Librarians are being urged to skip meetings in buildings deemed “racist”, as Welsh Labour steps up its mission to “eradicate” systemic racism. The Mail has the story.
Libraries across Wales have been given the task of promoting “anti-racism” as part of a £130,000 project.
Local librarians are being taught “critical whiteness studies” as well as how to deal with problems such as the “dominant paradigm of whiteness”, the Telegraph report.
It comes after Labour’s Welsh Government was accused of “hypocrisy” in March after ministers had been driven hundreds of thousands of miles by chauffeurs despite laws restricting drivers.
Dozens of buildings in Wales, from pubs to community centres, have been added to a list of sites linked to slavery, as per a 2021 Government-backed dossier.
In a document created by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (Cilip) in Wales, a warning said to be “mindful of the venue and if you have a choice, do not choose a venue that represents a racist legacy”.
It also said: “If you have to use a venue that has a racist past, acknowledge this as early as possible to demonstrate your commitment to systemic issues.
“You can even acknowledge historical context in the event invitation.”
The Gladstone Library in Hawarden and the Goronwy Owen Primary School in Anglesey were both flagged as examples due to their names linking to slavery.
Worth reading in full.
Stop Press: Visitors to Gloucester Cathedral will be invited to use their mobile phones to learn about how its monuments are linked to slavery, reports the Mail.
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