Support and Community for LGBTQ, Jewish and BIPOC Teens
Rakisha, Branch Manager/Kings Bay, Branch Manager/Kings Bay
The mass shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs is a further reminder of the how scary and isolating the world can be for LGBTQ+teens. To add to the trauma, people around the country are also banning books that affirm the existence of the LGBTQ+community. Recent antisemitic comments by celebrities highlights an overall rise in antisemitism in the United States that have many Jewish people fearing for their safety. We have learned over the past two years the importance of standing up and supporting those in marginalized communities who are experiencing primary or second-hand trauma because of…
Addressing Racism and Discrimination
Awa has compiled excerpts from a presentation and discussion she led recently about racism and discrimination for Brooklyn Public Library. Origins of Racism The origins of white supremacy and racism in the United States are centuries old, dating to 1619, when enslaved people were brought from Africa to the Virginia colony. Fast forward to the era of entertainment, two centuries later. Blackface was highly common on television. African-Americans were depicted to look and act like monkeys. I never noticed this until someone pointed it out: clowns, with their…
What You Read in 2020
This tumultuous start to 2021 notwithstanding, we can all agree that 2020 was a year unlike any other. Brooklynites masked up and quarantined for months on end; we showed our support for frontline workers at 7pm; we took to the streets in support of Black Lives Matter; we voted in a controversial presidential election. We also read—even when the libraries and bookstores were closed. With our doors mostly shut, it’s no surprise you started checking out eBooks and eAudiobooks more than ever before—forty-nine percent up from 2019 and still climbing! But to what books does the County of Kings…