Stratford Library Moves Lawn Exhibit Inside
by Tom Holehan
Public Relations & Programming at the Stratford Public Library
The Stratford Library, 2203 Main Street in Stratford has extended the viewing period and moved its lawn sign exhibit, which debuted last November, inside the building. Entitled “The Power of Diverse Voices: In Their Words” the exhibit is a project of the Library Board’s newly formed Anti-Racism committee and features select quotations from people of color on over 80 signs now gracing various spaces in the Library. The words of Martin Luther King, Maya Angelou, Oprah Winfrey, Harriet Tubman, Caesar Chavez Frederick Douglass, Beyonce, Michael Jordan, James Baldwin, Kamala Harris, Stevie Wonder and Alice Walker.
The project was the first of several programs dealing with racism and implicit bias planned by the Library in conjunction with CARE (Citizens Addressing Racial Equity), Sterling House Community Center, the Town of Stratford and the Arts Alliance of Stratford. A lobby display also provides brief biographies about all those quoted. Those seeking further information can also visit the Library’s website at: http://stratfordlibrary.org/anti-racism-reading-list-resources/.
For further information, call: 203-385-4162.
Stratford Library Board Anti-Racism Statement
Stratford is a town with a growing minority population. We unequivocally condemn all forms of violence against Black, Latinos, Indigenous, and all people of color. The library believes it is important to come forward and publicly state that we believe Black lives matter. Libraries are often considered neutral spaces but the Stratford Library is far from neutral on the issue of racism. We can proudly say that the mission of the library “…to empower and enrich our diverse community by providing access to innovative services, information, and ideas” is one that seeks to directly combat divisiveness, ignorance, hate, and racism in our community.
Adopted by the Stratford Library Board, September 17, 2020
