[Libs-Or] Fwd: Message from OLA Executive Officers

Wed Mar 1 19:32:57 PST 2023

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: OLA VP and Past President <ola at memberclicks-mail.net>
Date: Wed, Mar 1, 2023 at 1:31 PM
Subject: Message from OLA Executive Officers
To: <stevesilver673 at gmail.com>

In response to the letter below sent to OLA members earlier today, and
shared with permission:

Star, you and the OLA board have my 100% support in your (our) ongoing
efforts to dismantle white supremacy and systemic discrimination within
OLA. I am disheartened and deeply saddened that you have experienced this
degree of discrimination and unjustified increased scrutiny of your
leadership. It is discouraging - but necessary - to grapple with how my
friends, colleagues, and profession can fall so short of what I assumed
were common goals. But then I remember where I was myself fewer years ago
than I would like to admit. That absolutely does not excuse poor behavior,
but perhaps can offer a glimmer of hope in the dark times. This work does
have an impact, even as it engenders a negative impact personally on those
doing the work. Which I realize is really easy for me say as a cis, white,
hetero, male, who only reads/hears about those negative impacts but does
not experience them myself. Know that I hear you and believe you. I hear
you. I believe you. For our organization's sake, and for our profession's
sake, I sincerely hope you have or can find the resources to withstand
these negative experiences and continue to provide your excellent
leadership. But I acknowledge the outsized burden this work generates for
you and other BIPOC colleagues.

Brittany and Arlene, thank you for being willing "accomplices" and
supporting our colleague and our association in this way.

My OLA colleagues, we must do better. It is difficult work, and it is never
ending, but it is work that simply must be done. We are being hypocritical
if we claim to work to support and include all folk in our library services
and offerings if we are not willing to confront the embedded white
supremacy and other forms of systemic discrimination within our own
organization. And that means confronting those actions and attitudes within
ourselves, however unconscious they may be.

Yours on the journey together,

Steve Silver

[image: Image]

Hello OLA Members,

As executive officers of your association, we would like to share with you
the following statement made by OLA President Star Khan at the OLA Board
meeting on February 17, 2023.

*President’s Update to OLA Board, February 17, 2023. *

*“I have been pretty busy with the Joint Council of Librarians of Color
(JCLC) Conference presentation prep.  Deborah Gitlitz and I presented on
the Libros for Oregon program to a really receptive crowd that seemed eager
to model our work in their States.*

*Got a nice little nod at JCLC for being the first person of color to serve
as President in OLA’s 83 year history.  That was pretty cool. *

*I have also been navigating my way through issues regarding library
neutrality, censorship, white supremacy and racism.  All while having my
integrity and decisions questioned at every step.  While a certain level of
scrutiny is expected as the President, I can’t imagine that any of the
President’s before me have had to deal with scrutiny based on their race.
Being told that my race clouds my perspective and keeps me from seeing
things fairly, is not ok.  Telling me that I cannot be trusted, that I only
care about my BIPOC colleagues is not ok. Being accused of purposely
excluding my white colleagues is not ok.   While we as an organization have
chosen to elevate BIPOC voices, and I feel the need to state that this was
a decision the Board made long before I was chosen to lead it, I am here to
serve everyone.  To insinuate otherwise is hurtful, disrespectful and quite
frankly, racist.*

*I ask you all as our OLA leaders to please LISTEN to these words and
reflect on how you can help. *

*If someone tells you they are being harmful, you do not get to decide that
you aren’t.  Even if it wasn’t your intention.  If someone tells you that
you are being harmful, you need to take a step back and LISTEN.  A few
months ago, someone politely pointed out that I had used some language that
could be hurtful in the last Board video that Brittany and I made.  At
first, I was a little bent about being called out because there is no way
that I meant to be harmful.  But even though that wasn’t my intent, I don’t
get to decide how others feel about it.  So I took some time to educate
myself and reflect.  Now I make a conscious effort everyday not to use the
same language because I truly do not want to cause any harm.   *

