The Corriher-Linn-Black Library at Catawba College is committed to supporting our campus in addressing systemic racism, inequity, and injustice in our community and, more broadly, in our nation. To begin this, we must start by understanding the perspective of others whose experiences differ greatly from our own. As such, the library has a number of resources on the black experience in America, Civil Rights history, and the culture of white supremacy. These resources support the individual scholar seeking information, as well as faculty who are seeking to engage their students and integrate these issues into our curriculum. Our aim is to encourage a productive dialogue on campus, inspire critical thinking, and encourage the pursuit of knowledge, understanding, and wisdom.
On May 25th, 2020, a white police officer, Derek Chauvin, was recorded kneeling on George Floyd's neck while he was pinned to the floor for eight minutes and forty-six seconds. In the video Mr.Floyd can be heard pleading for his mother and stating that he can't breathe. Massive protests are happening all around the world in response to the killing of George Floyd and the unwarranted police brutality he endured. Protesters in all fifty states have taken to the streets to peacefully march, hold sit-ins, and gather. Thousands of people flocked the streets over the weekend to express their anger and frustration at the senseless killing of yet another black life. With tensions so high and emotions running deep it developed into a series of ongoing nights filled with unrest.
Addressing racism and inequity is a moral imperative. It is imperative in the sense that it is essential and urgent. It is the right thing to do; it is a matter of justice and we must not delay the pursuit of systemic equity. As an imperative, this pursuit of justice and equity is not optional for Catawba. It is not optional for us in our learning community as a whole, and it is not optional for any of us as individual members of our community. - Catawba President, David P. Nelson