DSRT & ULA Board Statement on Racism and Violence
The Diversity Services Roundtable (DSRT) and Board of Directors of the Utah Library Association (ULA) stands with the American Library Association (ALA) and the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA) in condemning violence and racism towards Black people and all People of Color.
The Diversity Services Roundtable and ULA condemns the death of George Floyd at the hands of police officers within the Minneapolis Police Department and denounces all acts of violence against Black people and People of Color. Racism weakens our institutions and destroys our communities.
DSRT and ULA stands in solidarity with library workers, with library users, and with members of the communities we serve and support who are susceptible to acts of prejudice, threats of violence, and even death based solely on their race or ethnicity. The pervasive racism present in our nation denies its residents equal rights and equal access and as such is a barrier to the goals of the library profession.
DSRT and ULA calls on Utah library and information services leaders, staff, and advocates of all races and backgrounds to abolish racism against Black people and against all People of Color and to see to it that it has no place in our institutions, our policies, our practices, or our behaviors.
The Diversity Services Roundtable is committed to our mission of promoting inclusivity, equity, and diversity in our profession and association, and to our goals of communication and promotion, and training, programming, and diversity initiatives.
DSRT Officers: Chair, Chaundra Johnson; Vice Chair, Cristina Reyes; Secretary, Jennifer McKague; and Member-at-Large, Katie Wegner.
ULA Board of Directors: President, Daniel Mauchley; Vice President, Rita Christensen; Past President, Vern Waters; Members-at-Large; Section Chairs; and Liaisons.
In the following video, DSRT Chair Chaundra Johnson reads the statement in full.
If you would like more information, please see our page on the ULA website. DSRT officers contact information is also listed there if you would like to reach out to one of us directly.