Re: [Michlib-l] Fw: Combatting Hate Via Your Library
"As a reminder, YALSA has resources to help you support youth, especially those who may be feeling the brunt of current events. In addition, YALSA has resources to help you promote empathy and understanding among teens, especially those in predominantly white communities who need to build global citizenship skills to be successful adults in the 21st century." I find it incredibly offensive that it is assumed that those in "predominantly white communities" would "especially" need more help in building "global citizenship skills". While there are, and always will be, problems with prejudice in this world, many problems these days are made up, overblown, or attributed only to those with light colored skin. Racism and prejudice are ugly but go BOTH ways, or ALL ways. And it is JUST as ugly to assume someone has these prejudices. The blame needs to stop, the guilt needs to stop, and we need to stop dividing ourselves by making things more of an issue than they are. We will never achieve colorblindness when we keep bringing up color. If this is an ACTUAL issue in your particular community, then by all means, have a discussion. But that is an individual community issue, not something all libraries need to be involved in, if libraries need to be involved in them at all. I do not need organizations like YALSA to teach me how to think. I am becoming increasingly frustrated with this and other library organizations like the ALA and their obvious left leaning political agendas. Karyn Ruley Crawford County Library 201 Plum St. Grayling, MI 49738 Phone: 989-348-9214 Fax: 989-348-9294
Karyn - Thank you for taking the time to express your views. I agree that the YALSA statement makes an offensive assumption, and that this type of reverse prejudice is harmful. All we can do as libraries is promote understanding, kindness, and open dialogue wherever possible. And really, that's quite a lot, isn't it?!? Happy eclipse day, everyone! Hope E. Nobel, M.S.L.S. Director Tamarack District Library P. O. Box 469 832 South Lincoln Avenue Lakeview, MI 48850 989.352.6274 -----Original Message----- From: michlib-l-bounces@mcls.org [mailto:michlib-l-bounces@mcls.org] On Behalf Of Karyn Ruley Sent: Sunday, August 20, 2017 2:16 PM To: michlib-l@mcls.org Subject: Re: [Michlib-l] Fw: Combatting Hate Via Your Library "As a reminder, YALSA has resources to help you support youth, especially those who may be feeling the brunt of current events. In addition, YALSA has resources to help you promote empathy and understanding among teens, especially those in predominantly white communities who need to build global citizenship skills to be successful adults in the 21st century." I find it incredibly offensive that it is assumed that those in "predominantly white communities" would "especially" need more help in building "global citizenship skills". While there are, and always will be, problems with prejudice in this world, many problems these days are made up, overblown, or attributed only to those with light colored skin. Racism and prejudice are ugly but go BOTH ways, or ALL ways. And it is JUST as ugly to assume someone has these prejudices. The blame needs to stop, the guilt needs to stop, and we need to stop dividing ourselves by making things more of an issue than they are. We will never achieve colorblindness when we keep bringing up color. If this is an ACTUAL issue in your particular community, then by all means, have a discussion. But that is an individual community issue, not something all libraries need to be involved in, if libraries need to be involved in them at all. I do not need organizations like YALSA to teach me how to think. I am becoming increasingly frustrated with this and other library organizations like the ALA and their obvious left leaning political agendas. Karyn Ruley Crawford County Library 201 Plum St. Grayling, MI 49738 Phone: 989-348-9214 Fax: 989-348-9294 _______________________________________________ Michlib-l mailing list Michlib-l@mcls.org http://mail2.mcls.org/mailman/listinfo/michlib-l
I think there is a critical misunderstanding about the purpose of combating hate "especially in white communities". It is not about blame and guilt - it's about learning and coming to fair terms with the ugly, brutal history of slavery and the current manifestations of racism. As a white person, I'm not looking to combat hate because I feel individually guilty or to blame (though others may judge me any way they wish) - I want every member of our society to really understand and find a way to reconcile with a history of racism that we have obviously not been willing to do as a nation. I offer these comments in a spirit of moving the discussion beyond individual resentments and toward a much bigger picture. We can't afford to wait until a cross is burning in a community to address this. We can offer kind and compassionate paths in a dialogue that is long overdue. I appreciate that these resources are available ________________________________ From: michlib-l-bounces@mcls.org <michlib-l-bounces@mcls.org> on behalf of Hope Nobel <lvwdirector@llcoop.org> Sent: Monday, August 21, 2017 10:19:46 AM To: kruley@uproc.lib.mi.us; michlib-l@mcls.org Subject: Re: [Michlib-l] Fw: Combatting Hate Via Your Library Karyn - Thank you for taking the time to express your views. I agree that the YALSA statement makes an offensive assumption, and that this type of reverse prejudice is harmful. All we can do as libraries is promote understanding, kindness, and open dialogue wherever possible. And really, that's quite a lot, isn't it?!? Happy eclipse day, everyone! Hope E. Nobel, M.S.L.S. Director Tamarack District Library P. O. Box 469 832 South Lincoln Avenue Lakeview, MI 48850 989.352.6274 -----Original Message----- From: michlib-l-bounces@mcls.org [mailto:michlib-l-bounces@mcls.org] On Behalf Of Karyn Ruley Sent: Sunday, August 20, 2017 2:16 PM To: michlib-l@mcls.org Subject: Re: [Michlib-l] Fw: Combatting Hate Via Your Library "As a reminder, YALSA has resources to help you support youth, especially those who may be feeling the brunt of current events. In addition, YALSA has resources to help you promote empathy and understanding among teens, especially those in predominantly white communities who need to build global citizenship skills to be successful adults in the 21st century." I find it incredibly offensive that it is assumed that those in "predominantly white communities" would "especially" need more help in building "global citizenship skills". While there are, and always will be, problems with prejudice in this world, many problems these days are made up, overblown, or attributed only to those with light colored skin. Racism and prejudice are ugly but go BOTH ways, or ALL ways. And it is JUST as ugly to assume someone has these prejudices. The blame needs to stop, the guilt needs to stop, and we need to stop dividing ourselves by making things more of an issue than they are. We will never achieve colorblindness when we keep bringing up color. If this is an ACTUAL issue in your particular community, then by all means, have a discussion. But that is an individual community issue, not something all libraries need to be involved in, if libraries need to be involved in them at all. I do not need organizations like YALSA to teach me how to think. I am becoming increasingly frustrated with this and other library organizations like the ALA and their obvious left leaning political agendas. Karyn Ruley Crawford County Library 201 Plum St. Grayling, MI 49738 Phone: 989-348-9214 Fax: 989-348-9294 _______________________________________________ Michlib-l mailing list Michlib-l@mcls.org http://mail2.mcls.org/mailman/listinfo/michlib-l _______________________________________________ Michlib-l mailing list Michlib-l@mcls.org http://mail2.mcls.org/mailman/listinfo/michlib-l
May I just offer a different interpretation of the phrase "especially those in predominantly white communities who need to build global citizenship skills"? I didn't interpret that as blame or a guilt trip for homogenous white communities, but rather an intriguing opportunity to learn a skill that is hard to learn in a homogenous community--how to connect with and form friendships with people not like yourself. It's one thing to read about diverse cultural experiences and quite another to experience them. Experiencing diversity, building deep friendships, and having meaningful conversations with people whose life journeys differ from mine did not happen for me until I left my hometown, a homogenous community just east of Flint, MI. It accelerated for me when I joined an intentionally diverse faith community later in life. I did not realize it at the time, but growing up in that cocoon, while supportive in most ways, was limiting in others. What a wonderful gift for young people to nurture skills that help them reach beyond the familiar. --Sheryl Cormicle Knox Just representing myself, not my employer -----Original Message----- From: michlib-l-bounces@mcls.org [mailto:michlib-l-bounces@mcls.org] On Behalf Of Karyn Ruley Sent: Sunday, August 20, 2017 2:16 PM To: michlib-l@mcls.org Subject: Re: [Michlib-l] Fw: Combatting Hate Via Your Library "As a reminder, YALSA has resources to help you support youth, especially those who may be feeling the brunt of current events. In addition, YALSA has resources to help you promote empathy and understanding among teens, especially those in predominantly white communities who need to build global citizenship skills to be successful adults in the 21st century." I find it incredibly offensive that it is assumed that those in "predominantly white communities" would "especially" need more help in building "global citizenship skills". While there are, and always will be, problems with prejudice in this world, many problems these days are made up, overblown, or attributed only to those with light colored skin. Racism and prejudice are ugly but go BOTH ways, or ALL ways. And it is JUST as ugly to assume someone has these