Blog Posts tagged as: black lives matter

The Rocks Cry Out

Deborah

One among a row of boulders in Prospect Park with protest posters showing the faces of Oluwatoyin Salau, Rem'mie Fells, Dominique Jonathan Ferrell and Freddie Carlos Gray Jr. in Prospect Park; BRCP_0039. 2020. Brooklyn Resists community photographs, Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History 
On June 8, 2020, at the height of the Black Lives Matter protests in Brooklyn, I took a walk in Prospect Park on a shady path across the East Drive from the Vale of Cashmere, notable for a line of large rocks…

Remembering Summer 2020

Dee Bowers

Ron Foster, [Group of people holding their fists up at a demonstration.], July 4 2020, color digital photograph, BRCP_0009. Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History.
Three years ago this summer, the streets of Brooklyn, like the streets of cities all across the country, erupted in Black Lives Matter protests in response to the murder of George Floyd along with so many others at the hands of the police. As in years past, the area around Brooklyn's Central library became a gathering point for protesters. Then newly part of the…

Five Black Heroes You May Not Have Heard Of

Black Heroes You May Not Have Heard Of

Lisa

Everyone has heard of Martin Luther King Jr,  Malcolm X and Rosa Parks, but there are others out there who have made a huge impact. Here are five Black heroes you may not have heard of. Linda Brown- Does Brown v. Board of Education sound familiar to you? Well, this was the little girl who was barred from attending an elementary school because she was Black. She fought for equality in education and brought up the idea that segregations in schools was unlawful. She is one of the many reasons that schools aren’t segregated these days. Thanks, Linda Brown! Fred Jones- A…

Department Spotlight: Justice Initiatives

Michael

Grandmother and grandchild interacting during a Telestory program. Photograph by Gregg Richards
When the COVID-19 pandemic closed Brooklyn Public Library’s branches in March 2020, our outreach services to underserved populations closed along with them. For the Justice Initiatives workgroup, this meant that the vital connections we maintain between incarcerated New Yorkers and their communities and families were severed, leaving some of our most vulnerable patrons more vulnerable than ever. A bit of background, Justice Initiatives (JI) is a component of BPL…

Author Spotlight: June Jordan, Poet of the People

Rachel McGuire

Brooklyn Daily Eagle photographs, Brooklyn Collection
I think you better join with me to agitate and agitate for justice and equality we can eat and pay the rent with NOW. June Jordan, "Jim Crow: The Sequel" On July 9th, 2020, we celebrate what would be the 84th birthday of June Jordan, whose writing is as relevant as ever. When the library closed in mid-March, June Jordan’s poetry took refuge in my apartment along with Mary Oliver, Maggie Smith, Gwendolyn Brooks and me. I’m not sure how many days I surrendered in this manner,…

From a High School Activist

Lisa

We are pleased to share this insightful blog post by BookMatch Teen member Ripley Butterfield. Originally published on Struggle/La Lucha, Ripley talks about her involvement in protests in past years, her awakening as an activist, and how this moment is different. Read Ripley's post here:  https://www.struggle-la-lucha.org/2020/06/11/from-a-high-school-activist-getting-radical-during-george-floyd-protests/ Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments. Have you been able to attend a protest, or found other ways to be involved? Have you written about it? We would…