Commitment to continual learning

Antiracist and anti-ableist practices require ongoing education and reflection to challenge biases and dismantle oppressive systems. Librarians must commit to learning about racism, ableism, and other forms of oppression to better serve their communities. This involves actively seeking out resources, participating in training programs, and engaging in critical self-reflection to identify and address implicit biases.

Commitment to continual learning is integral to trauma-informed librarianship as it acknowledges the ever-evolving nature of trauma awareness and best practices. Librarians must engage in ongoing education and training to stay informed about trauma-informed approaches, cultural competency, and relevant community resources. By committing to continual learning, librarians can enhance their skills and knowledge, improving their ability to support trauma survivors and create inclusive library environments that prioritize healing and resilience. Here’s how Commitment to continual learning relates to each of the principles:

1. Safety: Commitment to continual learning ensures that library staff are equipped with the latest knowledge and skills related to creating inclusive and welcoming spaces for patrons of color, individuals with disabilities, and other marginalized groups. While physical safety within the library is paramount and will be addressed, it’s equally crucial to learn how to de-escalate situations without resorting to punitive measures. This is particularly significant as punitive actions can be highly triggering for many individuals. Through ongoing education and training, librarians gain the tools to navigate complex interpersonal dynamics with empathy and understanding, fostering an environment where all patrons feel respected, supported, and valued. By continuously expanding their knowledge base and refining their approaches, library staff can better meet the diverse needs of the community they serve, promoting equity, accessibility, and inclusivity within the library space.
2. Trustworthiness & transparency: A commitment to continual learning demonstrates librarians’ dedication to maintaining trustworthiness and transparency within the library community. By continuously seeking opportunities for professional development and education, staff uphold high standards of integrity and competence, earning the trust of patrons. Transparent communication about ongoing learning initiatives fosters transparency and accountability, reassuring patrons that library staff are committed to providing safe and reliable services.
3. Peer support: Continual learning promotes a culture of peer support within the library community, where staff members actively engage in collaborative learning and knowledge-sharing activities. By participating in professional development opportunities together, librarians offer mutual support and encouragement, sharing insights, experiences, and resources related to safety practices. Peer support networks facilitate the exchange of ideas and best practices, empowering staff to collectively enhance safety initiatives and support one another in promoting a safe and supportive environment for patrons.
4. Collaboration & mutuality: A commitment to continual learning encourages collaboration and mutuality among library staff, fostering a culture of shared learning and collective problem-solving. Through ongoing education and training initiatives, librarians collaborate across departments and teams to address safety concerns and develop innovative solutions. By pooling their knowledge and expertise, staff members contribute to a culture of collaboration and mutual support, working together to promote safety and well-being for all patrons.
5. Empowerment, voice, & choice: Continual learning empowers library staff to make informed decisions and exercise judgment in promoting safety and well-being within the library environment. By expanding their knowledge base and skill set through ongoing education, librarians gain the confidence to take proactive measures to ensure patron safety. This empowerment enables staff to offer patrons meaningful choices and options for accessing library resources and services in a safe and supportive manner, empowering individuals to make informed decisions about their own safety and well-being.
6. Cultural, historical, & gender issues: Commitment to continual learning includes a focus on understanding and addressing cultural, historical, and gender-specific issues related to safety and inclusivity within the library community. By engaging in ongoing education and training on topics such as cultural competence, diversity, and inclusion, librarians enhance their awareness and sensitivity to the unique needs and experiences of diverse patrons. Continual learning initiatives promote a culture of respect and understanding, where staff actively seek to create safe and welcoming spaces that are sensitive to cultural, historical, and gender diversity.

