RUAR Opens Little Free Antiracist Library at El Dorado Middle School in Concord
On November 17th, Rise Up Against Racism opened its twelfth Little Free Antiracist Library. It is our first Little Free Antiracist Library to be opened at a Mount Diablo Unified School District site, and we are thrilled to partner with the El Dorado Middle School team and John Muir Health in making this Library installation a reality.
El Dorado’s Little Free Antiracist Library houses RUAR’s curated selection of books, with a central focus on selections for young adults. Included in the Library is The 1619 Project’s anthology of essays. The powerful collection chronicles the consequences of slavery and the history of Black resistance in the United States, constructed by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones and an esteemed group of historians.
We are proud to partner with John Muir Health in opening this special Library. Jamie Elmasu, the Director of Community Health Improvement, and Anne Marie Taylor, the JMH Foundation Director of External Relations, were both present at the ribbon cutting. MDUSD Trustee Erin McFerrin attended the opening celebration as well, and we are grateful for the district’s steadfast commitment to ensuring that all students are affirmed. Chris Clausen, who now serves as the MDUSD Secondary Support Administrator, has championed the El Dorado Little Free Antiracist Library from day one. El Dorado Principal Megan Estenson is leading equity work on her campus and shared how the Little Free Antiracist Library aligns with the goals and mission of the school community.
The commissioned artist of the El Dorado Little Free Antiracist Library is Blane Asrat. Blane is an Ethiopian born artist based in Oakland. She wanted to create a Library that evoked feelings of nostalgia and warmth, a piece that reminds us all of the power of books. She put focus on the books themselves and created readers who are fluid and immersed in the wonder and discovery of stories.
At the opening celebration, the attendees reflected on the important and lasting moments in the struggle for civil rights that happened on school campuses. Ruby Bridges, the Little Rock 9, Autherine Lucy, James Meredith, the students who took part in the East L.A.
Rock 9, Autherine Lucy, James Meredith, the students who took part in the East L.A. walkouts, and so many others courageously took action in their school communities, setting an example for the world and reminding us all of the power of young people. It is our hope that the students who visit the Library will be inspired to speak up against injustice, to invest in learning about the long history of racism and exclusion, and to commit themselves to celebrating the humanity of all people.