The Intersection of Racial Justice and Intellectual Freedom in Libraries: Moving From Performative to Transformative Action

Can support of intellectual freedom spark racial justice? Can performative support of anti-racism books spark racial justice? Decolonizing bookshelves has been a clarion call this past year since the rise of anti-racism book lists after George Floyd’s death. Libraries are usually deemed neutral entities. In an era of canceled culture, book censorship, and book banning: what is the libraries’ role in developing an open forum for intellectual freedom and racial justice? Let’s discuss what libraries and librarians can do to sustain transformative practices in equity, diversity, and inclusion, including a scan of what libraries across the United States and internationally are doing to advance racial equity and intellectual freedom.