With Banned Books Week (October 5–11) approaching, Carrie Bloxson, Chief People Officer of Hachette Book Group (HBG), is stepping forward as a leading advocate in the fight against censorship. Earlier this year, Bloxson became HBG’s first Chief Human Resources Officer before being elevated to Chief People Officer, making her one of the most prominent voices at the intersection of publishing, workplace leadership, and social impact.
The theme of this year’s campaign, “Censorship Is So 1984: Read for Your Rights,” underscores the urgency of the moment. Book bans in the United States have surged in recent years, disproportionately targeting works that deal with race, gender, sexual orientation, and cultural identity. In 2024 alone, the American Library Association documented more than 2,000 challenges nationwide. Nearly 100 of those challenged titles were published by HBG, including Julia Alvarez’s How the García Girls Lost Their Accents and In the Time of the Butterflies, Octavia E. Butler’s Parable of the Sower and Dawn, and J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye.
HBG is confronting these threats on multiple fronts. The publisher is actively engaged in legal and legislative efforts, joining fellow publishers in filing First Amendment lawsuits across several states. For Banned Books Week 2025, HBG is amplifying awareness through a coordinated campaign that includes refreshed digital content, targeted advertising, and promotional initiatives designed to increase accessibility to challenged works.
For Bloxson, this advocacy is closely tied to her leadership of HBG’s Changing the Story business pillar, which focuses on advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion both within the company and across the industry. In September, she is spearheading HBG’s inaugural Changing the Story Festival, a companywide celebration of DEI, even as she leads the charge against censorship efforts threatening those very values.
Her efforts extend beyond anti-censorship work. Bloxson is also championing Raising Readers, a new initiative encouraging adults to nurture a love of reading among children at a time when leisure reading rates are in decline.
As Banned Books Week nears, Bloxson’s dual role as a publishing executive and nationally recognized DEI leader positions her as a vital figure in defending the freedom to read—reminding readers that protecting access to diverse stories is central to building a more informed and inclusive future.