On March 3, 2021 at 1:00pm, LIBRAS will offer an hour-long webinar to explore Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion through an invited Zoom presentation and discussion with Angi Faiks (Library Director) and Katy Gabrio (Associate Library Director) of Macalester College, Saint Paul, MN.
Empathy, Humility, Awareness, and Action: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion @ Macalester College
Macalester College, located just miles away from the site of George Floyd’s tragic murder, is wrestling with issues associated with racial justice. The College is built on the homeland of the Dakota people, who were forcibly exiled, and archives reveal troubling racist and sexist views held by some founders. Moreover, the pandemic, along with social, racial, and political unrest, have illuminated injustice and inequity experienced by the most vulnerable in our communities.
Many academic libraries in the U.S. are now rechanneling resources and prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. We are working with our staff, students, and patrons to engage in conversations regarding the ways racism, sexism, and ableism shape our culture. In this pivotal moment, we humbly invite you to join this conversation about our goals, experiences, and efforts to understand Macalester’s history, so that we can work towards justice and authentic change in DeWitt Wallace Library. We acknowledge that our experiences and stories include both successes and pain points.
In addition to sharing our experiences, we seek to create space for fostering conversation on the DEI work that is underway or beginning in LIBRAS libraries.
Please mark your calendars and stay tuned for details. A Zoom link and preparatory reflection questions will be made available closer to the event.