Racial Justice Challenge promotes anti-racism in the UMaine community

The spring of 2020 sparked a resurgence of racial justice movements on a national level as a result of police officers publicly killing a number of unarmed Black people, including George Floyd and Breanna Taylor, which brought national attention to the issue of police brutality. Public opinions surged in favor of social justice movements including the Black Lives Matter movement, after reports of unwarranted brutal force used by police officers surfaced and highlighted the biases that affect many Black and Indigenous people of color (BIPOC). The dialogue surrounding disenfranchisement of BIPOC provided a glimpse into the broader issues of police brutality and systemic racism that affect many aspects of people\u27s everyday lives. As a response, the Raymond H. Fogler Library at the University of Maine launched their own Racial Justice Challenge. This initiative aims to start the painful and sometimes uncomfortable conversations surrounding these issues and teaches its participants how to be anti-racist