The Rolling Chronicles: Further Adventures of the Three Wheeled Librarian

1. Fund CUNY. The United Nations Declaration of Human Rights states that everyone is entitled to education. In the 21st Century we need to have a path the includes at least an associates degree for everyone. A well functioning, funded public university is a critical infrastructure for our  city.
2. It is time to seriously discuss reparations. What is owed? America was built on the sweat of people of color. In this pandemic public budgets are being balanced by releasing the people at the bottom, who are most likely to be people of color. Many are saying that this pandemic has uncovered a radically unequal society. It is time for change. https://nyti.ms/37YQk1a
3. Policing in America needs to change. It’s more complicated than just pulling the plug. This maps back to CUNY. There are thoughtful scholars in our CJ departments who can help with that.

One of the best parts of working my craft in NYC is that I get to share airspace with the Research Libraries of NY Public Library.  One of the outstanding offerings of this week is

https://www.nypl.org/blog/2020/06/09/schomburg-center-black-liberation-reading-list

As I commit myself to this work, I receive strength from having the folks at the Schomburg Center give me some guidance.

What’s really important is that we keep at it. We need to stay uncomfortable with black men and women being shot by police.

What I can do is start planning to share resources and insights regularly. Going to try to make it weekly.  Not for a week, a month, or for the summer. Open ended.

I’m in for the long term.

I am reading “Teaching for Justice: Implementing Social Justice in the LIS Classroom.” Chapter 6 “Dismantling Racism: Teaching LIS Social Justice Courses to Non-LIS undergraduate students” — cited

http://readingwhilewhite.blogspot.com/

Brilliant. Please check it out.

I stand with the movement that is standing up to demand that the racism that has so profoundly marked our nation change.  I have decided to support Black Visions Collective with a regular donation.  I am uncomfortable.

That being said, it’s time to speak to the police unions.  I am proud to represented by an activist union (The Professional Staff Congress of the City University of New York). I was raised by a public school teacher. Effective, loud, cranky unions are a really important human right.

That being said, it’s time to wake up and stop protecting bullies and terrorists. Be part of the solution.

• Police departments all over the country need to do serious work on anger management and weeding out those who are at risk for loosing it.  All need to receive antiracism training.
• Antiracism needs to become a fundamental political qualification. (Please everybody register to vote, by mail if necessary.)
• Intense investment in what some might call reparations. Lets step up and stop privileging the car. People can’t improve their economic situation if they can’t get to jobs. Change the local funding of public schools.  Local funding and segregated housing combine to create a fundamentally unequal public school system.
• Tackle the issue of segregated housing.
• Full funding for CUNY and other institutions of public higher education.

I welcome additions to the list.

I don’t really care about what it’s going to cost. It needs to be done.

• Kendall, Mikki. Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot. New York: Viking, 2020.
• Kendi, Ibram X. How to Be an Antiracist. New York: One World, 2019.
• DiAngelo, Robin. White Fragility:Why It’s So Hard For White People To Talk About Racism. Beacon Press, 2018.

I am grateful to have the opportunity to present to the CUNY Accessibility Conference. My presentation will be on Wednesday, May 27th at 11 AM.  I am presenting a meditation on the intersection between disability and race.

Anyone who wants to attend this event  has to register by May 19th. There  is no fee for registration. You have to register to receive the access information.

http://www.cvent.com/events/cuny-accessibility-conference-2020/event-summary-940d9369e19244f29f21efaf633d9ae7.aspx