April Ryan, White House corespondent, delivered a call to action at the #alaac2022 PLA breakfast. First, she gave a shout out to Enoch Pratt Free Library where she went when her mother would not answer her questions but told her to “look it up.”
Her new book, Black Women Will Save the Word, is a love letter to the women who taught her never to settle, to work hard, to get a good education, and to look it up.
Just one day after the Supreme Court decision striking down Roe v Wade, Ryan acknowledged that we are moving backwards instead of forward. She called the room full of librarians, “curators of our knowledge,” and asked where we stand. “Who are you in this moment?” Ryan questioned.
Ryan reminded us of the importance of story and of truth. And then her call to action: “We need librarians to protect our education. Aspire to inspire others to understand the moment in which we live.”
Guest conference blogger Crystal Faris (she, her, hers) leads the Youth & Family Engagement Team at Kansas City Public Library which includes staff working in the branches, in outreach, and with the Digital Media Lab. She’s most looking forward to attending the Newbery/Caldecott Banquet and hearing those speeches in person. Crystal has never met a piece of dark chocolate she did not like, has ballet season tickets with her son, shares a career with her daughter, and travels whenever possible with her husband.
Please note that as a guest post, the views expressed here do not represent the official position of ALA or ALSC.