#interrupting criminalization

Libraries offer the possibility of knowledge and self-empowerment to all. Because they are at least potentially a force for equality, and because those in power often view knowledge as dangerous, libraries have sometimes been seen as dangerous themselves.

Most often, attacks on libraries focus on books—various interest groups have tried to remove a wide range of books from library shelves. Sometimes, though, librarians who take the egalitarian mission of the library seriously have also become targets of their communities or of the state.

Giving Name To The Nameless: Using Poetry as an Anti-Violence Intervention

with Mariame Kaba

The use of literature and guided reading has been recognized as a viable option for helping young people address their concerns. Poetry is a particularly wonderful way to address sensitive issues (like sexuality, violence, and self-esteem). When young people (or adults for that matter) see something of themselves in a piece of literature (books, poetry), identify with the work, reflect on it, and undergo some emotional growth as a result of that reading experience, this can be considered a useful anti-violence intervention.

Artist Ashley Lukashevsky

Web ashleylukashevsky.com

IG @ashlukadraws

“Remember to imagine and craft the worlds you cannot live without, just as you dismantle the ones you cannot live within.” - Ruha Benjamin