The Fenway Library Organization is in solidarity with all libraries and protesters condemning the murder of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department. We condemn systemic racism in all forms and in particular police violence against black and brown people and their mistreatment within the criminal justice system. We acknowledge that libraries have been part of this legacy of racism and we must work to dismantle it if we are to say we believe Black Lives Matter.
In order to achieve a just and inclusive society we commit to doing the work to remove oppression and systemic racism in our libraries and in our profession. We dedicate ourselves to antiracism through continuous education and development, close examination of our policies and practices, and removal of structures of oppression. We know that our libraries are better representations of our communities when: we embrace diversity in our staff, protect and uplift our colleagues who are Black, Indigenous, People of Color, include and promote under-represented scholarship and content in our collections, practice policies which are fair and socially just, and create collections and spaces which are inclusive and accessible. To fully recognize the dignity and humanity of marginalized people we promise to listen, to act, and to be accountable. We will move to:
By engaging in collective action to defeat racism and systemic oppression we can ensure, “Libraries are for Everyone.”
Approved by the Board of Directors on July 1st, 2020
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