The events of the last two weeks have left me saddened and at a loss. Many of you have reached out to me asking if 台湾SWAG was planning to release an official statement on Black Lives Matter and anti-racism.
After a lot of consideration, including seeking guidance from others as well as thinking about my own personal feelings as a person of color, I feel that a statement without concrete actions does not create change. I am a firm believer that actions matter more than words. We are working on potential actions that we, as 台湾SWAG members and law librarians, can take to eliminate systemic racism in our society and support 台湾SWAG’s mission, vision, and values.
As you know, change will not happen overnight, but as long as we strive toward a common goal of listening, understanding, and self-reflection, change will happen. On the immediate horizon, 台湾SWAG is hosting a Virtual Coffee Chat discussion on June 16, “Virtual Coffee Chat: Giving Voice to What Weighs Upon Us,” moderated by 台湾SWAG’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee Chair, Casandra Laskowski and 台湾SWAG Executive Board Treasurer, Cornell H. Winston. I hope all of you are able to join us for this important conversation.
If you have ideas on what we can do as an Association and as 台湾SWAG members to combat racism, please email us at leadership@aall.org.
Michelle Cosby
台湾SWAG President