A commitment to continual learning is vital in trauma-informed librarianship for several reasons. Firstly, the field of trauma research and understanding is constantly evolving, with new insights and techniques emerging regularly. By staying informed and up-to-date, librarians can ensure that their practices align with the latest evidence-based approaches. Also, continual learning allows librarians to deepen their understanding of trauma and its impacts, enabling them to provide more effective support and services to patrons. This includes recognizing the signs of trauma, understanding how it may manifest in behavior, and knowing how to respond appropriately. Ongoing education also fosters empathy and compassion among library staff, helping them to better connect with and support patrons who have experienced trauma. By continually learning and expanding their knowledge base, staff can create safer and more inclusive library environments where all patrons feel understood and valued. Lastly, trauma-informed librarianship often intersects with other areas of study, such as mental health, social justice, and community outreach. Continued learning allows librarians to explore these intersections and gain insights that can enhance their practice and broaden their impact. Overall, a commitment to continual learning is essential in trauma-informed librarianship to ensure that librarians remain equipped to support patrons effectively, stay abreast of developments in the field, and foster environments of healing, empowerment, and inclusion.

Trauma- informed librarianship in praxis

Committing to an antiracist study

A commitment to continual learning signifies a dedication to ongoing personal and professional growth. It involves actively seeking out new knowledge, skills, and perspectives throughout one’s life. This commitment often involves embracing challenges, seeking feedback, and being open to change. It means recognizing that learning is a lifelong journey and actively engaging in opportunities for self-improvement, whether through formal education, professional development, or self-directed learning. It involves delving into subjects such as indigenous librarianship, critical librarianship, as well as exploring other areas of study like critical disability studies, critical race theory, queer theory, feminist studies, among others.  In this segment, we will delve into the crucial transition from a mere proclamation of allyship to actively engaging in antiracist practices and embracing somatic abolitionism alongside Resmaa Menakem.

“Any system can be a system of white supremacy if within that system, the white way of doing and being is seen as normal, common, ordinary, or standard—if the white way is seen as the right way. By that definition, a school can be a system of white supremacy. A classroom can be a system of white supremacy. A hospital, a police force, a government, a family can all be systems of white supremacy.”^[1] Additionally, a library can be a system of white supremacy. This is not only apparent in who is pursuing librarianship— according to the ALA Office for Research and Statistics, 87 percent of library staff are white^[2]— but can also be seen “through the presumed and oppressive ‘neutrality’ of Whiteness, [which] is embedded in three particular aspects of public services in academic libraries: the physical spaces of service delivery, public services staff, and service delivery methods and values.”^[3] Therefore, committing to an antiracsit study isn’t merely an option for library workers—it’s an indispensable necessity.

It is important to note the language being used— a commitment to antiracist study. This is intentional, as white people cannot truly mark themselves as allies. Robin DiAngelo discusses this point on the podcast, On Being “Towards a Framework of Repair^[4],” in her discussion with Resmaa Menakem, stating:

I do not call myself an ally. I do not even say I’m an antiracist. I will say I’m involved in antiracist work, but it’s really for [people of color] to decide if, in any given moment, I’m actually behaving in allied or antiracist ways. And notice that: in any given moment. It’s not like a fixed status. And I’m the least qualified to make that determination, because I have investments in the system that I don’t even know I have. Like, I can’t really trust myself. So I have to have accountability set up around me.

This work cannot be marked complete after a training, a book, a podcast. This is a work for the rest of our lifetimes. Menakem states that before he goes in to work with an organization, he requires there be a team from the organization to commit to a year of learning antiracist, somatic abolitionist practices.^[5] Libraries have had a long history of affirming Whiteness as the neutral, normal way of being in libraries.^[6] “As a result, we will never outgrow white- body supremacy just through discussion, training, or anything else that’s mostly cognitive. Instead, we need to look to the body— and to the embodied experience of trauma.”^[7]

In staying aligned with Menakem’s work, I recommend, if you are white, embracing antiracist study, antiracist thinking, and antiracist action as more constructive, effective, and less problematic than solely aligning with allyship because “[i]n a racial justice context, an ally is generally thought of as a white person who uses their privilege to support, defend, or advance “oppressed groups in the struggle for justice.”^[8] Embedded in this definition is the assimilationist notion that “oppressed groups” need support, defense, and advancement from white people^[9].”^[10] I encourage you to embark on the journey of study, to embrace the path, and to take meaningful action through a commitment to antiracism.

