The Board Leadership of ACRL DVC upholds that Black Lives Matter.
We condemn police brutality, violence, and the legacy of enslavement that overtly and covertly perpetuates systemic racism, racial injustice, and human rights violations against black people everywhere.
We hold in our hearts the lives, families, and communities of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor, while also remembering the millions of black lives murdered by white supremacist individuals, institutions, and the ideologies on which this country was founded and built.
As librarians,we recognize that saying that we believe in access and equity is not enough, but know that the power of those words lies in committing to doing the work of reflection and correction, acknowledging the ways in which our libraries and institutions perpetuate systemic racism and dismantling those systems such that equity is embodied in all aspects of our work.
We believe that social justice necessitates action. We will not put the burden of this work on our Black and non-Black colleagues of color. And so we ask that you all as members of the ACRL DVC community stand with us in holding our respective workplaces, unions, and communities accountable in striving toward antiracist policies, practices, and procedures.
We will create programming addressing antiracism in the coming weeks, but in the meantime, please consult these resources developed by our professional community.
Resources:
ALA – Libraries Respond: Black Lives Matter
Anti-Racism Resources for all ages
A Project by the Augusta Baker Chair | Dr. Nicole A. Cooke | University of South Carolina | @BakerChair | © 2019 Nicole Cooke
2020 ACRL President’s Program – Shifting the Center: Transforming Academic Libraries through Generous Accountability (Presented as part of Together Wherever Virtual Event)
WHITE SUPREMACY CULTURE: Characteristics – SHOWING UP FOR RACIAL JUSTICE