Neighbors of all ages kneeled in front of what looked like an overgrown birdhouse in a tony Walnut Creek neighborhood for exactly eight minutes and 46 seconds, the exact time it took George Floyd to die.
When the vigil was over, a great roar went up, and Rise Up Against Racism was born.
The large birdhouse is a Little Free Antiracist Library filled with anti-racist literature, which RUAR co-founder Meg Honey hopes will “change children’s minds with diverse voices.”
Aimed at everyone from pre-readers to high schoolers, the little library on Primrose Lane offers people a selection of books by writers of color.
Honey, a teacher at Northgate High School in Walnut Creek and mother of two, founded the nonprofit RUAR with Sarah Foster and Jenny Roy, marketing experts and moms from the Woodlands neighborhood.
RUAR is not only in Walnut Creek. Today there are 14 anti-racist libraries, the majority in Contra Costa County, but scattered throughout the Bay Area, including Petaluma, Burlingame, Concord and Clayton.
“I was surprised,” Honey says. “I could not believe these little libraries would catch on.”
The first little library was erected in 2020, that hot summer after the murders of Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and others were causing race clashes throughout the U.S.
“Kids didn’t know what was going on,” Honey says. “So much of Black history is not taught in schools. These libraries are an opportunity to educate young people about the history of Black Americans, but more importantly, hear those stories firsthand, through books and storytelling.”
Most of the antiracist libraries’ inventory comes from Oakland’s Marcus Books, which carries one of the biggest collection of books by Black writers in the Bay Area.
In these days after celebrating Juneteenth, Honey says that RUAR takes on a special symbolism.
“Now there is a national holiday that recognizes the freedom of slaves,” she says. “But that’s only part of the story. There is so much more, and if these little libraries help children understand different races better, then we’re doing our job.”
The libraries have turned into a big job for the three moms who identify themselves as “friends, mothers and activists.”
“The goal of the antiracist book initiative is to create conversations in the community, and I think we’ve done that,” Honey says.
Little Free Antiracist Libraries are decorated by local artists like Dev Heyrana and Netsanet Tesfay, people of diverse backgrounds “who lend their own stories to their art,” Honey says.
For every library established, RUAR donates another one through its Community Antiracist Reading and Engagement (CARE) program.
Major local players, including John Muir Health, have assisted in donating little libraries.
One is in the main lobby of the Rainbow Community Center in Concord, which serves LGBTQ+ communities in the East Bay through resources, activities and therapy.
“The little library reflects Rainbow’s values and mission to center and elevate Black, Indigenous and People of Color LGBTQIA2S+ communities of our county,” says Jonathan Lee, a coordinator at the center. “Rainbow is steadfast in its values of anti-racism because we inherently understand that … our liberation for members of our community is tied to the dismantling of racist structures, ideologies and systems that negatively influence and cause harm in the world we live in.”
His clients, young and old, regularly read the books from the colorful little library, which was designed and painted by Kadeth Pozzesi, one of the center’s therapists.
“The little library has had a positive impact on our clients because it reinforces the safety of our space, and it amplifies the importance of visibility, which is critical for identity formation and saving lives,” Lee says. “Seeing oneself reflected in books, in stories and identifying with the main characters is a powerful experience that cultivates agency and empowers members of our community to live openly, freely and authentically.”
Honey agrees that the Rainbow Center Little Library is one of her favorites: “These books can really help normalize their lives,” she says.
The décor of the library is soothing, too. Pozzesi, a licensed marriage and family therapist and clinician at Rainbow, created a structure with cats because “they engage with beings regardless of identity and do not discriminate.”
That sentiment, Honey says, is an important reminder for all: “I want young people to live authentically, and not be afraid,” she says.
The social studies teacher, who is also an adjunct professor at St. Mary’s College in Moraga, has plenty of help in putting together the libraries.
“There are many student volunteers who help out restocking the libraries and other things we need to do as an organization,” she says. “In fact, I had one student do her senior project on antiracist libraries and RUAR.”
She recused herself from grading that project, she says, laughing.
RUAR also has partnered with the National Charity League to help maintain and restock books in all 14 locations. Many of the books were banned in some locations and districts.
“It’s important that these pockets of the community have diversity in their reading. We want people to see themselves in what they read and feel the strength and pride that comes with that, Honey says.
In a word, she wants all students to roar with pride about anti-racist books.
To find a Little Free Antiracist Library, visit ruar.org/locations.
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