Narratives of (Dis)Enfranchisement: Reckoning with the History of Libraries and the Black and African American Experience

by Tracey Overbey, Amanda L. Folk

This first Special Report in a two-volume set on Black and African Americans’ experiences in libraries provides an overview of their historical exclusion from libraries and educational institutions in the United States, also exploring the ways in which this legacy is manifest in our contemporary context. A compelling call to action, it will serve as the beginning of many conversations in which librarianship reckons with its racist past to move towards a more equitable future. Still a predominantly white profession, librarianship has a legacy of racial discrimination, and it is essential that we face the ways that race impacts how we meet the needs of diverse user communities. Identifying and acknowledging implicit and learned bias is a necessary step toward transforming not only our professional practice but also our scholarship, assessment, and evaluation practices. From this Special Report, readers will

88 pages, Paperback

Published August 9, 2022

Reviews

[Salamah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent starting point for librarians who are new to understanding the history of African Americans and libraries as well as why it is important to interrogate the ways libraries function as institutions that were initially developed to not service Blacks. Most of this text was not new to me as I have researched most of this myself. I was hoping to find more that would aid me in my own research but it seems like the authors have come up with what I have found. There is very little research being done in this area. There are a few sources I will definitely follow up on but the most exciting part of this text for me was the newspaper clipping about the public library from the Tulsa Star Newspaper which documented the community known as the Black Wall Street which was the scene of the Tulsa Massacre. I thank the authors for sharing.