The UCR Library staff and African Student Programs collaborated to create a guide for the UCR community on the Black Lives Matter movement.

The guide provides general sources and research information about the Black Lives Matter movement and related social justice issues. It includes websites, books and e-books, streaming videos, podcasts, databases, and more. It is adapted from an openly-licensed guide created by librarians Lalitha Nataraj and Holly Hampton at CSU San Marcos.

The guide came into being when Jamal J. Myrick, Ed.D., Director of African Student Programs (ASP) at UC Riverside, contacted Leslie Settle, Access Services Desk Coordinator for the UCR Library, to ask whether the library could create a resource that focuses on anti-racism, Black History, and cultural movements. “I think that would be a great way for us to show up together,” Dr. Myrick wrote. The goal of the guide was to help the UCR community to learn and engage.

As Dr. Myrick states in the guide’s introduction, “In the last six months, we've reached a critical juncture in the history of the United States that will forever be etched in time. From grieving over cancelled milestone moments due to COVID-19, to remote learning interactions, to the numerous lynchings of Black bodies resulting in calls for justice, researchers will surely look back on this year with intrigue.”

Settle brought Dr. Myrick’s suggestion to the Director of Teaching and Learning, Dani Cook, and Deputy University Librarian, Ann Frenkel, who supported the idea.

Cook enlisted Kathy Tran, a student employee from the library's Teaching and Learning department, to adapt and expand the original online guide. The draft guide was then shared with Dr. Myrick and the ASP, library staff, and other members of the UCR community for additions and feedback.

Frenkel felt it was crucial for the UCR Library’s guide to include local resources and information relevant to Riverside and the surrounding region. “Kathy did an amazing job in updating the resources to reflect UCR’s holdings and services, as well as adding additional social media and other resources,” Cook said.

“Taking on this project has energized, empowered and educated me in so many ways,” Tran said. “Researching different resources helped me see what I can do to further educate myself in the different aspects of Black Lives Matter, but it has also helped me refer different resources to my friends, family, and fellow classmates.” She added that the guide can serve as an educational tool in all aspects of our community lives.

The finished guide can be found here.

As Dr. Myrick writes, “We invite you to immerse yourself in the videos, podcasts, and readings (many available at the library) and allow the information you learn to provide life-transforming ideas for your fight for justice and life.”

Library staff will consider suggestions from the UCR community (use this form) for additional resources that may be added to the guide.