Report From the(Home)Field Anti-Racism Work at ALA Midwinter

摘要

ALA Midwinter offered up some dynamic activists in conversation with librarians who asked thought-provoking questions. The big get-someone who probably couldn't have participated had the event been live-was our first lady, Jill Biden. Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden interviewed activist Ruby Bridges, who wrote a children's book called This Is Your Time. Bridges shared her memories of being a 6-year-old Black girl in 1960, the first to integrate an all-white school in New Orleans. She remembers that all her parents told her about her first day at her new school was that she had better behave herself-she had no knowledge of racism at the time. Bridges believes that what protected her while walking into the school was her childhood innocence: She thought the protesters in front of the school, who were yelling and throwing things at her, were just celebrating Mardi Gras. No other children were in her class at first-the white children's parents either didn't want to send them to school or couldn't get through the mob outside. She remembers that her teacher was very kind, and it stuck with her that all white people weren't mean, because she knew one who wasn't. Bridges said the only day the protesters scared her was when they paraded around a Black baby doll in a coffin.