We, the undersigned Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) library, archives, and information workers and educators, reject the historical and increasing trend of white library, archives, and information workers and educators at all levels appropriating the work and professionally profiting from the lived experiences of BIPOC. This appropriation harms BIPOC and diminishes our opportunities and accomplishments. You advance your career and raise your profiles at our expense. We call for a collective interrogation of your self-professed commitment to and “expertise” in equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI/DEI) and accessibility (IDEA)[1]. We call for a deep examination of your participation in the EDI industry that repeatedly panders to the lowest white consciousness in the room. We call for a reckoning with the historical and ongoing trauma you have caused through your continued adherence to white supremacist culture and ideals.

"There’s a type of racism in the workplace many of us have personally witnessed, perpetrated or experienced: tokenism. Nowhere have I seen this play out more than in the nonprofit space."

We are having hard conversations about racial justice in corporate America and academia right now. Will they yield anything? The research and personal stories of these authors — both scholars of color — along with experiences of many others don’t offer much cause for optimism. Why? When people of color give voice to the discrimination they experience, they are often silenced by their white colleagues, many of whom purport to be liberal progressives. And although there is a perception that academia is a safe haven for these kinds of honest conversations, it is often the opposite. While the reasons for this are myriad, the authors identify common themes including the invisible labor and “inclusion tax” people of color are subjected to; the use of racism-evasive rhetoric; attempts to limit and define who gets to be an ally to Black academics; and the tendency toward normalize white experiences and exclude other racial groups.

Building equity and promoting antiracism at organizations are not the jobs of specific individuals but are collective responsibilities. This toolkit, written by a multiracial group of industry professionals, is intended to help individuals at all levels within scholarly publishing organizations implement inclusive policies, procedures, and norms.

"Achieving race equity — the condition where one’s racial identity has no influence on how one fares in society — is a fundamental element of social change across every issue area in the social sector. Yet the structural racism that endures in U.S. society, deeply rooted in our nation’s history and perpetuated through racist policies, practices, attitudes, and cultural messages, prevents us from attaining it. The impact of structural racism is evident not only in societal outcomes, but in the very institutions that seek to positively impact them."

"​This web-based workbook was originally designed to support the ​Dismantling Racism Works 2-day basic workshop. The workbook is now offered as a resource to the community."

"After meeting with several Black employees of the Library to share our experiences and concerns, we have determined that racial discrimination and disregard for Black safety, success, prosperity, and life at the Free Library will no longer be tolerated."

"Driven by the challenge of widening wealth disparity across Portland neighborhoods and between people of color and white Portlanders, as well as by the needs of the city and our desire to do better, we have embarked on an agency-wide journey to become a multicultural, anti-racist organization."

This resource provides a curriculum for a 6 week learning group centered on examining social justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion, specifically geared to organizational leaders in open education.

"This equity, diversity, & inclusion (EDI) assessment is designed to help library organizations assess their capacity and progress in demonstrating best practices in diversity, inclusion, and equity. The underlying assumption of this assessment is that all organizations will move back and forth along a continuum of best practices. The assessment developed based on literature regarding best practices, the input of EDI experts and practitioners, and the collective experience of the framing partners."

"This is a list of characteristics of white supremacy culture that show up in our organizations. Organizational culture is powerful precisely because it is so pervasive, impacting every part of our work; at the same time, it is very difficult to name or identify."