Great Poetry Reading Day, April 28! Post a video of yourself reading a poem excerpt on socials on April 28. Use hashtags and tag your Ri Reps! #PassRlFreedomToReadln2025 #FreedomToRead <image is text on a torn notebook page, on top of a red and blue background with stars> All you have to do is take a video of yourself reading a short excerpt from a poem that you or someone else has written, especially if the poem has significance to the Freedom to Read Bill. (themes of freedom, democracy, free speech, love of books, library joy, etc.) Here are some tips to make it easy for you: 1. Keep in mind fair use - if the poem was published after 1926, and thus still subject to copyright, please only read an excerpt online. Please remember to cite your source! 2. Post using the hashtags: #FreedomToRead #PassRIFreedomToReadIn2025 Tag us and Rhode Island House of Representatives and Rhode Island Senate and your own rep/senator if they have socials 3. Here is a generic script/caption template - modify as you wish, be sure to replace the generic text with the actual poem title and author! Happy #GreatPoetryReadingDay! Censorship is unamerican and against Rhode Island’s values. In celebration of poetry and reading and in support of the RI Freedom to Read Act, I’m sharing an excerpt from [poem title] by [author]. Please #PassRIFreedomToReadIn2025 #FreedomToRead [tag us and reps]

On Great Poetry Reading Day (Monday, April 28th) we're planning a fun social media event to keep the Freedom To Read Act front and center in the minds of Rhode Islanders. Some bill sponsors are joining in! We hope you'll join in too. (More info in Alt Text) #FreedomToRead #PassRIFreedomToReadIn2025