Resilience, Resistance, and the Radical Power of Telling Our Stories
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “We are not makers of history. We are made by history.” But what happens when that history is erased, distorted, or denied? Libraries, as repositories of human experience, have long stood as guardians against this erasure, offering spaces where the fullness of our shared humanity can be explored. Yet, for Black communities, libraries have also been battlegrounds in the fight to tell our stories in our own words.
The history of Black librarianship is one of resilience in the face of systematic exclusion. For centuries, those in power have sought to control whose stories are told and who has access to knowledge. For enslaved Black Americans, literacy was forbidden because it was understood as a pathway to liberation. After emancipation, Black communities were relegated to segregated, underfunded libraries or denied access altogether. But even in these spaces of denial, Black Americans found ways to tell their stories and preserve their truth.
Today, this battle continues in a new form. Across the United States, book bans are rising, targeting works by Black authors, LGBTQ+ voices, and narratives that challenge sanitized versions of history. The American Library Association reports a record number of attempts to censor books. These attacks are not just about removing content—they are about silencing voices and controlling narratives.
As a Black librarian, I feel the weight of this ongoing struggle. For me, libraries are more than collections of books—they are places where people can discover their own stories reflected on the shelves. Yet, too often, the stories of marginalized communities are erased, distorted, or hidden away. This erasure is not accidental; it is a deliberate attempt to deny our humanity and rewrite history to fit a single, narrow perspective.
Dr. King understood the transformative power of storytelling. He believed that telling the truth about our history was essential to achieving justice. Libraries, as he saw them, were tools of liberation, offering the knowledge needed to dismantle oppression. During the Civil Rights Movement, libraries became battlegrounds for equality. Black students staged sit-ins at segregated libraries, demanding access to the books and resources denied to them. These quiet but revolutionary acts of resistance remind us that the right to learn and to tell our own stories is central to the fight for freedom.
The importance of owning and sharing our stories is something I’ve witnessed throughout my career.
But libraries must be spaces where all stories are valued. This is not only about representation but about survival. Throughout history, Black communities have relied on storytelling to preserve their culture and resist erasure. During slavery, when reading and writing were illegal, enslaved people passed down their stories orally, creating a legacy of resilience that continues to inspire. After emancipation, Black librarians like Dorothy Porter and Allegra Westbrooks fought to ensure that Black history was preserved and celebrated. They understood that telling our own stories is a radical act of empowerment.
Today, I carry this legacy forward as an archivist and producer of the documentary Are You a Librarian? The Untold Story of Black Librarians. My goal is to shine a light on the contributions of Black librarians, who have worked tirelessly to ensure that marginalized voices are heard. Their work is a testament to the power of storytelling and the importance of owning our narratives.
The resurgence of book bans and censorship shows us that the fight for intellectual freedom is far from over. These attacks are not just about books—they are about controlling who gets to tell their story and whose stories are deemed valuable. But history has shown us that resilience can overcome even the most entrenched systems of oppression. From the hidden libraries of the enslaved to the sit-ins of the Civil Rights era, Black communities have always fought to reclaim their right to knowledge and to tell the whole story.
Dr. King’s vision reminds us that the act of storytelling is inherently tied to justice. To deny access to knowledge or to censor stories is to deny freedom itself. Libraries must remain spaces where all voices can be heard, where the full complexity of human experience can be explored, and where we are free to tell our own stories in our own words.
The stories we tell shape our understanding of ourselves and our world. They teach us empathy, foster understanding, and challenge the status quo. When we silence certain voices, we lose the richness of human experience. Libraries, at their best, are sanctuaries where every story matters—where history is preserved in its fullness, and where everyone has the right to write themselves into the narrative.
A Call to Action for the Library Community
To my fellow librarians and library advocates, I urge you: let us honor the legacy of those who came before us by embracing our shared history as a profession, the good, the bad, and the ugly, and use that history to fight for the freedom to read, learn, and share. Stand firm against censorship in all its forms. Advocate for diverse collections that reflect the fullness of human experience. Speak out against policies that limit access to information. Educate your communities about the importance of intellectual freedom and the dangers of erasure.
Let us also be bold in preserving and celebrating stories that have been marginalized. Build spaces where every person feels seen, valued, and empowered to tell their own story. Invest in programs that teach critical thinking and media literacy, equipping patrons to navigate a world increasingly fraught with misinformation and disinformation. Support young people in finding their voices and their place in history.
Dr. King once said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” Silence is not an option. We must use our platforms to amplify voices that others seek to silence. We must ensure that libraries remain sanctuaries of knowledge, resistance, and truth. And we must remind the world that the power of a story, honestly told, can change everything.
Rodney Freeman Jr. is the producer of Are You a Librarian? The Untold Story of Black Librarians.