The Human Library is a library of people a nd their experiences with prejudice. Instead of paperbacks\, actual people are on loan for conversations. This is a drop-in event\, so feel free to stop by any time between 12:30 and 4 p.m. Once you arrive\, you will have the opportunity to sign up to speak with the books of your choice. \;< /p>\n
The concept is about acknowledging and challenging the prejudice t hat we all carry toward one another. The Human Library creates a safe spac e for conversation where topics that may be taboo\, marginalized or stigma tized can be openly addressed without judgement. \;
\nOn the Margin: Being Bi-Racial
What happens when someone asks\, "What are you?&rdquo\; The bir
acial experience &ndash\; a complex sense of heritage and aspiration - is
often overlooked and lumped into the category of 'other'. For most of her
life\, she&rsquo\;s been told that she&rsquo\;s not Asian enough and not w
hite enough\; that she&rsquo\;s different and that she doesn&rsquo\;t belo
ng. On the Margin had to decide how she wanted to identif
y to find peace within herself.
F Pray Heal: A Traumati
c Grief
After losing her mom and the person she thought she
would spend the rest of her life with in the same month and facing unexpec
ted career challenges\, F Pray Heal finds herself drownin
g in a loveless spiral of grief and unhealed trauma. There is no fancy tri
p to India she can take to go find herself again. And if there were\, she
couldn't afford to book the flight. With her bank account in overdraft and
her therapist away on vacation\, F Pray Heal is forced to face grief whil
e struggling through poverty.
Recovering Out Loud
Recovering Out Loud started using drugs from a very early age and
consequently\, has been to prison four times. After her last trip to pris
on\, she received treatment for her addiction and turned her life around.
Today\, she has been sober for over 7 years and works in the recovery/reen
try field. She has experienced many blessings\, such as her reunited famil
y\, a full pardon from the governor\, and a house with Habitat for Humanit
y\, but most importantly\, a life filled with purpose and direction.
I&rsquo\;m Just As Surprised As You Are
It&rsq
uo\;s surprising how things turned out considering the start of them! Expe
riencing a traumatic childhood\, her family fell apart at 9 years old as <
strong>I&rsquo\;m Just As Surprised As You Are chose to leave hom
e to ensure she had a better upbringing and chance for joy. Born with a cr
own on her head\, most of what she has accomplished seems to be luck. The
choices and circumstances proved that case. To look at her now\, you would
never guess the story. The journey of trauma to joy.
T
aking the Long Way
Part of her childhood was spent in govern
ment housing and the rest in a trailer home in rural southeast Arkansas. H
er journey led her to Northwest Arkansas where she made her home and found
a community she could never have imagined as a child. The journey was not
without discomfort but along the way Taking the Long Way
learned unique problem-solving skills and the ability to be assertive. Sh
e never thought she would be here simply because she didn&rsquo\;t know "h
ere" existed.
Off the Grid
Off the Grid h
as been living in isolated\, rural Washington County for over 25 years\, o
ff the grid\, with solar electric before it was readily available. He take
s drinking water from a well\, tends a small flock of chickens\, makes a s
mall garden\, and collects wild edibles. He has a working artist studio an
d a small cabin. That description brings connotations and stereotypes abou
t back-to-the-landers\, hippies\, hillbillies\, survivalists and rednecks\
, but Off the Grid isn&rsquo\;t sure any of these apply to him.
Walking Two Moons
Growing up on the Navajo reservat
ion with her family and siblings until the age of 11\, Walking Two
Moons was always so certain she was a true Diné\; woman -
until she returned home\, and her relatives called her an "apple." Red on
the outside\, white on the inside. While also navigating the rest of the U
nited States\, Alaynna's story opens the discussion of walking two moons o
n the same world. As an American and as Diné\; woman.
<
br />AuDHD: Passion and Perseverance
Growing up\, Au
DHD never felt like she truly fit in. Seeing mental health profes
sionals from a young age\, she was misdiagnosed with depression\, then bip
olar disorder before her correct diagnosis of ADHD. This diagnosis made he
r feel like her life had been turned upside down\, but the diagnosis\, alo
ng with being given an Autism diagnosis\, taught her that passion and pers
everance was what made her into the person she is today - a person with tr
ue grit.
Resilient Souls: Transforming Adversity into S
trength
Resilient Souls grew up poor and living with neglect
and abuse in the US\; her husband grew up poor and well cared for in Afri
ca. There is a vast difference in these circumstances\, but what they have
in common is the ability to transform their experiences through education
to embody resilience. Regardless of education level or net worth\, we can
all embody resilience throughout the ebbs and flows of our life journey.<
strong>
Writer&rsquo\;s Block
As an English teach
er\, occasional writer\, and former library assistant\, Writer's B
lock lived a life surrounded by books and language. Writers make
choices\, but how does someone "make choices" about their life\, knowing t
hey don't get a chance at a second draft? He'd love to talk about his expe
riences coming out as a gay man\, serving as an educator in a culture wher
e reading seems perpetually endangered\, and volunteering for NWA's LGBT c
ommunity and FPL Foundation Board.
Reaching the Clearin
g
Reaching the Clearing has spent his entire adult life in a
communication profession but\, never thought he had much to say. After a
series of events caused him to confront himself and question long held bel
iefs\, he&rsquo\;s emerging into a clearing - a place of contentment and p
eace. He&rsquo\;s beginning to share some of the things he has learned in
hopes of saving someone else from the worry and heartache he experienced t
o reach the clearing.
Historic Baller
Historic Bal
ler grew up in Arkansas. He was an Arkansas Razorback offensive l
ineman and three-year letterman (&lsquo\;81\, &lsquo\;82\, &lsquo\;83) und
er the legendary coach\, Lou Holtz. He will share his perspectives and exp
eriences of segregation and racism as a major college football player of c
olor.
Here to Walk You Home: Anecdotes and Observations
of a Hospice Nurse
Here to Walk You Home is a theater artis
t who\, for the past decade\, has made his living as a nurse working prima
rily in Hospice. He&rsquo\;s written a book (with the same title) about hi
s experiences. He began chronicling his experiences to provide education a
nd illumination for the general public about this natural part of the huma
n journey. He looks forward to sharing his lived experiences in dying with
you!
A
is for Adam\, Z is for Zealot
A is for Adam\, Z is f
or Zealot deconstructed from Christian Nationalism. She grew up i
n a fundamentalist household with a cult-like church and school. Her life
got turned upside down when she was kicked out and had to go to public sch
ool. She broke free from undiagnosed selective mutism and learned about di
fferent viewpoints. Swinging to both extremes\, from Nondenominational Com
munist to Traditional Catholic Theocratic Monarchist\, she fully deconstru
cted four years ago. \;