CHARLESTON, S.C. - Racism is fueled by ignorance and hatred. At Charleston County Public Library, we are committed to combating racism through the pursuit of knowledge and empathy. As part of that commitment, CCPL created a new adult book club to discuss titles focused on racial issues and social justice.
The CCPL Read for Change book club aims to fight racism through literacy. Book club members will participate in a monthly discussion. This is an opportunity to have positive, productive conversations with other community members while learning about different experiences and viewpoints.
Visit our Book Club page to see the current reading lists for the club and to find out about CCPL's other book clubs and discussion groups. Visit the Read for Change page to sign up for the club.
The emotions related to the tragic death of George Floyd and other black men and women continue resonating across our nation and our own community. Our library family was personally touched by racially-charged violence and hatred with the loss of librarian Cynthia Graham Hurd, who was shot and killed along with eight other people during the shooting at Mother Emanuel AME Church. The church sits less than a block from our Main Library and we were devastated by the loss of our colleague of 30 years and her fellow church members. Then and now, we are here for our community. Equality is a basic human right and so is the right to equitable access to information.
CCPL is here for every single member of our community to use as a resource of enlightenment and education. Reading and knowledge provide insights that can lead to positive and productive conversations with friends, neighbors and colleagues who may have different viewpoints. We are often driven by our own life experiences, and so it’s important to seek knowledge that exposes us to diverse perspectives. It’s our mission to guide our community members on their journey of lifelong learning and we are here to provide judgement-free support that provides access through that exploration.
The Library will continue standing with all of our communities against injustice and racism and invites everyone to access our resources to build empathy, support understanding, and become informed citizens.
Useful Terminology (provided by the American Library Association):
Anti-Racism: Anti-racism is "the work of actively opposing racism by advocating for changes in political, economic, and social life. Anti-racism tends to be an individualized approach, and set up in opposition to individual racist behaviors and impacts." (National Education Association - Racial Justice in Education)
BIPOC: "Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. The term BIPOC is used to highlight the unique relationship to whiteness that Indigenous and Black (African Americans) people have, which shapes the experiences of and relationship to white supremacy for all people of color within a U.S. context." (BIPOC Project) We use the term BIPOC in this resource to identify opportunities that are not specifically for Black people, but Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.
Black Lives Matter: #BlackLivesMatter was founded in 2013 in response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer. Black Lives Matter Foundation, Inc is a global organization in the US, UK, and Canada, whose mission is to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes. By combating and countering acts of violence, creating space for Black imagination and innovation, and centering Black joy, they are winning immediate improvements in their lives. (Black Lives Matter)
Racial Justice: "The systematic fair treatment of people of all races, resulting in equitable opportunities and outcomes for all. Racial justice—or racial equity—goes beyond “anti-racism.” It is not just the absence of discrimination and inequities, but also the presence of deliberate systems and supports to achieve and sustain racial equity through proactive and preventative measures." (Race Forward)
White Supremacy: White supremacy is "the belief system that rationalizes and reproduces white advantage in the political, social, and cultural institutions of society. This belief system holds that white people, white culture, and things associated with whiteness are superior to those of other racial groups." (Teaching for Diversity and Social Justice, page 138)