What is racialized trauma?

Resmaa Menakem’s work delves into racialized trauma, addressing the mental and emotional impacts of racism and discrimination faced by people of color, or to use the term that Menakem coined, bodies of culture. As we discussed in the first part of this book, “What is trauma?,” racialized trauma refers to the communal pain experienced by marginalized groups, transcending individual instances to affect entire communities, and Menakem’s approach focuses on understanding how this trauma is embodied and passed down through generations. While individuals may directly experience racial trauma, the effects can also be felt indirectly, perpetuating a cycle of internalized pain and distress. This broader, communal perspective underscores the complexity of recognizing and healing racialized trauma, extending beyond individual experiences to encompass systemic and intergenerational injustices.

Menakem facilitates the journey of healing racialized trauma by making invisible traumas visible and guiding individuals, communities, and organizations toward holistic and resilient healing. His work delves into the healing journey encompassing body, mind, and soul, not only for individuals but also for our society and global community. He addresses a pervasive trauma that has affected millions of Americans and others worldwide for generations, manifesting in our bodies, systems, and structures. This trauma, often termed as racialized trauma or white-body supremacy (WBS), perpetuates the false belief that white bodies are inherently superior, perpetuating division and inequality. The origins are rooted in greed and self-interest, and its ramifications are deeply rooted in hatred and violence. Menakem asserts that healing from racialized trauma begins in the body, and Somatic Abolitionism fosters endurance and stamina through antiracist practices, aiming to ripple healing effects from individual bodies to our collective body.  However, healing is not universal; it requires capacity, choice, and safety. Those resistant to healing or supportive of perpetuating racialized trauma may not find resonance with this blog. For others, it offers a transformative path to begin healing now.^[11]

Below is a post from Menakem’s Somatic Learning’s Blog, “White Bodies and the Energies of Race” to introduce this practice. Additionally, “Wokeness, White Allyship, And Respect” and “White Ferality” act as good starting points for white library staff as they continue their introduction to this work. After reading this post, I urge you to continue to acquaint yourself with Menakem’s work.

White Bodies And The Energies Of Race

Race has its own unique charge, texture, weight, and speed. The ability to hold and work with these energies isn’t inborn. It needs to be acquired through effort and practice.

How our bodies can develop collective containers to handle the charge of race

KEY POINTS

• • The ability to hold and work with energies of race isn’t inborn. It needs to be acquired through effort and practice.
  • Many white bodies aspire to help create a living, embodied antiracist culture—but aren’t yet ready to turn those aspirations into reality.
  • Reps make the difference between good intentions and wise, concerted action—and between losing steam and pressing forward.
  • Whatever your skin pigmentation, do not pretend that you are unable to rise to the challenge of Somatic Abolitionism.

Race has its own unique charge, texture, weight, and speed. The ability to hold and work with these energies isn’t inborn. It needs to be acquired through effort and practice.

Most bodies of culture acquire this ability when they’re young. We have to, because it’s so closely tied to our survival. Some of us learn it purely through the hard knocks of life. Others, like me, are more fortunate: our parents and other elders carefully coach us in a variety of racial survival skills. We also learn it by observing the actions of our elders—especially what we watch them lean into and recoil from.

In contrast, most white American bodies have little agility, acuity, or grit around race. This isn’t because of some ability they lack. Most white bodies simply haven’t had the collective desire to learn to work with the spring-loaded energies of race. In most cases, they also haven’t had a need or an interest in doing so. Throughout their lives, they’ve been able to fall back on white advantage—and to simply ignore or turn away from issues involving race.

