Rutgers University Newark has launched the Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (TRHT) Campus Center at its John Cotton Dana Library and at various other libraries throughout Newark.
TRHT Campus Centers is a comprehensive, national, and community-based initiative developed by the Association of American Colleges and Universities and funded by Newman’s Own Foundation and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The goal of the initiative is to help bring about transformational sustainable change that addresses the historic and contemporary effects of racism. The new library centers will create safe spaces where people can participate in interactive projects such as Racial Healing Circles, Healing Sounds of Newark spoken word events, and “ImVisible” art programs. Additionally, the centers will also host public events for the citizens of Newark and the metro area.
“Libraries are the depositories, producers, and lenders of intellectual capital — intellectual capital which is then invested back into the community for progressive and transformational movements such as the TRHT to make sure that our communities are moving forward in a positive direction,” said Consuella Askew, director of Dana Library. She further stated, “We will use our collections to develop constructive programming that will contribute to the goals of racial healing in our local communities.”
