Little Books Library Adds Titles On Race To Mark George Floyd's Birthday

Putting diversity front and centre, Little Books Library, a non-profit organization that fosters neighborhood book exchanges across the world, has launched an initiative to mark the birthday of George Floyd on Oct. 14.

The “Read in Color” initiative by the mini libraries aims to include diverse authors, stories and characters in their little boxes of books.

“After the murder of George Floyd, we started looking at ways we could contribute to change and we saw our stewards around the country feeling the same way and sharing diverse books in their Little Free Libraries,” spokeswoman Margret Aldrich told CNN.

Through “Read in Color”, Little Books Library will provide perspectives on racism and social justice, and celebrate BIPOC and LGBTQ voices. The project aims at incorporating experiences from all identities for all readers in an effort to bring in more inclusive experience with a belief that everyone should be able to see themselves in the pages of a book.

The project has kick started in the Twin cities and aims to expand across the country in targeted locations, specifically low-income communities.

"We recognize that there are places in our country and communities where book access is problematic, especially books that reflect the faces in these communities," executive director Greig Metzger told CNN.

"It's all about what we can do to help create a better sense of understanding of the variety of people in our country,” he added.

Started in 2009 by Todd Bol, Little Books Library encourages people to place books in mounted wooden boxes that are free for others to take. In 2012, it registered itself as a non-profit organisation. Today, there are more than 60,000 Little Free Library book exchanges in all 50 states and 80 countries, and the movement continues to grow.

George, an African American man, was killed during an arrest on May 25, after a store clerk alleged, he had passed a counterfeit $20 bill in Minneapolis. His death sparked nationwide protests and a racial reckoning.