Archives for Antiracism

Good Trouble: Anti-Racist Art Activities for Kids

Good Trouble: Anti-Racist Art Activities for Kids

Among many important things, civil rights activist and Congressman John Lewis was famous for using the term “good trouble” when speaking on fighting against injustice in this country. “Speak up, speak out, get in the way. Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and help redeem the soul of America.” “What can you do to get into good trouble? There is a light inside of you that will turn on when you get into good trouble. You will feel emboldened and freed. You will realize that unjust laws cannot stop you. These laws cannot stop the truth that is in your
Read More

August 11, 2023 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Antiracism, Good Trouble, John Lewis, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Reading to End Racism Book Group

Reading to End Racism Book Group

Continuing on the theme of courageous conversations, the YWCA has partnered with the White Plains Public Library for the Reading to End Racism book club. For details on upcoming discussions, see below: In the Midst of Winter by Isabel Allende April 22nd, 6:00 p.m. Click here for information on attending. Library Catalog: Print / CD audiobook OverDrive & Libby During the biggest Brooklyn snowstorm in living memory, Richard Bowmaster, a lonely university professor in his sixties, hits the car of Evelyn Ortega, a young undocumented immigrant from Guatemala, and what at first seems an inconvenience takes a more serious turn
Read More

April 6, 2021 11:50 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books and Library News.
Tags: Antiracism, book discussion, book group, Common Ground, Racism, reading against racism, Stand Against Racism, and YWCA.

Stand Against Racism

Stand Against Racism

This year, the Library is a sponsor of the YWCA's annual campaign Stand Against Racism. The theme is “Racism is a Public Health Crisis,” something we all witnessed this past year and which has been driven to the forefront of our national consciousness partly by the twin pandemics of COVID-19 and racial injustice. Understanding and addressing systemic racism from a public health perspective is crucial to eliminating racial and ethnic inequities, and to improving opportunity and well-being across communities. You can show your commitment to eliminating racism by participating in this year’s Stand Against Racism campaign in several different ways.
Read More

March 29, 2021 4:50 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Director's Corner, Events, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: Antiracism, covid-19, COVID19, public health, Racism, Stand Against Racism, and YWCA.

Stamped Book Discussions for Children and Teens

Stamped Book Discussions for Children and Teens

This fall, join the Youth Services department for a series of events surrounding the Library’s city-wide reading initiative, One Book, One White Plains. We'll be reading Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi. The book is available in regular print, large print, and CD audiobook from our physical collection and as a digital audiobook and eBook from OverDrive and Libby. To give teens more time to read the book, we've postponed our teen book discussion of Stamped. The book club has been rescheduled for Monday, November 9th, at 4:30 p.m. We’ll discuss the book and
Read More

November 2, 2020 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Library News.
Tags: Antiracism, book discussion, book group, Ibram X. Kendi, Jason Reynolds, One Book One White Plains, Racism, Sachi Feris, and teen book club.

Antiracism: Next Steps

Antiracism: Next Steps

October has been a very eventful month for antiracism at the library, with the Race Consciousness workshop for parents and caregivers on October 21st, and the conversation with Dr. Ibram X. Kendi on October 28th. While these events were enlightening and motivational, the mission of antiracism work has not been accomplished. If you attended either of these events, I hope you are now energized and ready to learn-and do-more. Don’t let your antiracism work end there. With that goal in mind, I’ve gathered a collection of further resources you can use to keep the momentum of your personal antiracism work
Read More

October 30, 2020 10:59 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: Antiracism, books, Ibram X. Kendi, podcast, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Book Groups for One Book, One White Plains

Book Groups for One Book, One White Plains

This October and November, the Library is facilitating conversations about Ibram X. Kendi's How to Be an Antiracist, which is quickly becoming an essential book for anyone who wants to go beyond an awareness of racism to the next step of contributing to the formation of a truly just and equitable society. As part of One Book, One White Plains, we would like to join your book group to help lead the discussion, or perhaps, you can pull together a group at your job or among your friends just to discuss How to Be an Antiracist. Best of all, Dr.
Read More

October 22, 2020 10:00 am | by | 1 Comment
Categories: Library News.
Tags: Antiracism, book groups, How to Be an Antiracist, Ibram X. Kendi, Jason Reynolds, and One Book One White Plains.

