In Banned, readers are taken on a journey through the intense racial politics surrounding the banning of Mexican American Studies in Tucson, Arizona. This book details the state-sponsored racism that led to the elimination of this highly successful program, and the grassroots and legal resistance that followed. Through extensive research and firsthand narratives, readers will gain a deep understanding of the controversy surrounding this historic case. The legal challenge successfully overturned the Arizona law and became a central symbol in the modern-day Ethnic Studies renaissance. This work is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the power of community activism, the importance of fighting for educational equity, and why the example of Tucson created an alternative blueprint for how we can challenge states that are currently banning critical race theory.

Nolan L. Cabrera is a professor at the University of Arizona where he studies race on college campuses. He is a recipient of the National Academy of Education/Spencer postdoctoral fellowship and the author of the award-winning book White Guys on Campus (2018).

Prologue; 1. Of course it's a different education, that's the point: the formation, implementation, and efficacy of MAS; 2. The Brown Scare; 3. They tried to bury us: but they forgot we were seeds: forming the resistance; 4. UNIDOS, the student movement, conspiracy theories, and militarized school board meetings; 5. Was the fix in? MAS goes before an administrative law judge; 6. Caving to pressure: intimidation, repression, and absurdity at TUSD; 7. The Lawsuit: losing the first round; 8. The appeal: with a little help from friends (and a community further divided); 9. A new hope: a new legal team and new plaintiffs; 10. Trial!; 11. Gotcah!: the state tries (and fails) to trip up the plaintiffs' experts; 12. Doubling down on racism: Horne and Huppenthal take the stand; 13. The S.S. violation and the close of trial; 14. Victory and national renaissance amidst backlash; Epilogue: children can (and need to) handle the truth.