Engaged and Inclusive: Libraries Embracing Racial Equity and Social Justice
Public libraries across the country readily embrace their role as centers for democracy and civic participation. But what role should libraries play in advancing social justice and addressing persistent racial inequities? When it comes to community transformation, how can a social justice lens and racial equity tools guide us to be more engaged and inclusive at all levels of our work?
Whether your community is a site of major political action or feels a million miles away from Ferguson or Baltimore, issues of current and historical injustice are present in your community every day. Learn how public libraries can engage in meaningful social justice and racial equity work by leveraging their existing strengths, supporting transformational relationships, and developing new tools to support social change.
Hear from three librarians who are working to center social justice and racial equity in their day-to-day work. Core principles of diversity, equity, and social justice will be defined. Whether you are management or front line staff, we invite you to view this important webinar, where you’ll gain concrete resources and ideas that will help you feel empowered to step into these conversations and deepen community engagement.
Originally presented June 8, 2016.
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Additional Resources:
- Equity Tools & Training:
- Race Forward
- Government Alliance on Race & Equity
- PolicyLink
- Center for Social Inclusion
- Racial Equity Tools
- Aspen Institute - Roundtable on Community Change
- The National SEED Project
- Perception Institute
- WK Kellogg Racial Equity: American Healing
- YWCA Racial Justice Programs
- The People’s Institute: Undoing Racism
- Facing Race Conference
- Program Ideas & More:
- “Racial Equity in the Library”: Part One and Part Two on Webjunction
- Equity in the Library
- World Trust - Cracking the Codes
- Library Freedom Project
- Radical Reference
- Human Rights Video Project
- Librarians Build Communities
- Many great organizations provide dismantling racism and social justice workshops at the regional level, please contact the presenters if your library is looking for something like this:
- Amy Sonnie, asonnie@oaklandlibrary.org
- Amita Lonial, alonial@skokielibrary.info
- Sarah Lawton, sarah@madisonpubliclibrary.org
- Chat transcript (PDF, 4 pgs.)