The challenge started with a complex question: how can a public library meaningfully respond to anti-Asian racism, highlight the voices and contributions of the Asian community, tackle difficult conversations, and build a sense of belonging?

With funding from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada we created a series that highlighted Asian stories. An advisory group, made up of five Asian cultural leaders, provided direction and was critical to our success. We were able to explore perspectives from 33 guest speakers, including award winning authors and thought leaders. The result was an integrated series that exceeded expectations for attendance, and amplified the anti-racism conversation.

We hosted 12 events in 2022, attracting a total of 1006 attendees. Grant funding allowed us to boost our outreach efforts, and our marketing campaign reached 379,417 people on social media, which raised awareness of the series and the role public libraries have in combating racism. The series garnered a lot of press and established partnerships with five local cultural organizations. VPL intends to continue presenting Uplift Asian going forward as a way build understanding and create community connections.