Resources for Activism and Anti-Racism Education
This list of links and ideas emerged from our Activism and Anti-Racism community call on June 10th. Our group focused on practical strategies that public-facing organizations can take to support conversations around these topics in their community. If you have more resources or strategies to share, please comment them below and we’ll edit this list!
For a printable version of this list or the meeting agenda, check this document.
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Group Brainstorm
Q: What roles or actions can public institutions take to support activism and anti-racism education?
See responses or add more in AnswerGarden (list view)
Organizations’ Strategies for Action:
- Pursuing staff training: de-escalation to limit need to limit state authority presence in facilities, trauma-informed service, exploring how implicit bias has affected regulations/rules and patron use, removing latent racism, classicism (Miami)
- Pushing to bring social workers into the library including having a local field instructor run learning circles (Miami)
- Anti-Racism book discussion group for library staff (Los Angeles)
- Human Libraries: patrons can book a 20min conversation with individuals/volunteers who have stories to share and are comfortable speaking/answering questions about their experiences (Ottawa)
- Responding to long wait times and book hold lists by boosting awareness of always-available digital titles (Ottawa) and seeking more licenses for e/audio books (Los Angeles)
- Develop facilitator support for facilitating anti-racist curriculum (Multnomah)
- Think about supporting better community engagement with civic processes (such as navigating community action around setting police budget) (Charlotte)
- Manage transition from looking after self, to colleagues, to community (St. Paul)
- Ensuring the mental health of colleagues; running internal programming to help colleagues feel better prepared/supported (Los Angeles)
- Investigate library names and statues and rename/tear down that which needs to be removed (UK)
- Supporting conversations about current events in learning circles across a variety of topics (Charlotte)
Resources/courses for learning circles:
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Coursera Collection: Learn about race, inequality, and social justice
- 14 courses about race, inequality, and social justice, all free to audit.
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UUA: Examining Whiteness: Anti-Racism Curriculum
- An anti-racism curriculum provided by the UUA.
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+Acumen: Letter from a Birmingham Jail
- This course isn’t “active” right now, but +Acumen has given us permission to share the resources with the P2PU community.
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+Acumen: Fighting Hate and Bias
- Two hours of short videos spread across five modules; Acumen recently removed the paywall from this course and has committed to keeping it free.
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Facing History and Ourselves: Reflecting On George Floyd’s Death And Police Violence
- Not a course, but a valuable set of reflection questions for anybody embarking on anti-racism education.
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When They See Us (Netflix)
- A librarian in Charlotte is running a learning circle using filmmaker Ana DuVernay’s learning companions and lessons for the Netflix miniseries “When They See Us”: https://www.array101.org/
Informational Resources:
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Antiracist Allyship Starter Pack
Extensive list of resources (articles, books, PDFs, podcasts, film/video, resources for teachers, reading guides) for reference or sharing -
Racial Equity Toolkit
Guide published by the Government Alliance on Race and Equity, a national network of government working to achieve racial equity and advance opportunities for all. -
Black Lives Matter Solidarity: Engagement Guide
This document was developed to provide team members with suggestions for how they can support the fight to protect Black lives against police violence and systemic racism during a dedicated day of action. -
Circle of Trust Approach
The Circle of Trust approach is distinguished by principles and practices intended to create a process of shared exploration—in retreats, programs and other settings—where people can find safe space to nurture personal and professional integrity and the courage to act on it. -
Schomburg Center Black Liberation Reading List
In response to the uprisings across the globe demanding justice for Black lives, the Schomburg Center has created a Black Liberation Reading List. The 95 titles on the list represent books they turn to regularly as activists, students, archivists, and curators, with a particular focus on books by Black authors and those whose papers they steward.
Articles & Readings:
- White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo
- The Case for Reparations by Ta-Nehisi Coates
- It’s not enough to say Black Lives Matter — libraries must divest from the police
Questions for prioritizing equity in digital inclusion:
(via Technology and Innovation Department of the City of Long Beach, CA)
- Burdens and Benefits: Who would benefit or be burdened by this proposal? Would low-income households or communities of color experience a disproportionate burden?
- Understanding Data: What do the various data tell us about who is affected? Specifically, look at race, income, languages spoken, ability, gender, and neighborhood.
- Community Engagement: How do we engage those who are not often represented in decision-making or those most impacted by inequities? Do we engage people early enough in the process to have an impact?
- Decision Making: Who sits at the decision-making table? Who has the power to invite or participate? Whose interests are represented?
- Implementation: How can we advance equity through the goals of a policy or program?
- Unintended Consequences: What unintended consequences might be produced by the program or policy?
- Accountability and Communication: How will we be accountable to, and communicate with, the community throughout implementation?