Human Library comes to Gainesville with focus on overcoming discrimination, trauma
Overcoming discrimination and trauma were the main topics of discussion at the Human Library event held Sunday at Santa Fe College's Blount Hall.
More than 70 people attended the event that featured an open dialogue about the challenges some people have to overcome. The goal of the event was to help others gain a better understanding of what some people experience, organizers of the event said. About a dozen people discussed their personal accounts of discrimination and traumas at the event that had the theme of “Unjudge Someone.”
According to www.humanlibrary.org, the Human Library is designed to build a positive framework for conversations that can challenge stereotypes and prejudices through dialogue. The Human Library is a place where real people are on loan to readers. A place where difficult questions are expected, appreciated and answered. The Human Library is a Danish idea from 2000 and is now available in more than 80 countries.
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Sponsored by Altrusa International-Gainesville, the Alachua County Library District, Santa Fe College and the International Human Library of Denmark, the event included multiple reading sessions that included question and answer sessions where readers were asked personal questions.
The intent was to spark a conversation, challenge stereotypes and create dialogue between the readers and human books that can bridge social divides, organizers said.
Each attendee selected three human books to check out and read.
There were 14 human books and the categories ranged from gender, sexual orientation, lifestyle, social status, sexual trauma, disabilities, addiction, family relations, ethnicity, disabilities and mental health.
The human books and their titles were: Kane Barr, Beauty out of tragedy; Rayam Bezerra, Overcoming Obstacles: Driving towards my goals; Leo Emory Brigida, Deviant?; Dr Naima Brown, It's not where I'm from, It's where I am that matters; Kendriana F. Drayton-Miller, Surviving Sexual Abuse and Trauma; Jane Echterling, Challenging cultural assumptions about persons with visible physical disabilities; Christopher Finger-Baker, Addiction fueled by words of hate; Tom Horton, Never mind, it's not important; Mary C. Kilgour, Abuse and Trauma; Francoise Long, Design without a mold; Hannah McArdle, Living in a world designed for people with sight; Nick McMillen, The Tempest within: The fight with PTSD; Eric Runnestrand, Judging physical appearance; Dr. Carjie Scott, Education is an Equalizer.
“People had the opportunity to talk to someone they never met and ask questions,” said Brad McClenny, Alachua County Library District public relations and marketing manager.
The event was moderated by Ester Tibbs, chair of the literacy committee of Altrusa International-Gainesville.
“We’re able to have conversations with people in an intimate setting,” Tibbs said.
Tibbs shared her experience reading a human book about tattoos that changed her perspective after the session.
“When I heard his perspective, I gave up my ignorance on what I thought about people with tattoos,” Tibbs said. “He (the human book) saw it as body art. With this event, I want to encourage people to not judge a book by its cover.”
Last year, the Human Library was held at the Cone Park Branch of the Alachua County Library District.
This year, Santa Fe College provided a larger venue with more space and more human books.
“The human books were very vulnerable and open,” said Kay Martin, who attended the event. “I like to hear people’s perspectives so I can understand them. I appreciate them sharing the things they’ve been through. It was helpful. We’re more alike than we are different.”
Santa Fe College President Dr. Paul Broadie II said these discussions can increase awareness of challenges people go through and can develop an understanding about how to support them and be an ally.
“It is very important we learn about people’s lived experiences,” Broadie said. “Understanding goes a long way and it improves our society. We’re all human before anything else. We need more action so we can learn from each other and grow together and become a powerful society.”
Francoise Long, one of the human books, shared her experience about being multi-ethnic and how events like these can bring people closer together as a human family.
“Even with our differences, we are all human,” Long said. “We all have a lens that has been conditioned, influenced or exposed. We have opportunities like this where we can listen with considerate compassion. Don’t approach one another with fear. Approach one another with curiosity and be open to what someone has to share. Remember to have grace for others and yourself.”
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Discrimination, trauma discussed at Human Library event in Gainesville
