February is Black History Month and my birthday month, so I love it for both reasons. There were so many great programs in February due to the mostly accepted movement of Black Lives Matter. I felt like more institutions were being intentional about their Black History Month programming. However, it did not go without some missteps. Like the SLJ fiasco was indeed a mess, and the apology created more disdain for the situation. So I will say this Black History and All Black Lives should be centered every day and not on my favorite month of the year.
The list of webinars and virtual events that I attended:
- Four Hundred Souls Launch Event
- (Not) Another Anti-Racist Reading Group: From Discussion to Action
- Medicine Dialogue on Diversity & Inclusion
- Black Scholars on Black Lives Lecture: Derrick Jefferson, “When Worlds Collide”
- Historically Speaking: Four Hundred Souls – A Conversation with Ibram Kendi and Keisha N. Blain
- ACRL STS Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Task Force: Equitable Hiring Practice
- JEDI: Black Women and the Hidden Workload
- “Vocational Awe and Librarianship: Loving Yourself is Not a Crime”
- Why I Left the Library Profession II? — DEI Perspective
- Radical Self Care & Wellness: Grace Under Pressure: Black Male Perspective
- Imposter Syndrome is BULLSH*T: A Workshop for Women of Color
- Cite Black Women Panel
- Conversations on Being Black and a Librarian at Cornell University Library, Past Present, and Future
I started and finished the book Freedom Is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine, and the Foundations of a Movement by Angela Y. Davis. Such a great book, and she gave so many other great book recommendations in her book. I added them to my book list. I am still listening to the audiobook of The Infectious Madness: The Surprising Science of How We “Catch” Mental Illness by Harriet A. Washington. This book is so rich in history that it is taking me some to get through.
I am so glad to share with you my activities from February. Please share with me your thoughts, and I look forward to reading them.
