Defending the Right to Learn: A Conversation with Duchess Harris

“Nobody’s free until everybody’s free.”

— Fannie Lou Hamer

The federal holiday Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, bringing news of freedom to the last enslaved African Americans in the Confederacy.

Today, communities celebrate with festivals, traditional foods, and support for Black-owned businesses. They also reflect on a broader truth: throughout American history, control over who can read, learn, and tell their story is often reflected in who holds power.

Among Momentum Summit 2026's featured presenters is Dr. Duchess Harris. As an author and scholar, she is deeply familiar with the ongoing debate over who gets to shape public understanding of history. 

Since 2021, PEN America has documented nearly 23,000 school book bans nationwide. Harris, the DeWitt Wallace Professor of American Studies at Macalester College in Minnesota, has seen multiple books she’s written challenged or restricted. 

Four of her titles appeared on a list of 850 books compiled by Texas State Representative Matt Krause for review by school districts, while other works—including Male Privilege and Growing Up LGBTQ—have been documented by PEN America as subject to school library bans or restrictions.

The connection to Juneteenth is hard to miss. For generations, Black Americans fought not only for freedom under the law, but for the right to read, learn, and preserve our historical truths.

Harris is not surprised by the controversy. “We're still fighting for our democracy,” she says. Or, as the song goes: Free your mind, and the rest will follow.