We had the good fortune of connecting with Shloka Mehta and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shloka, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Books Beyond Bias, a 501(c)3 non-profit, was formed to counter the regressive trend towards censorship in public schools. The idea for Books Beyond Bias came when I heard a story on public radio in 2021, where Texas Rep. Matt Krause announced the launch of a probe of public school libraries’ books on race and sexuality. Most of the books targeted were books about race, sexuality and gender. It was discrimination and erasure and were important to a person like me, someone who is a woman of color, who is curious and open-minded. I felt like I had to do something to counter this.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I hope to create a lasting movement against book bans. From a very young age, I have been an avid reader and being an only child, my books were my siblings. Moving several countries while growing up, I have been exposed to different cultures and their sensibilities, but today’s divisiveness in society and politics worries me. It was very hard to get traction regarding book bans where I live, in small town Texas. The topic is deemed too controversial and some school board meetings have had physical scuffles between parents. Seeing this, my parents were a little apprehensive of me getting involved, but I persevered, and with the help of all my mentors, I was able to carve a way forward.

I strongly believe that the only way to work through our biases is by introducing children and young adults to those that are different from us. Be it their skin color, their sexual orientation or their race. By taking away books that show a different perspective, we are creating an isolationist youth, who will not be comfortable when thrown into the real world.

We have raised over 500 books in donations thus far, and more keep coming in every day. We have an Amazon gift registry that has made it possible for just about anyone to donate books to help reach as many youth as we can who otherwise would lose access.

More information about our movement can be found at www.booksbeyondbias.org

Amazon Gift Registry can be found: https://www.amazon.com/registries/custom/26ACISLITN9D2/guest-view

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If a friend was visiting I have a couple go-to spots that I would definitely want to hit. One of my favorite spots downtown is The Post which is connected to 713 Music Hall. My friends and I love to grab food there after a concert or enjoy the rooftop garden since there are loads of great food options. A new place that I also really love is Katy Asia Town. I love all the authentic Asian fo0od there, especially the 85 Degrees bakery. Also in Katy, I would take my friend to Brown Sugar Café and Bookstore which is a bookstore that I’ve worked with in the past. They have a great selection of diverse books and many fun events to attend. Finally, I would take my friend thrifting in Montrose to Out of the Closet – Houston. They have a great selection and they donate their profits to the AIDS Healthcare Foundation.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
When I first started BooksBeyondBias.org, I wasn’t sure how to go about making a meaningful difference. There are several people and organizations that helped me along the way, without whom I would not have had a chance. A mentor who worked at Facebook taught me how to design a website, the wonderful librarians at the #Freadom movement gave me ideas on how to increase outreach and introduced me to other peer groups who were fighting the same fight. Ms. Jaundrea Clay from the Houston Chronicle gave me the opportunity to be a teen panelist at the 2022 & 2023 Houston BIPOC Book Fest and who has since introduced me to so many other mentors in the publishing world as well as given BooksBeyondBias.org a voice through the HouWeAre newsletter. The lovely team at PEN America’s Freedom to Read Advocacy Institute who helped me gain certification and gave me ideas on who and how to reach out to Publishers and book store owners and finally my parents, who are my biggest cheerleaders.

Website: www.booksbeyondbias.org

Instagram: @booksbeyondbias

Other: https://www.amazon.com/registries/custom/26ACISLITN9D2/guest-view

Image Credits
Pictures with some authors and journalists at book donation/distribution events.

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