Black Lives Matter
We are filled with grief over the actions of the police officers within the Minneapolis Police Department that resulted in the senseless death of George Floyd. We hope that justice will provide some peace to his family and that nationwide attention and peaceful protests can lead to systemic change. River Forest Public Library is committed to building an equitable, diverse, and inclusive environment that recognizes and respects the human dignity of people of all backgrounds and experiences.
In our most recent strategic plan, we specifically addressed the priority of achieving equity and diversity within our organization through collections, programs, and policies. It is our intention that all library staff members embrace an environment of inclusion that moves beyond simple tolerance and actively embraces change. Most recently, all staff participated in Project READY, an online racial equity curriculum. This is just one example of the many steps we are taking to achieve this goal. Our work continues.
One of the ways a library can support change is by sharing and providing access to materials and resources that educate us on the documented history and continued impact of institutionalized racism in this country. With that in mind, we have compiled the following reading list:
Black Lives Matter Reading Staff Reading List
A Letter to White Parents – web post
Raising White Kids on hoopla
Racism in America on hoopla
Racism in America: A Long History of Hate on hoopla
When Justice Isn’t Just on Kanopy
Revolution ’67 on Kanopy