*If someone tells you that you need to back off, please do.  Don’t continue
aggressively pushing your point of view because you feel you are in the
right.  I am absolutely disheartened by the level of aggressiveness and
bullying I have seen go down between OLA members.  *

*When our white colleagues turn to each other for support, that’s ok.  When
BIPOC do it, we are accused of holding secret meetings to conspire against
our white colleagues.  We BIPOC also deserve to reach out to people we feel
are safe for support.  *

*It really pains me to say that white supremacy and racism are thriving
within OLA.  And it hurts me that BIPOC are still the ones that are not
only carrying the burden of doing this work, but are being beat down and
silenced at every step.  So many of our BIPOC colleagues suffer in
silence.  They do not feel safe in their workplaces.  They do not feel safe
amongst their colleagues.  We cannot allow this to continue.  *

*At the end of the day, BIPOC  do not need more allies.  We need
accomplices.  We need accomplices in actions, not in just words. Those that
will stand with us and are prepared to take the repercussions of doing this
work.  Those that will stay with us when things get tough or are willing to
reflect and learn when they are told that they are causing harm.   We do
not need people to be angry/upset/hurt for us, we need you to be those
things with us.  As the leaders of this organization I call on you all to
confirm your commitment to equity, diversity, inclusivity and anti-racism
by doing the following:*

   - *Committing to personally learning about racism, reconciliation,
   accessibility, equity and inclusion, and fostering a safe, positive
   environment where these conversations are encouraged throughout our
   profession and workplaces*
   - *Combatting all forms of racism, discrimination and other barriers to
   inclusion in our profession by taking action on what we have learned,
   empowering employees to speak up about bias and oppression*
   - *Including voices from diverse backgrounds in the identification of
   systemic racism, discrimination and barriers to inclusion, and and creating
    a process of actions to take in order to address them*

*If our organization is truly committed to EDIA, then that needs to be
reflected in our guidelines, our policies.  And this work does not need to
fall on BIPOC, we carry enough.  We need to feel safe, respected and
valued.  We deserve no less.  I am calling on all OLA leaders to take a
clear, strong stance on where we stand.  WE MUST DO BETTER.  WE HAVE TO DO
BETTER.”*

We are deeply saddened by our colleague Star’s need to make this statement.
As leaders who have not experienced the same level of remonstrance for our
decisions, we want to draw your attention to the real, lived experience of
our BIPOC members as they volunteer their time and leadership to our
association.

We want to reiterate that OLA’s efforts to center BIPOC voices and work
towards becoming an anti-racist organization has been part of the
association’s strategic direction since 2020. We, along with OLA’s
Executive Board, recognize that we need to work harder to make sure that
OLA is a safe environment for our BIPOC colleagues and we are not placing
undue burden on them to move us in this direction. To that end, we will be
leading an OLA Board effort to examine OLA’s bylaws, statements, and
policies with the intent to ensure that our equity, diversity, inclusion
and anti-racism values are reflected in all areas. We hope that removes any
doubt about OLA’s tolerance for poor treatment of our BIPOC colleagues.

We thank Star for her bravery in sharing her experience. We are committed
to her call to do better and are willing to do the work necessary to be
accomplices rather than allies. If you would like to join us, please reach
out to us at olavp at olaweb.org
<http://ola.memberclicks.net/message2/link/83ea046c-f883-4a08-b933-e102f737192b/1>
and/or olapastpresident at olaweb.org
<http://ola.memberclicks.net/message2/link/83ea046c-f883-4a08-b933-e102f737192b/2>
.

Sincerely,

Brittany Young, OLA Vice President/President-Elect

Arlene Weible, OLA Past President

*Contact Info:*

Oregon Library Association

PO Box 3067 | La Grande OR 97850

541-962-5824

ola at olaweb.org
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