Statement on Race and Social Equity

Dear community members,

Clemson Libraries continues to advocate for a more diverse, inclusive and equitable society. With heavy hearts, we extend our support and gratitude to those fighting for equal rights and criminal justice reform as a result of the many African-American lives that have been devastated due to the criminalization of people of color.

We recognize that information and access are not neutral, particularly for systematically disenfranchised communities. Our goal is to dismantle institutional barriers to information in an effort to enhance the library experience of all those who use our resources. To that extent, we are committed to holding constructive conversations on racial equity throughout Clemson Libraries and advocating for conscientious training for all Libraries employees on issues of bias, social responsibility, and the role of academic libraries in supporting social change. Knowing that actions speak louder than words, a specific list of actions we intend to undertake over the next year is being developed.

We hope that through continued commitment to addressing injustice, we can make the Libraries a welcoming and safe refuge for all.

Respectfully,

Dean Christopher Cox, the Libraries Leadership Team, and the Libraries Diversity Committee

For more information on diversity and inclusion at Clemson Libraries please visit: https://libraries.clemson.edu/our-organization/diversity-inclusion/

For resources related to racial injustice and anti-racism that can be accessed at home, please visit: https://clemson.libguides.com/antiracistresources