<div dir="ltr"><br><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">---------- Forwarded message ---------<br>From: <strong class="gmail_sendername" dir="auto">Marsha Burgess</strong> <span dir="auto"><<a href="mailto:mburgess@ala.org">mburgess@ala.org</a>></span><br>Date: Fri, Jun 26, 2020 at 1:26 PM<br>Subject: [alacoun] ALA takes responsibility for past racism, pledges a more equitable association<br>To: ALA Council List <<a href="mailto:alacoun@lists.ala.org">alacoun@lists.ala.org</a>><br></div><br><br>
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<p style="background:#fefefe;vertical-align:baseline"><b><i><span style="color:#494949">The following message is sent on behalf of the American Library Association President Julius C. Jefferson, Jr.</span></i></b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:inherit;color:#494949"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p style="vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:#494949">CHICAGO — The American Library Association (ALA) accepts and acknowledges its role in upholding unjust systems of racism and discrimination against Black, Indigenous, and People
of Color (BIPOC) within the association and the profession.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:#494949">We recognize that the founding of our Association was not built on inclusion and equity, but instead was built on systemic racism and discrimination in many forms. We also recognize the hurt and harm done to BIPOC
library workers and communities due to these racist structures.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:#494949">We commit to our core values, particularly equity, diversity, and inclusion, and will demonstrate this commitment by reassessing and reevaluating our role in continuing to uphold unjust, harmful systems throughout
the Association and the profession. We will include ALA members, ALA staff, and the profession in our movement forward, and we are developing a plan toward becoming the inclusive association we aspire to be. Going forward we commit to the following:<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:10.5pt">To engage in dialogue with our members to inform our path forward,<u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:#333333;vertical-align:baseline;box-sizing:border-box">
<span style="font-size:10.5pt">To continue assessing our governance structure such as through the Forward Together recommendations, and<u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:#333333;vertical-align:baseline;box-sizing:border-box">
<span style="font-size:10.5pt">To address the disparities in access to information for BIPOC.<u></u><u></u></span></li></ul>
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<span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:#494949">We take responsibility for our past, and pledge to build a more equitable association and library community for future generations of library workers and supporters.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sincerely,<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Julius C. Jefferson, Jr. <u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">ALA President<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
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</div><br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div><em><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS";font-size:10pt">Diedre Conkling</span></em><i><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS";font-size:10pt"><br></span></i><a href="mailto:diedre08@gmail.com" target="_blank"><em><span style="color:blue;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";font-size:10pt">diedre08@gmail.com</span></em></a></div>
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<span>“If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude.”―Maya Angelou</span><span></span></h6><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS";font-size:10pt"></span></div></div></div></div></div>