Today, a group of thoughtful white librarian allies launch the blog, Reading While White. Their mission statement:
We are White librarians organizing to confront racism in the field of children’s and young adult literature. We are allies in the ongoing struggle for authenticity and visibility in books; for opportunities for people of color and First/Native Nations people in all aspects of the children’s and young adult book world; and for accountability among publishers, book creators, reviewers, librarians, teachers, and others. We are learning, and hold ourselves responsible for understanding how our whiteness impacts our perspectives and our behavior.
We know that we lack the expertise that non-white have on marginalized racial experiences. We resolve to listen and learn from people of color and First/Native Nations people willing to speak about those experiences. We resolve to examine our own White racial experiences without expecting people of color and First/Native Nations people to educate us. As White people, we have the responsibility to change the balance of White privilege.
The first post will go live at 11 EST today. Meantime check out their FAQs and Resources for Further Research. The history these six librarians (see their names below) have as allies and the timeliness of this makes me certain this is an important blog to follow.
The contributors are:
educating alice 