Our First Little Free Antiracist Library is Open!

This past weekend, we installed the first of four Little Free Antiracist Libraries on Primrose Lane in Walnut Creek. These libraries will bring our friends and neighbors rich and ready access to books that elevate Black voices as well as inform and inspire us all to understand and actively dismantle racism.

We know that educating ourselves is a continual process, and we look forward to regularly updating these libraries with selections that challenge, enlighten, and awaken our community.

This work would not be possible without the support of so many people. We want to acknowledge and honor those who have made significant and transformative contributions to the work of Rise Up Against Racism.

Thank you to all our donors. Your enthusiasm, support, and vital contributions are crucial to the success of our first big initiative. A very special thank you to our top donor families: the Alloccos, Iyer-Climacos, Nastors and Steintjeses. 

Our friend Carolina Katz has also lovingly created and crafted an assortment of face masks with proceeds benefitting our organization. Thank you, Carolina, for helping keep our community safe and your support. You can see Carolina's masks in our story highlights on Instagram.

We are honored to be the recipients of a $5000 grant from the Lesher Foundation. Thank you so much to Steve Lesher and his amazing team for believing in our organization and giving so generously.

The grant allowed us to purchase our first four complete sets of  books from Marcus Books in Oakland, the oldest Black owned bookstore in the United States, to compensate our artists, and to plan our future initiatives.

To our amazing designer and builder of the four libraries, Sean O’ Steen: you are incredible. From the multiple rounds of emails, to your thoughtful design, building and weather-proofing, to your commitment to making our community a better, more equitable place, we appreciate you so much. 

We'd also like to recognize Max Jensen, who not only constructed the posts and platforms for the libraries, but who broke through solid ground, roots, and rock to install the first one (while it was smoky and over 95 degrees outside), and who will be leading the other three installs. Max, we truly appreciate your help.

And finally, to our friend, partner, and amazing artist of the first masterpiece, Net Tesfay: thank you for being on this journey with us and sharing your incredible talent. Your work will continue to inspire so many people in our community. We feel honored to have worked with you.

And a special thank you to our additional artists Adia Millett and Gaia Wxyz, whom we will be spotlighting soon!

This July, we lost Congressman and Civil Rights Icon John Lewis. A significant part of Lewis’s life’s work was devoted to advocating for libraries. In 1956, when he was a boy of 16 in Troy, Alabama, Lewis went to the Pike County Public Library with several of his family members to get library cards. When they got there, the librarian told them that the library was for whites only. He never returned to that library until 1998, when he was invited to sign his first book there. He, of course, was warmly welcomed by the audience, and the library staff belatedly presented him with a library card. Lewis regularly spoke about the power of libraries and how books open up new worlds for readers, as well as tell hard truths. It is our hope that these libraries serve as a reminder of our difficult past and contemporary realities as well as reinforce the importance of inclusion, representation, and our collective responsibility to fight injustice and learn the stories of so many people who have worked to create a better world.

Our first library is officially open and we look forward to your visit! 

With appreciation,
Jenny Roy
Sarah Foster
Meg Honey

Please help us complete our first project and plan future antiracist initiatives in the community. Rise Up Against Racism yard signs are available to donors who have contributed a minimum of $25. If you prefer to donate via Venmo, please email us a note here.