“Antiracist Lending Library” Offers Lessons On Racial Justice

Minnesota sisters hope free library will help their community grow in the wake of George Floyd's death. KARE's Jennifer Austin reports.

ORONOCO, Minn. (NBC News) — Sisters Annie Johnson and Dana Bergner already had a substantial personal collection of books about race and works written by authors of color.

After George Floyd was killed, they decided it was time to share.

“We’re calling it our Antiracist Lending Library,” said Johnson of the old mailbox outside her Oronoco, Minnesota home, which they converted to a community library.

Johnson came up with the idea while reflecting on Floyd’s death. She says friends were coming to her family with questions. Johnson’s husband is Black and her children are biracial.

“We had a lot of people reach out to us and ask, ‘What is our part? What can we do?’ And honestly, I was asking myself that question. What is my part?” Johnson said.

She shared her idea with her sister, who quickly got to work.

“The next day she had like 80 titles cataloged and ready to check out to people,” Johnson said.

Read more here.