Long Beach is a diverse city with people who have diverse perspectives and life experiences. It can sometimes lead to disconnectedness, misunderstandings, and apathy. This intentional effort of cultivating understanding between people is one way that organizers hope to improve the way residents relate with each other.
The first Human Library was held in 2000 in Copenhagen, Denmark by the five youth activists behind Stop the Violence, an organization created in response to a friend’s stabbing. The idea for Human Libraries came when they were encouraged to help come up with dialogue-inducing anti-violence activities for a local festival. Their concept focused on breaking down prejudice through peaceful conversation and storytelling, and was a big hit at the festival.
Since then, hundreds of Human Library events have been created all over the world. In Southern California, the Santa Monica Public Library held a Human Library in 2008. As one of the most diverse cities in the U.S., Long Beach is a perfect place for a Human Library.
Past Human Library books have included vegans, funeral directors, immigrants, police, people with disabilities, drag queens, cancer patients, ex-gang members, people who are HIV positive, graffiti artists, people who are transgender, former prostitutes, etc. Basically, anyone with a unique background or experience.
For more information, visit the Facebook event page at https://www.facebook.com/events/1374424792834295 or contact Rachael Rifkin at lifestories2day@gmail.com.
