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'It will spread the word further': Jensen Beach woman who protested book banning is headed to Oscars

'It will spread the word further': Jensen Beach woman who protested book banning is headed to Oscars
SIX NEW HERE AT SIX JENSEN BEACH. WOMAN IS OFF TO THE OSCARS. AND THERE’S A SPECIAL REASON WHY. WHY? SHE’S ATTENDING TREASURE COAST BUREAU. REPORTER ANGELA ROZIER CAUGHT UP WITH THIS WOMAN AS HER ACTIVISM IS WHAT LED HER ON THIS TRIP TO HOLLYWOOD. I’M HERE TO PROTEST THAT OUR SCHOOLS DISTRIC BOOK BANNING POLICY. THAT’S GRACE LIN, MY HUSBAND, ROBERT NICOLE, WAS KILLED IN ACTION IN WORLD WAR TWO. THE 101 YEAR YOUNG JENSEN BEACH RESIDENT SAYS HER HUSBAND DIED DURING WORLD WAR TWO WHILE DEFENDING DEMOCRACY. THE CONSTITUTION AND OUR FREEDOMS. THE FREEDOM TO READ WHICH IS PROTECTED BY THE FIRST AMENDMENT, IS OUR ESSENTIAL RIGHT AND DUTY OF OUR DEMOCRACY. SHE DISPLAYED THIS QUILT AT THE MEETING. IT SHOWS A BOOKSHELF FILLED WITH BANNED BOOKS. SHE DESIGNED IT WITH THE HELP OF FRIENDS MICHAEL AND CLAIRE PANELLA. IT’S HANGING UP INSIDE HER HOME. YOU CAN SEE HOW I CHANGED THE FONTS FOR EACH ONE. I DIDN’T HAVE THE REAL BOOKS, BUT IT MADE HIM LOOK UNIQUE. THE RETIRED HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATOR, AN AVID READER, SAYS SOME OF THE AUTHORS OF BANNED BOOKS HAVE REACHED OUT. SHE ALSO SAYS SHE HAD NO IDEA THAT MARTIN COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD VIDEO WOULD SHOW UP ON TIKTOK. I WENT TO THE BANK AND MY BANKING FRIENDS CAME OUT AND SAID, YOU HAD TIKTOK A MILLION AND A HALF TIMES. AND THEN THEY SHOWED ME ALL THE POSITIVE ANSWERS THAT WERE GIVEN. SO I KNEW I WAS ON THE RIGHT TRACK. DOCUMENTARY CREW ALSO SAW THE VIDEO. MONTHS LATER, A FILM CALLED THE ABC OF BOOK BANNING WAS MADE FEATURING LYNN. IT’S NOMINATED FOR AN OSCAR AND THIS IS THE OUTFIT SHE PLANS TO WEAR. SHE LEFT HER HOME FRIDAY AFTERNOON, HEADING TO CALIFORNIA, WHERE SHE WILL CONTINUE TO SHARE HER PASSION. YES, IT’S GLAMOROUS TO BE GOING TO HOLLYWOOD. GOOD? YES. AND THE REASON ONE, MORE THAN ANY OTHER REASON, IS THAT IT WILL SPREAD THE WORD FURTHER, WHICH WE NEED TO DO
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'It will spread the word further': Jensen Beach woman who protested book banning is headed to Oscars
A 101-year-old Jensen Beach woman, who showed up on TikTok after protesting book bans, is heading to the Oscars.The speech Grace Linn made at a Martin County School Board meeting in March 2023 went viral on social media."My husband, Robert Nicoll, was killed in action in WWII," Linn said.Linn said her husband died defending democracy, the Constitution and our freedoms. ”The freedom to read which is protected by the first amendment," Linn said.She designed a quilt showing a bookshelf filled with banned books. He created it with the help of friends Michael and Clair Pen.The retired hospital administrator and avid reader said some banned book authors have reached out to her. She has received autograph books along with words of encouragement. She had no idea the video would show up on TikTok. "I went into my bank, and my banking friends came out and said you hit TikTok a million and a half times, and then they showed me all the positive answers that were given," Linn said. "So, I know I was on the right track.”A documentary crew also saw the video, and months later, a film featuring Linn called "The ABC of Book Banning" was made. It's nominated for an Oscar, and Linn plans to attend the ceremony."Yes, it's glamorous to go be going to Hollywood, and the reason more than any other reason is that it will spread the word further, which we need to do," Linn said.She said the next issue she will focus on is women's rights.Top HeadlinesGet the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.Your neighborhood: Local coverage from WPBF 25 News

A 101-year-old Jensen Beach woman, who showed up on TikTok after protesting book bans, is heading to the Oscars.

The speech Grace Linn made at a Martin County School Board meeting in March 2023 went viral on social media.

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"My husband, Robert Nicoll, was killed in action in WWII," Linn said.

Linn said her husband died defending democracy, the Constitution and our freedoms.

”The freedom to read which is protected by the first amendment," Linn said.

She designed a quilt showing a bookshelf filled with banned books. He created it with the help of friends Michael and Clair Pen.

The retired hospital administrator and avid reader said some banned book authors have reached out to her.

She has received autograph books along with words of encouragement.

She had no idea the video would show up on TikTok.

"I went into my bank, and my banking friends came out and said you hit TikTok a million and a half times, and then they showed me all the positive answers that were given," Linn said. "So, I know I was on the right track.”

A documentary crew also saw the video, and months later, a film featuring Linn called "The ABC of Book Banning" was made.

It's nominated for an Oscar, and Linn plans to attend the ceremony.

"Yes, it's glamorous to go be going to Hollywood, and the reason more than any other reason is that it will spread the word further, which we need to do," Linn said.

She said the next issue she will focus on is women's rights.

Top Headlines

Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.

Your neighborhood: Local coverage from WPBF 25 News