While many libraries have been acknowledging Juneteenth for years, this is the first year it is a National Holiday. This is a huge deal because it means that the country will pause as a whole to contemplate the date the last American slaves were told that they were emancipated-- 2 years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed.
If we want to be serious about ending systemic racism as a country, this is a real action step. Publicly taking time to acknowledge the day slavery "ended" for all Black Americans is an acknowledgment of the fact that the actions of the government don't always trickle down to those they claim to help. This is a tangible consequence of systemic racism, and an example of one of many in our every day lives. But at least this one is loud and clear enough for everyone to hear, even if some only notice that government agencies are closed or that they didn't get mail. But all will notice it for at least a moment and they will have to reconcile with it. Yes I know some will only be mad or resentful, but look, we gotta take what we can get. The fact that they will notice is a step.
I hope you are doing something positive to celebrate our newest American Federal Holiday. You can click here to find resources and programs from public libraries all over the country.
And below is the curated collection that the Library of Congress has made available for you to share with your patrons immediately.
No comments:
Post a Comment