Roselle Public Library District awarded Healing Illinois Grant
The Roselle Public Library District was awarded a Healing Illinois grant by the Illinois Department of Human Services in partnership with the Chicago Community Trust.
Healing Illinois is an initiative to engage residents of communities across the state that have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 in a meaningful dialogue. The Roselle Public Library District received the amount of $8,000 in a wave of grants awarded to 86 nonprofit organizations across the state of Illinois.
The library will be joining these organizations to support racial healing initiatives through the creation of community-centered, inclusive and safe spaces to talk about racial disparities and design local solutions.
Healing Illinois is working to build and advance knowledge and understanding of racial healing and racial equity in communities across the state; increase trust and relationship building among the residents of Illinois; and provide opportunities for communities and individuals to begin to heal from the harms caused by racism. Overall, Healing Illinois hopes to foster positive dialogue on race relations and deliberative reckoning on systemic racism and disparities still faced by Black Illinoisans and other people of color.
The Roselle Public Library District will use the funds provided by the grant to support a variety of projects and programs, including staff training to build understanding and empathy, hosting several book discussions for readers of all ages centering on racism and anti-racism, and a virtual author visit from Newbery Award-winning author Kwame Alexander in early June 2021 that will focus on one of his most recent books for children, titled The Undefeated.
The Roselle Public Library District serves Roselle and parts of Schaumburg, Medinah, Keeneyville, and Bloomingdale.
More information about the Library is available at rosellepld.org.