librarianshamika

[librarianshamika]

Thoughts? 

I loathe performative diversity. It negates and undermines the dismantling of systemic racism. Too many folks are out here playing at diversity by pretending to support diversity, inclusion, equity, access and justice efforts. 

[librarianshamika]

I love this quote. No person can place limits on you. They may try. But do not let them succeed. I have been through this in my library career. I am often ignored and disregarded until there is a problem to solve or a document that needs to be written or edited. Unfortunately, this is the burden of many BIPOC librarians. Keep pushing, keep grinding and never give up. 

#bipoc librarian #black librarian #blackhistorymonth

[librarianshamika]

Some of my favorite books for Black History Month

#black history month #black excellence #representation matters

[librarianshamika]

Dealing with workplace stress and trauma

Recently, I have been trying to keep my stress at a manageable level. I can say a lot about the type of stress I deal/dealt with and the residual trauma, but I will save that for another day. 

So, How do I handle not having an emotional and mental breakdown. 

Walking (not included in the exercise category, because I don’t walk to sweat or burn calories. I walk to clear my mind)

Trying new healthy and tasty recipes

Exercising... Boxing, HIIT, Ujam with Jerod, Stay Down with EJ and Oh My Glutes with Mecca (https://www.staydowndayfit.com/), circuit workout with This Curvy Girl Fitness and roller skating. Like my new skates?

Writing in my journal

Playing board and card games with the family (old school)

Our mental health is vital. I see way too many obituaries for colleagues who retire and die two to four years later. I want to live a long time after retirement and enjoy my life. 

#stressmanagement #workplace stress #rollerskating #bipoclibrarian #blacklibrarian

[librarianshamika]

Monday Motivation

#mondaymotivation

[librarianshamika]

I love this new choreography. A classic revitalized. My hubby sent the video to me. Couldn’t have been more timely. This week it seems I have been having one issue after the other. But thank God for a brand new day. 

#thewiz #brandnewday #encouragement #startover #reset #blacklibrarians

[librarianshamika]

I am on a short story kick. And right on time, Amazon Prime announced the Out of Line Collection, a series of short stories written by women who are not afraid to be different and take control of their own narratives. 

I read Graceful Burdens first. I don’t want to tell the story, but libraries play a unique role in a “legal” practice.  You must read, so we can discuss.  

#short story #libraries #roxane gay #graceful burdens #womens rights

[librarianshamika]

I love fall even though we are not having fall weather. 😊

#fall #fall vibes #fall decor #tabledecor #pumpkin

[librarianshamika]

Not your typical librarian!

#librarianfashion #librarians #blacklibrarians

[librarianshamika]

Great librarians relate to ALL

I have heard this comment before, but I have become less tolerant to microagressive and ignorant language. “Shamika relates so well to Black students.” I relate to ALL students because I do not treat them like I am better than they are. I respect them and talk to them like human beings. I don’t care for the unspoken language of I relate to Black students because I am Black. I am sorry, but this mentality is unacceptable.

#mylife librarians Blacklibrarian microaggressions

[librarianshamika]

Don't find fault, find REMEDY.

Henry Ford

#quoteoftheday

[librarianshamika]

#rbg ruthbaderginsburg restinpeace

[librarianshamika]

Mourning for our sons

There are good days and bad days when you have children with Autism. My Black son is struggling with his emotions right now. When he should be focused on celebrating the end of the school year with friends, we watch the news to see another Black person murdered and the aftermath of protests and civil unrest.

How do I tell my young Black son that things will be okay? 

How do I get him excited for the future, when the future is bleak? 

How do I continue to teach him to be a good person, be kind, spread love and all he can see is the hate? The hate for his skin, the hate for his heritage and the hate for his people. 

I ache for the families of the all the souls lost to police brutality. I ache for my sons who have to navigate in a world that hates them. 

#blacklivesmatter #autismspeaks

[librarianshamika]

ItsTimeToMotivate

[librarianshamika]

#motivation #success #selfworth

[librarianshamika]

What happened to the hunger in students?

Until recently, all of the students in my classes were very dedicated. If life happened they kept pushing towards their goals. Now, my students have every excuse imaginable to disappear from class and expect me to accept their excuses and late work.

Life happened to me as well when I was a student, but ultimately succeeding in class was up to me. I never had a professor who fell for the sob stories. I try to be nice and understanding and this results at in the students taking advantage of me. #frustratededucator #frustratedlibrarian

[librarianshamika]

Deep. I learned about the slaughter in Africa and colonization in college. Dr. Okin didn't sugar coat any of the atrocities. #blackhistory #realhistory

“The name Hitler does not offend a black South African because Hitler is not the worst thing a black South African can imagine. Every country thinks their history is the most important, and that’s especially true in the West. But if black South Africans could go back in time and kill one person, Cecil Rhodes would come up before Hitler. If people in the Congo could go back in time and kill one person, Belgium’s King Leopold would come way before Hitler. If Native Americans could go back in time and kill one person, it would probably be Christopher Columbus or Andrew Jackson. I often meet people in the West who insist that the Holocaust was the worst atrocity in human history, without question. Yes, it was horrific. But I often wonder, with African atrocities like in the Congo, how horrific were they? The thing Africans don’t have that Jewish people do have is documentation. The Nazis kept meticulous records, took pictures, made films. And that’s really what it comes down to. Holocaust victims count because Hitler counted them. Six million people killed. We can all look at that number and be rightly horrified. But when you read through the history of atrocities against Africans, there are no numbers, only guesses. It’s harder to be horrified by a guess. When Portugal and Belgium were plundering Angola and the Congo, they weren’t counting the black people they slaughtered. How many black people died harvesting rubber in the Congo? In the gold and diamond mines of the Transvaal? So in Europe and America, yes, Hitler is the Greatest Madman in History. In Africa he’s just another strongman from the history books.”

— Trevor Noah, Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood (via christymtidwell)