Fruita for Equality is a collaboration to support equality, inclusivity, and diversity through meaningful conversations and action in the community.
June 2021
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"Rising Out of Hatred" Community Read serves to educate and inspire |
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We’re thrilled to share that our Community Read was an amazing success! We held six events during the month and were able to spark a lively discussion within our community about its values as it pertains to inclusivity, diversity, equality, and race/racism.
The month began with a kickoff event, where we asked community members to share input and reactions to several questions related to the themes that would be discussed during the month. Following this event, community organizer and harm-reduction trainer Shannon Robinson facilitated an anti-bias workshop, where attendees were given tools to work against their own biases.
On May 12 at the Fruita Civic Center Park, we hosted Hali Nurnberg, a local therapist with a master’s degree in international disaster psychology, who spoke about healing from the trauma of divisiveness. It was a great event that many said was incredibly helpful. Notes from this talk are available here: Tips for Difficult Conversations.
Other events included a discussion, facilitated by Black Citizens and Friends, about how to be an ally and what allyship looks like; a Rising Out of Hatred Community Discussion of the book; and a series of small-group "Living Room Discussions" that explored themes in the book.
The grand finale on May 27 was a virtual author talk with Eli Saslow, author of Rising Out of Hatred, who discussed at length how he approached the book and the issues it raises.
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Please complete an exit survey for Community Read events |
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If you attended any of our Community Read events and have not filled out an exit survey for the event(s) you attended, you can do so here: Fruita For Equality Event Survey. |
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From the Mesa County Libraries Blog |
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Local History - Shannon Robinson and
Right & Wrong
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Shannon Robinson has led a brave and transformational life in Grand Junction. She overcame racism from some fellow students to lead the student government at Mesa State College (now Colorado Mesa University). In the midst of the AIDS epidemic, she helped stage on-campus demonstrations to educate students about the dangers of the disease. She went on to become the prevention coordinator and interim director of the Western Colorado AIDS Project.
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Read more stories like this on the Mesa County Libraries Blog. There you find posts about local history, music, book recommendations, and more! The library blog, located at the bottom of the homepage, brings you a wide selection of topics each week. Check in regularly at mesacountylibraries.org!
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Discover a different point of view in the Mirrors and Windows Reading Experience |
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A mirror is a story that reflects your own culture and helps you build your identity. Seeing ourselves in literature is a gift. It is an empowering experience as a reader to see a protagonist whose life experiences relate to our own.
A window is a resource that offers you a view into someone else’s life experiences. It is critical to understand that we cannot truly learn about ourselves unless we learn about others as well.
Participate in the Mirrors and Windows Reading Experience to explore the stories of our diverse world. Discovering the experiences of others will help you connect with your neighbors in Mesa County.
Mirrors and Windows is an all-ages celebration of culture focused on diverse books and films offered through the library catalog. It continues through Dec. 31, 2021, and between now and then, readers have an opportunity to earn virtual badges to complete the experience. There is no charge to participate.
Joining Mirrors and Windows is easy. First, visit the library’s website, mesacountylibraries.org, and sign up for Beanstack, an online tool that helps you keep track of your library reading. In Beanstack, register for Mirrors and Windows.
The idea for the Mirrors and Windows reading experience comes from a movement called Read Woke, started by a school librarian in Georgia named Cecily Lewis. Read Woke seeks to connect readers with books that encourage diversity and awareness of underrepresented authors and titles.
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Learn more about the Mirrors and Windows Reading Experience by listening to April's edition of The Audissey, Mesa County Libraries' very own podcast.
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Book/Media Recommendations |
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The story of a teenage girl who's literally allergic to the outside world. When a new family moves in next door, she begins a complicated romance that challenges everything she's ever known. The narrative unfolds via vignettes, diary entries, texts, charts, lists, illustrations, and more. |
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When Detective Lauren Medina sees the calling card at a murder scene in Chicago's Humboldt Park neighborhood, she knows the Pied Piper has returned. When another teenager is brutally murdered at the same lagoon where her sister's body was found floating years before, she is certain that the Pied Piper is not just back, he's looking for payment he's owed from her.
Lauren's torn between protecting the city she has sworn to keep safe, and keeping a promise she made long ago with her sister's murderer. She may have to ruin her life by exposing her secrets and lies to stop the Pied Piper before he collects.
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If you haven't had a chance to answer these introductory questions about Fruita for Equality, please do so! |
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Fruita for Equality is an initiative to promote and support equality, inclusivity, and diversity through meaningful conversations and action in the community. Collaborators in Fruita for Equality include Mesa County Libraries, Fruita Rotary, the city of Fruita, and Lithic Bookstore and Gallery. |
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A NOTE TO READERS
You are receiving this e-newsletter because you are a patron of Mesa County Libraries and/or have signed up to receive news about Fruita for Equality. This newsletter is sent monthly (with occasional special editions) to keep you informed about what’s happening with Fruita for Equality. Mesa County Libraries value your privacy and will not share your email address or other information with anyone. You can update your library e-newsletter subscriptions by visiting the "Update Profile" link at the bottom of this newsletter. You can also remove yourself from all library e-newsletter lists by visiting the “Unsubscribe” link at the bottom of this newsletter.
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