Unfortunately, as a result, racialized trauma stays stuck inside their bodies day after day, year upon year. It also becomes a part of the collective white body. And it gets transmitted to later generations as an accepted, standard, and morally acceptable way of being.

Because most white bodies haven’t built this agility, acuity, or grit, when they encounter strong energy or stress around race, their racialized trauma can easily get activated. They may then shift into fight, flee, freeze, fawn, or annihilate mode. Often this means becoming anxious, or angry, or defensive, or tearful. They may then try to blow their pain through other bodies—especially bodies of culture.

Right now, many white bodies—perhaps many more than you realize—have the right intentions and aspirations for creating a living, embodied antiracist culture. But they aren’t yet prepared to turn those aspirations into reality. These bodies will first need to be tempered and conditioned through reps—repetitions of the body practices in this blog and in my books My Grandmother’s Hands and The Quaking of America.

Reps make the difference between good intentions and wise, concerted action—and between losing steam and pressing forward. Without enough reps under your belt, you may have a strong burst of energy for a time. But when the going gets tough—which we both know it sometimes will—you’re likely to give up or slow down. However, if you’ve been practicing enough reps, day after day and month after month, you’ll have built the stamina and resilience and grit to keep moving steadily forward.

Please don’t confuse a lack of preparation with a lack of ability. If you have a white body, you are already fully equipped with everything you need for its tempering and conditioning around race.

If you have a white body, pause. Notice the energy—and perhaps the quaking—that arise in your body right now.

If you have trouble experiencing this energy, ask yourself this question (literally speak it aloud): When did African people start to develop paler skin? The correct answer is less than 8000 years ago.

Now pause and pay attention to your body.

If you didn’t know the correct answer to that question, then ask yourself this follow-up question, again speaking it out loud: Why did I not know this information?

Then pause and notice the energy in your body.

Whatever your skin pigmentation, do not pretend that you are unable to rise to the challenge of Somatic Abolitionism. You can either accept this challenge, and sometimes make mistakes or fail, or choose to not take it up at all and accept the consequences of turning away from your own growth and liberation.

We don’t just practice Somatic Abolitionism as individuals. We also need to develop a collective container that can handle the charge of race. This is especially important for people with white bodies. Creating this collective container will require time, commitment, and practice—and plenty of trial and error.

I don’t know how long this container will take to create. But we need to think in terms of generations, if not centuries. White-body supremacy has been circulating in American bodies—and has been intrinsic to American life—for well over three centuries. That cannot be quickly undone.

That is no reason to turn away from the task of individual and collective healing. Regardless of how long the work may take, it begins—or continues—right now, in your own body.

You are not doing this just for yourself, or for me, or for any particular person or cause. You are doing it because you don’t want to pass on the cruel legacy of white-body supremacy to your children, or to your children’s children, for generation upon generation.

The efforts you make will not only support your own healing and growth. They can support the lives of all the people you encounter, whatever their body pigmentation. They can create more room for growth in the bodies of your children, your grandchildren, and their descendants. And, year by year, generation upon generation, they can transform the energies of race into energies of liberation.

If you have a Black or a white body, one of the body practices below can help you create more room for this growth. (I’ll offer a new body practice for bodies of culture who are not Black in my next post.)

Black Bodies and White Comfort

If you have a Black body:

Recall a recent incident in which someone with a white body asked or expected you to comfort or protect them. They may have asked you directly and overtly—or they may have expressed a desire or expectation without verbalizing it.

Use your imagination to relive that incident; then answer these questions:

• • What did your body experience when it recognized the request or expectation?
  • Did you say yes or no? Why? Did you say anything else?
  • What did you experience in your body when you said yes (or no)?
  • If you said yes, what was the result of your comfort or protection? What did the white body say and do? How did your body respond to the incident?
  • In retrospect, was your comfort or protection genuinely necessary? Was it helpful? Or could the person have soothed or protected themselves?
  • If they had soothed or protected themselves, how might the situation have evolved differently?

