Blog Posts tagged as: Activism

a photograph of a young person holding a climate justice protest sign

Teen Climate Justice Booklists: Explore, Empower, and Inspire

Leah

In honor of Earth Month, it’s time to dive into the world of climate change, climate justice, and discover what YOU can do to help create a greener, more sustainable future.How to Fight for Climate JusticeCheck out these non-fiction reads that break down the science behind climate change and reveal the societal forces driving man-made global warming. Learn what’s really happening to our planet, pick up practical tips on how to make a difference, and discover ways to take care of yourself while standing up as an eco-advocate.Who Fights for Climate JusticeMeet the trailblazers making change…

POTW: Remembering Summer 2020

Dee Bowers

Ron Foster, [Group of people holding their fists up at a demonstration.], July 4 2020, color digital photograph, BRCP_0009. Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History.
Three years ago this summer, the streets of Brooklyn, like the streets of cities all across the country, erupted in Black Lives Matter protests in response to the murder of George Floyd along with so many others at the hands of the police. As in years past, the area around Brooklyn's Central library became a gathering point for protesters. Then newly part of the…

Changing Tides: 1965 Journal of Brooklyn CORE

Gina Murrell

Changing Tides: 1965 Journal of Brooklyn CORE. Arnie Goldwag Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) Collection, Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History.
Founded in Chicago in 1942, the Congress of Racial Equality - better known as CORE - is an interracial organization focused on nonviolent, direct action to achieve equal rights for Black Americans in all areas of US society. While southern chapters of the organization often made national headlines, there were chapters outside the South, including in Brooklyn, New York. The Brooklyn chapter of CORE…

Branch Spotlight: Greenpoint Library and Environmental Education Center

Acacia, Environmental Justice Coordinator - ONS

Your Library, Your Planet Each year we take a moment to celebrate our environment on Earth Day. Our little ones come home from school with plants and ideas for recycling and we think about how our behaviors impact our planet. But now, Brooklyn Public Library has a new branch where every day is Earth Day: The Greenpoint Library and Environmental Education Center (GEEC).  But why is this new branch in Greenpoint? Greenpoint sits at the confluence of the East River and the Newtown Creek, at the Northwest edge of Brooklyn. In the nineteenth century, Greenpoint became the…

POTW: Cleaning Up the Waterfront with N.A.G.

Dee Bowers

Photo of Neighbors Against Garbage (N.A.G.) litter cleanup, GEHP_0193, c. 1990s; Greenpoint Environmental History Project; Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History.
In the early 1990s, residents of Greenpoint and Williamsburg were fed up with the city neglecting their neighborhoods. A number of grassroots community organizations sprang up in response to various issues, including development, community board planning processes, and excessive litter. One such organization was Neighbors Against Garbage (N.A.G.), founded in 1994 in a local…

Where Did My Democracy Go?

Tina Lati

I have always loved America. The idea that everyone’s  opinions can be represented through democracy makes me feel validated as a citizen. Lately, I feel like this right of mine is being pried from my hands. All across social media, respect for others and their opinions has become a foreign concept. People are being attacked and unfollowed for their political views. Peaceful Black Lives Matter protesters are labeled as violent. Recently, a student at my school told her friend that he was brave for telling people who he was voting for. Why should we have to be brave in order to express…

Interview with Farzana Doctor

Off the Shelf Editorial Staff; Liza

Growing up, my favourite places were my town’s public library and my school libraries. I still love these spaces for the sense of possibility they offer.... Brooklyn Public Library is delighted to welcome award-winning author Farzana Doctor to Off the Shelf as our latest guest. A true Candian triple threat, she’s a psychotherapist and activist as well as the author of a new book Seven hailed by Ms. Magazine as “fully feminist and ambitiously bold.” I couldn’t agree more. Seven follows Sharifa, a middle-aged wife and mother, on her trip to India where she begins an ancestral research…