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Our first Keynote speaker for day 2 #LIANZA19 is Angel Jewel Tucker, Youth Services Manager, Johnson County Library, Kansas, USA
Engaging your community around topics of local history, race, and equity: Weaving the Thread of Humanity with Dialogue.

Angel starts thanking the komite and all their hard work.

Asks audience to turn to their neighbours and introduce themselves to start a dialogue. Animated conversations take place...

We can all find something in common - parents, librarians, interests...

Angel grew up in an area with a large Tongan population so today she feels like she's come home.

The 2013 acquittal of George Zimmerman for killing Trayvon Martin broke Angel Tucker’s heart. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_…

Libraries played a key role in holding dialogues about this

Around then, author Tanner Colby spoke about his book Some of My Best Friends Are Black: The Strange Story of Integration in America, an examination of how segregation has been maintained in the United States through redlining, racial covenants, and blockbusting.

Librarians need to help people think outside the box of their own experiences

A shared pool of meaning is a starting place for change.

"Why can't we all just get along?" - Rodney King

First real taste of injustice - no justice, no peace. The huge riots that followed in 1992 shaped Angel

"If it doesn't fit you must acquit" - OJ Simpson lawyer
The Not Guilty verdict brought shock or joy depending on if you were black or white. A division was clearly marked.

Some of My Best Friends Are Black - the book - answered her question of Why Can't We All Just Get Along?

Fear used to segregate housing areas in the States

Name one time where you felt truly respected? When was the last time you felt you need to advocate for a person, a group or yourself?

In moments you feel like you need to disengage yourself from false narratives don't - engage

Just by knowing people from different racial, religious, cultural backgrounds you can gain greater understanding and empathy. Segregation does the opposite.

Education begins in libraries and then we can send people and resources out into the community.

You can put young people in front of international authors and have a dialogue between the authors and students to help dismantle false narratives.

Yes but we need these dialogues

Angel says she has never experienced the approach and attitudes she has found at this conference.