Afterward, soul scribe—that is, write about what your body experienced, in whatever way you wish. Note any:

• • vibrations
  • images and thoughts
  • meanings, judgments, stories, and explanations
  • behaviors, movements, actions, impulses, and urges
  • affect and emotions
  • sensations

If you have a white body:

Recall a recent incident in which you asked or expected someone with a Black body to comfort or protect you. Use your imagination to relive that incident, and then answer these questions:

• • What did your body experience that encouraged you to request or expect that help?
  • Why did you make the request of that particular body?
  • Did the person say yes or no?
  • What did you experience in your body when they said yes (or no)?
  • If they said yes, what was the result of their comfort or protection? How did your body respond to it?
  • In retrospect, was their comfort or protection genuinely necessary? Or could you have soothed or protected yourself?
  • If you had soothed or protected yourself, how might the situation have emerged differently?

Afterward, soul scribe—write about your body’s experience in whatever way you wish. Note any:

• • vibrations
  • images and thoughts
  • meanings, judgments, stories, and explanations
  • behaviors, movements, actions, impulses, and urges
  • affect and emotions
  • sensations

This post was adapted from my new book, The Quaking of America: An Embodied Guide to Navigating Our Nation’s Upheaval and Racial Reckoning.

Conclusion

In conclusion, committing to an antiracist study is not just a choice but a necessity in the realm of library work and beyond. It entails a dedicated pursuit of continual learning, embracing challenges, seeking feedback, and remaining open to change throughout one’s personal and professional journey. Libraries, like many other institutions, have historically upheld norms of whiteness, perpetuating systems of white supremacy. Therefore, the imperative shift from allyship to active engagement in antiracist practices and somatic abolitionism is clear. This shift is not about adopting a new label, but rather about embarking on a lifelong journey of study, reflection, and action. As Resmaa Menakem emphasizes, this work cannot be superficial or fleeting—it requires ongoing commitment and accountability. Thus, I urge those who are white to prioritize antiracist study, thinking, and action as a more constructive and effective approach, recognizing that true allyship is not about self-definition but about meaningful, sustained engagement in the fight against racism. By embracing antiracism as a guiding principle in all aspects of life, we can contribute to the dismantling of oppressive systems and work towards a more just and equitable society.

Additional resources:

Cultural Somatics Institute: “All our bodies—bodies of all pigment—are infected by the virus of white-body supremacy. Our online courses are a collection of embodied knowledge courses that empower you to develop embodied racial literacy so you can develop a life and community centered on abolishing white body supremacy.”

In addition to what is cited in the footnotes, here is a list of other works that informed this chapter:

• “How to Be an Antiracist.” n.d. Ibram X. Kendi. Accessed May 10, 2024. https://www.ibramxkendi.com/how-to-be-an-antiracist.
• Meadows Behavioral Healthcare, dir. 2021. Beyond Theory S4 E4: Resmaa Menakem on Racialized Trauma – Part 2 of 2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpZTnWASnxI.
• Oluo, Ijeoma. 2018. “White People Will Always Let You Down.” The Establishment (blog). March 14, 2018. https://medium.com/the-establishment/white-people-will-always-let-you-down-c6fb3c03ddb7.
• “Resmaa Menakem on Why Healing Racism Begins With the Body | Compassion Center.” n.d. Accessed May 10, 2024. https://compassioncenter.arizona.edu/podcast/resmaa-menakem.
• “Stamped From The Beginning.” n.d. Ibram X. Kendi. Accessed May 10, 2024. https://www.ibramxkendi.com/stamped.
• The On Being Project, dir. 2023. Resmaa Menakem — “Notice the Rage; Notice the Silence.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADxoo2Xae-Y.
• Eddo-Lodge, Reni. 2017. “Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People about Race.” The Guardian, May 30, 2017, sec. World news. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/may/30/why-im-no-longer-talking-to-white-people-about-race.