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Taking a course during law school, she learned about disparity in the law between the sentences for possession of powder cocaine versus crack cocaine. “Why were we sentencing these two drugs so differently?†said Barnett. “Moral consciousness tells us that powder cocaine is used by those with money and crack by poor black people.†In doing research for a paper she was writing about this discrepancy, she knew that she wanted to show the human element in that paper. “I wrote to Sharanda Jones, a woman incarcerated for the rest of her life for a first-time drug offense. I met her, learned she was a single parent with a quadriplegic mother who happened to make a bad decision when she transported drugs for her friends. Her first offense was a fundamental death sentence.â€
Over the years, Barnett met others in similar situations, first time convictions with life sentences. “It was like watching the same horror movie over and over. I knew I wanted to use my talent to free people, but it was scary to leave my comfortable spot in corporate law. My daddy cracked the future wide open when he said, ‘BK stop worrying about the challenges and imagine the possibilities.’â€
Barack Obama ultimately granted Sharanda clemency. “I invested in Sharanda and now she has a food truck called ‘Fed Up’ and she employs those formally incarcerated. She donates part of her profits to Barnett’s Buried Alive Project which fights to free people buried alive under outdated federal drug laws.
Get more information about Brittany K. Barnett at https://www.brittanykbarnett.com/. â–
How else would one start a PLA Conference session named Finding Joy: Library as Space for Playful Learning and Creativity but with an ice breaker? Michael Stephens, “Soft Skills are Heart Skills,†and Stacie Ledden, Director of Strategic Partnerships, Anythink Libraries asked the audience, “What is one thing that brings you joy when it feels like the world is upside down?†Shouts of dogs and puppies filled the room, along with movies, wine, children, and reading.
Ledden described the library system Anythink, located just north of Denver, as an experience library. “We have hosted farmer’s markets to provide access to fresh produce, printer services, gaming clubs, storytime, artist partnerships, and much more. We think of joy as an essential service,†she said. “Other programs such as Civic Saturdays allow us to virtually meet our neighbors, talk about issues, share music, and connect with each other.†Plans for the summer include providing unicorn rides and passing out coins that represent wishes that patrons can share with others. “Our communities need sparks of joy,†continued Ledden. “If libraries can be a spark of joy in someone’s day, [they should be]. People are dealing with a lot right now including PTSD, job loss, and more. What better place than the library to provide a space for this.â€
Learning in the library can be very different than what it used to be said Stephens, “I have been fascinated by seeing what libraries have done over the last 20 years. Learning can be whatever your community finds engaging or useful.†Likewise, providing a new experience allows the userto do things that may otherwise not be available to the community. And stories can take many forms. “We can tell stories in different ways and we can allow our users to tell and post their stories to further our connection to our community.â€
The session turned into a giant think tank as the speakers asked the audience to discuss the things that would encourage and bring joy to their own communities. “What would make them feel welcome? How can we bring that feeling to our users?†asked Stephens. “And remember, everything we do for our users and ourselves should be done with kindness.†â–