Race Consciousness: Recommended Reading, Part 4

Race Consciousness: Recommended Reading, Part 4

On Wednesday October 21st, Sachi Feris of the blog Raising Race Conscious Children will lead a workshop to help parents and caregivers learn how to talk about race with young children. Each week until the workshop, I’ll share an article or resource to help you begin thinking about some related topics. Recommended Reading, Part 1 Recommended Reading, Part 2 Recommended Reading, Part 3 For our final recommended reading piece, let’s check out a post from Sachi’s own blog: “100 Race-Conscious Things You Can Say to Your Child to Advance Racial Justice.” As you may infer from the title, this post
Read More

October 14, 2020 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Featured and Library News.
Tags: Antiracism, caregiver, children, parenting, parents, raising race conscious children, The Trove, and White Plains Library Foundation.

Ibram X. Kendi Visit

Ibram X. Kendi Visit

Registration is now closed for this event. The White Plains Library Foundation, in partnership with the Thomas H. Slater Center and with the support of other sponsors, is presenting a special virtual event with the award-winning author, historian, and thought-leader, Ibram X. Kendi on October 28, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. This program will be the highlight of the Library’s city-wide reading initiative, One Book, One White Plains. In the meantime, mark your fall calendars and look into our digital and physical copies of the two books we'll be reading: How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi (available in
Read More

October 7, 2020 10:01 am | by | 6 Comments
Categories: Library News.
Tags: Antiracism, author talk, author visit, book groups, How to Be an Antiracist, Ibram X. Kendi, Jason Reynolds, and One Book One White Plains.

Race Consciousness: Recommended Reading, Part 3

Race Consciousness: Recommended Reading, Part 3

On Wednesday October 21st, Sachi Feris of the blog Raising Race Conscious Children will lead a workshop to help parents and caregivers learn how to talk about race with young children. Each week until the workshop, I’ll share an article or resource to help you begin thinking about some related topics. Recommended Reading, Part 1 Recommended Reading, Part 2 Recommended Reading, Part 4 This week, I’d like to share a few different resources that I’ve encountered as a librarian, but have found useful as a parent as well. These resources can help parents think through the way they use children’s
Read More

October 7, 2020 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Library News.
Tags: Antiracism, caregiver, children, parenting, parents, raising race conscious children, The Trove, and White Plains Library Foundation.

Race Consciousness: Recommended Reading, Part 2

Race Consciousness: Recommended Reading, Part 2

On Wednesday October 21st, Sachi Feris of the blog Raising Race Conscious Children will lead a workshop to help parents and caregivers learn how to talk about race with young children. Each week until the workshop, I’ll share an article or resource to help you begin thinking about some related topics. Recommended Reading, Part 1 Recommended Reading, Part 3 Recommended Reading, Part 4 This week, I’m sharing a New York Times article: “These Books Can Help You Explain Racism and Protest to Your Kids.” While the article was written in early June, it’s still relevant. Author Jessica Grose interviewed a
Read More

September 30, 2020 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Antiracism, caregiver, children, parenting, parents, raising race conscious children, The Trove, and White Plains Library Foundation.

Race Consciousness: Recommended Reading, Part 1

Race Consciousness: Recommended Reading, Part 1

On Wednesday October 21st, Sachi Feris of the blog Raising Race Conscious Children will lead a workshop to help parents and caregivers learn how to talk about race with young children. Each week until the workshop, I’ll share an article or resource to help you begin thinking about some related topics. Recommended Reading, Part 2 Recommended Reading, Part 3 Recommended Reading, Part 4 Let’s begin with a look at some of the key concepts involved in talking to children about race. Our first article, “Talking to Children About Racial Bias,” is from HealthyChildren.org, a website run by the American Academy
Read More

September 23, 2020 10:00 am | by | 2 Comments
Categories: Library News.
Tags: Antiracism, caregiver, children, parenting, parents, raising race conscious children, The Trove, and White Plains Library Foundation.

