Opening Session Lends Itself to Conversation

By Kacee Anderson/Northbrook Elementary

Patrisse Cullors and Marley Dias took the stage to open the 2018 Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits talking about the importance of activism starting locally. Both women brought about their own social movements with the use of hashtags and activist mindsets. In 2013 Cullors cofounded the Black Lives Matter movement, which has since grown into dozens of chapters and thousands of members worldwide. Cullors opened her time onstage with a reading from her new book coauthored by Asha Bandele, When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir. She described an elementary teacher letting her give short presentations to her class over the books she read.

Dias was 11 years old when she started the hashtag #1000blackgirlbooks. Dias’ movement to see more black female characters in literature has resulted in over 10,000 books generated to date.

Dias interviewed Cullors about what she is doing as a mother in hopes of raising a feminist son, and how boys can help girls succeed. Cullors noted that she feels a particular responsibility to shape her son to be a change maker, but also stressed the importance of having a village mentality. “The environment all young people are raised in should foster critical thinking as well as consent. Children learn so much from what they see and hear, so modeling is crucial,” Cullors said.

Dias’ new book, Marley Dias Gets It Done and So Can You!, focuses on motivational strategies that anyone can use to stand up and take action for a cause. Throughout the interview, 13-year-old Dias seamlessly wove together questions, issues about activism, advice for librarians and teachers, and influences from musicians and other facets of her life. At one point, Cullors stated, “This is the best interview I’ve ever had.”

Both women work to keep their energy focused on the positive, and people who are ready to make a difference rather than spending their time and energy on negative feedback they might receive online. In her advice to her young interviewer, Cullors stated that she must “take time to take care of yourself always.”

Both Dias and Cullors noted that reading has always been a central part of their lives. From a young age Cullors was curious about civil rights and animal rights. Her fourth grade teacher, Ms. Goldberg, challenged kids to be curious. Being curious and engaged laid the foundation for her activism. “We do this work so our children don’t have to do this work.”

Cullors urged young people to identify what they feel strongly about, visit their local libraries, and form bonds with the librarians there. Cullors listed The Giver and author Octavia Butler as some of her most memorable. “Meeting Octavia Butler reminded me to cherish the authors.”

Throughout the interview Cullors gave advice to teachers and librarians to utilize the tools that are available today. “Teachers and librarians can make space for children to have the hard conversations. It’s also important for teachers and librarians to ask students more questions about themselves and what they might be going through.”

Cullors also emphasized the importance of reading to and with children. She believes positive affirmations should be a big part of every young person’s life and would tell every child, “You are brilliant. You are courageous. And you are loved.”

ALA President Jim Neal opened the session by calling upon ALA members to email and call elected officials at key times and invite them into local libraries. The resource page ALA. org/fundlibraries provides talking points as well as a place for librarians to share stories that ALA can collect and take to Washington. “Libraries transform. Libraries lead. Libraries are a great investment,” stated Neal.