The LA County Board of Supervisors passed a July 2020 motion to create the Anti-Racism, Diversity, & Inclusion Initiative, which boldly articulated an anti-racist agenda to guide, govern, and increase its ongoing commitment to fighting racism in all its dimensions. The Library’s virtual platforms, Zoom and YouTube, provided a safe space for meaningful dialogue featuring equity-focused topics including Destigmatizing Illiteracy, Authentic Cultural Representation in books, and Cultural Awareness through Food Literacy.

• Uses storytelling and various genres to teach and inspire.
• Featured guests help community members see themselves represented, while encouraging cultural literacy and showcasing LA’s diversity.
• Speakers include Dr. Alison Rose Jefferson (African American leisure site scholar), June Jo Le (food ethnographer), Annette Chavez Macias (Mexican American writer), Oliver James (BookTok star), and Shonda Buchanan (Black Indian ancestry author).
• Posting talks on YouTube allows access to anyone within LA County and beyond.

• LA County Library has produced 5 engaging Heart & Hand Book Talks to date, with over 600 people attending live and an additional 600+ views on YouTube.
• The speakers have been well-received by attendees, with 94% saying yes to “Did this event change, validate, or influence your perspective on [topic] in LA County?” and 43% saying “The program makes me curious to learn more.”
• Based on testimonials and anecdotal evidence, there remains a strong interest in and need for the series, and more talks are in the works.