prejudices. The blame needs to stop, the guilt needs to stop, and we need to stop dividing ourselves by making things more of an issue than they are. We will never achieve colorblindness when we keep bringing up color. If this is an ACTUAL issue in your particular community, then by all means, have a discussion. But that is an individual community issue, not something all libraries need to be involved in, if libraries need to be involved in them at all. I do not need organizations like YALSA to teach me how to think. I am becoming increasingly frustrated with this and other library organizations like the ALA and their obvious left leaning political agendas. Karyn Ruley Crawford County Library 201 Plum St. Grayling, MI 49738 Phone: 989-348-9214 Fax: 989-348-9294 _______________________________________________ Michlib-l mailing list Michlib-l@mcls.org https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__mail2.mcls.org_mailman_listinfo_michlib-2Dl&d=DQICAg&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=4t_b4x9GSWEVI4E9yVpA8g&m=J-mXlBRaOWXVJ9INOSP6VtHQDFKm1CW0Z4NTdKiYb9Q&s=diUhc1t-xMAd9z3AhraoPcnW9IXRPhEMSNGLMccKssM&e=
Cathy, Thank you so much for sharing these resources on behalf of YALSA! It is always good to know what we have at our fingertips, whether we choose to use the materials professionally or not. Unfortunately in our world today it is evident that racism, sexism and prejudice still exist. I'm glad to know YALSA is working to help us combat this in whatever small way we can in our communities. As a white woman who grew up in a very homogenous community, I would have loved to have more diverse experiences prior to college. My life is so much richer because I went to a diverse college and had conversations with people from many different cultures and backgrounds. How wonderful that we might be able to make some of this more possible for the children and teens we work with every day. I agree with Sheryl's interpretation, these resources present a wonderful opportunity to allow youth to connect with and learn about those who are different from themselves. Best, Katie Lawrence On Mon, Aug 21, 2017 at 10:51 AM, Knox,Sheryl Cormicle <knoxs@cadl.org> wrote:
May I just offer a different interpretation of the phrase "especially those in predominantly white communities who need to build global citizenship skills"?
I didn't interpret that as blame or a guilt trip for homogenous white communities, but rather an intriguing opportunity to learn a skill that is hard to learn in a homogenous community--how to connect with and form friendships with people not like yourself.
It's one thing to read about diverse cultural experiences and quite another to experience them. Experiencing diversity, building deep friendships, and having meaningful conversations with people whose life journeys differ from mine did not happen for me until I left my hometown, a homogenous community just east of Flint, MI. It accelerated for me when I joined an intentionally diverse faith community later in life. I did not realize it at the time, but growing up in that cocoon, while supportive in most ways, was limiting in others.
What a wonderful gift for young people to nurture skills that help them reach beyond the familiar.
--Sheryl Cormicle Knox Just representing myself, not my employer
-----Original Message----- From: michlib-l-bounces@mcls.org [mailto:michlib-l-bounces@mcls.org] On Behalf Of Karyn Ruley Sent: Sunday, August 20, 2017 2:16 PM To: michlib-l@mcls.org Subject: Re: [Michlib-l] Fw: Combatting Hate Via Your Library
"As a reminder, YALSA has resources to help you support youth, especially those who may be feeling the brunt of current events. In addition, YALSA has resources to help you promote empathy and understanding among teens, especially those in predominantly white communities who need to build global citizenship skills to be successful adults in the 21st century."
I find it incredibly offensive that it is assumed that those in "predominantly white communities" would "especially" need more help in building "global citizenship skills". While there are, and always will be, problems with prejudice in this world, many problems these days are made up, overblown, or attributed only to those with light colored skin. Racism and prejudice are ugly but go BOTH ways, or ALL ways. And it is JUST as ugly to assume someone has these prejudices. The blame needs to stop, the guilt needs to stop, and we need to stop dividing ourselves by making things more of an issue than they are. We will never achieve colorblindness when we keep bringing up color.
If this is an ACTUAL issue in your particular community, then by all means, have a discussion. But that is an individual community issue, not something all libraries need to be involved in, if libraries need to be involved in them at all. I do not need organizations like YALSA to teach me how to think. I am becoming increasingly frustrated with this and other library organizations like the ALA and their obvious left leaning political agendas.