Fall Project LIT Book Groups

Fall Project LIT Book Groups

Registration is now open for our first Project LIT Kids Book Discussion! Children in fourth through sixth grade can join us on Zoom to discuss and play a trivia game on El Deafo by Cece Bell. The book is available as an eBook on OverDrive, an eBook on Hoopla, and in our print collection. We will be virtually meeting on Wednesday, October 14th at 4:30 p.m. Please click here to register! Go here for more information on Project LIT! In November, we will be reading and discussing Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi, which
Read More

September 17, 2020 10:25 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Library News.
Tags: Antiracism, Ibram X. Kendi, One Book One White Plains, Project Lit, Project Lit Chapter, Project Lit Community, and Sachi Feris.

Announcing Project LIT Community Chapter

Announcing Project LIT Community Chapter

Great news! The Library has become a chapter in the Project LIT Community and is in the process of organizing both teen and middle grade Project LIT Book Clubs, contacting community organizations, schools, and authors, and connecting to students in White Plains. Our Project LIT goal will be to “read, discuss and celebrate books that affirm and value all students.” What is Project LIT Community? It is a national grassroots literacy movement that is dedicated to increasing access to culturally sustaining books and promoting a love of reading. Dr. Jarred Amato and his Maplewood High School (Nashville, TN) students founded
Read More

August 27, 2020 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Book Discussion, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: Antiracism, book discussion, book group, Ibram X. Kendi, Jason Reynolds, One Book One White Plains, Project Lit, Project Lit Chapter, and Project Lit Community.

Race Consciousness Workshop

Race Consciousness Workshop

If you’re a parent or caregiver of young children and you’re looking forward to Ibram X. Kendi’s upcoming event, get ready to mark your calendars for this workshop in October. Sachi Feris, of Raising Race Conscious Children, will help parents and caregivers become more comfortable discussing race with young children. The virtual workshop will take place on Wednesday, October 21st, from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Register for the workshop here. Recommended Readings, Part 1 Recommended Readings, Part 2 Recommended Readings, Part 3 Recommended Readings, Part 4 A couple of years ago, I came across some racially stereotypical illustrations while reading
Read More

August 17, 2020 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Events, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Antiracism, caregiver, children, parenting, parents, raising race conscious children, The Trove, and White Plains Library Foundation.

Antiracism YA Fiction

Antiracism YA Fiction

Typically, when choosing books for my Dive into Diversity posts, I mostly try to avoid titles that focus on racism, police or gun violence, or other trauma. Instead, I prefer to highlight books that show a diverse range of teens dealing with everyday life. In this moment, though, it's time to feature books that demonstrate the impact of violence and oppression on teens. These stories are heavy, but they are important. Especially if you don’t identify with the protagonist, I challenge you to read and consider the character’s situation with an open mind. Let these stories be windows into another
Read More

June 10, 2020 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: Antiracism, Antiracism Reading List, Dive into Diversity, diversity, eBooks, staff picks, staff recommendations, YA Fiction, and YA literature.

A Call for Antiracism: Children’s Titles

A Call for Antiracism: Children’s Titles

In her June 1, 2020 article, “Black Lives Matter Book List for Kids and Teens,” Bianca Schulze writes eloquently, “No one person’s life is worth a higher value than another. It’s time to get uncomfortable, it’s time to immerse ourselves in the stories of others so that we may know and love our neighbors as we love ourselves.” I was inspired by her article, and If you would like you can read it here. We are living in deeply troubling times and sadly we are fighting the same battles for equality, human dignity, and justice that have plagued the United
Read More

June 4, 2020 3:05 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Antiracism, Antiracism Reading List, children's books, children's literature, and Racism.

Antiracism Resources for Teens & Adults

Antiracism Resources for Teens & Adults

This may seem irrelevant to the topic of antiracism, but I want to start by saying that I’m a knitter. In January 2019, the knitting community began a moment of reckoning with racism in the fiber arts industry. If you’re interested, you can read more about those conversations here, but suffice it to say that this event brought me to a new awareness of racism. After that, I thought a lot more consciously about my privilege, my place as a white librarian working with primarily teens of color, and my responsibility to teach my young children about antiracism. By no
Read More

June 4, 2020 11:26 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: Antiracism, Antiracism Reading List, Racism, staff picks, staff recommendations, and YA books.