Thursday, April 6 @ 6:30 pm
AFSCME Union Hall
1424 N. Pennsylvania St.
As the community organizes for the next public IndyPL Board of Trustees meeting, library supporters are hosting a community forum to provide updates on and collectively discuss the past, present, and future of the struggle for a truly public library.
The organic struggle of Indianapolis residents, library patrons, and community organizations has, over the past several months, exposed the fundamentally corrupt nature of our public library’s so-called “leadership.” We’ve kept them in the spotlight, forcing resignations from some members and shifting the Board’s makeup in the people’s favor.
This fight isn’t over. Board members Hope Tribble, Raymond Biederman, and Dr. Eugene White continue resisting taking any community input as they try to impose their decisions on the overwhelming majority of us. Fortunately, the Board members who represent the people and continue earning our respect and admiration—Dr. Patricia A. Payne, Dr. Khaula Murtadha, and Stephen Lane—continue resisting the undemocratic forces on the Board.
At their March meeting, the latest member to join the Board, Dr. White, sold us out. It was less than a month after, as Ko Lyn Cheang writes, that White “said he joined the board to bring justice to Hayes.” (Read more about White’s betrayal)
Although the Board itself is evenly divided, no individual or group of appointees will determine the outcome alone. In the movement for a more just, equitable, and genuinely public library, we—the community—are the decisive factor.
This movement consists of so many people and groups from diverse neighborhoods and different backgrounds in Indianapolis, and it is nothing less than remarkable that we continue remaining united in our current demand to appoint Nichelle M. Hayes as our Library’s top leader.
To maintain and build that unity, present the truth about what’s really happening, and to share our perspectives and brainstorm our next steps, join us for a community-wide forum on Thursday, April 6th at 6:30 pm.
This is our library and we need you to help shape it! Whether you’ve been fighting the good fight for years or watching from the sidelines, we hope to see you there!