Karyn Ruley
Crawford County Library 201 Plum St. Grayling, MI 49738 Phone: 989-348-9214 Fax: 989-348-9294
_______________________________________________ Michlib-l mailing list Michlib-l@mcls.org https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__mail2. mcls.org_mailman_listinfo_michlib-2Dl&d=DQICAg&c= euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=4t_b4x9GSWEVI4E9yVpA8g&m=J- mXlBRaOWXVJ9INOSP6VtHQDFKm1CW0Z4NTdKiYb9Q&s=diUhc1t- xMAd9z3AhraoPcnW9IXRPhEMSNGLMccKssM&e=
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Hi Karyn, Perhaps you've already received plenty of responses to your email to the listserv, but I wanted to take some time to reach out and send you some contextual resources. While I understand your concern about prejudice in all directions, it's important to remember the ways racism systemically affects people of color even when individuals aren't overtly being racist (for example name calling or deliberate firing because of race). You mention colorblindness, which is a wonderful notion, but actually contributes to the larger problem. Rather than ignore people's differences, if we acknowledge and accept them, we can move forward from our racist past and present more readily. Here's an article about why colorblindness is actually very hurtful <https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/09/color-blindness-is-counterproductive/405037/> to people of color. You obviously care a lot about your community and that's wonderful, something we all value as librarians. One way we can continue caring about one another is laying the foundation and opening up dialogue, regardless of whether our community "needs" it. More than likely, there are things to be discussed in your community, even if it's a preemptive conversation and there are no overt racist actions. As a nation, things are obviously very tense right now and the library provides a unique avenue for us to hold community forums and provide a space for conversation and community support. As both a librarian and a historian, it feels important here to note that racism is not just about overt actions. White supremacy has affected loans, education, policing, and mass incarceration. If you have any questions about systemic racism, the Center for Racial Justice put together a very helpful video series <https://www.raceforward.org/videos/systemic-racism> that might answer some of your questions. Here are some more resources for you: Teaching for Tolerance published a panel article for white people about how we can actively be anti-racist <https://www.tolerance.org/professional-development/white-antiracism-living-the-legacy>. As we know as stakeholders in knowledge, continuing education is always good! Here's an interesting take from two psychologists who explain how racism has changed <https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/culturally-speaking/201608/what-well-intentioned-white-people-can-do-about-racism> and what white people can do with other white people to ensure we have the best society for everyone. Sometimes this involves building upon foundation already laid. What have we got to lose by educating ourselves and continually striving for a society that works for everyone? I've sent this to the listserv in case others could benefit from these resources, but please feel free to contact me off list if you have any other questions. I understand the instinct to be protective of our communities and defensive in light of heavy topics, especially when things are tense, but please take the time to review some of these resources. As we know- knowledge is always power. With gratitude, Meghan McGowan On Sun, Aug 20, 2017 at 2:16 PM, Karyn Ruley <kruley@uproc.lib.mi.us> wrote:
"As a reminder, YALSA has resources to help you support youth, especially those who may be feeling the brunt of current events. In addition, YALSA has resources to help you promote empathy and understanding among teens, especially those in predominantly white communities who need to build global citizenship skills to be successful adults in the 21st century."
I find it incredibly offensive that it is assumed that those in "predominantly white communities" would "especially" need more help in building "global citizenship skills". While there are, and always will be, problems with prejudice in this world, many problems these days are made up, overblown, or attributed only to those with light colored skin. Racism and prejudice are ugly but go BOTH ways, or ALL ways. And it is JUST as ugly to assume someone has these prejudices. The blame needs to stop, the guilt needs to stop, and we need to stop dividing ourselves by making things more of an issue than they are. We will never achieve colorblindness when we keep bringing up color.
If this is an ACTUAL issue in your particular community, then by all means, have a discussion. But that is an individual community issue, not something all libraries need to be involved in, if libraries need to be involved in them at all. I do not need organizations like YALSA to teach me how to think. I am becoming increasingly frustrated with this and other library organizations like the ALA and their obvious left leaning political agendas.
Karyn Ruley
Crawford County Library 201 Plum St. Grayling, MI 49738 Phone: 989-348-9214 Fax: 989-348-9294
_______________________________________________ Michlib-l mailing list Michlib-l@mcls.org http://mail2.mcls.org/mailman/listinfo/michlib-l
participants (6)
-
Catalfio, Maria -
Hope Nobel -
Karyn Ruley -
katola13 -
Knox,Sheryl Cormicle -
Meghan McGowan