Green Library housed the first Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Fair on Thursday, giving a platform to historically marginalized communities at Stanford to enhance their activism and advocacy efforts while allowing Stanford Libraries to present a wide range of justice-related resources. The event, coordinated by Racial Justice and Social Equity Librarian Felicia Smith and User Experience Designer Astrid Usong, featured speakers, art exhibits and collections from Stanford Libraries highlighting diversity and social justice. 

“The idea of the fair arose from the desire to show the library as a place that supports and stands in solidarity with students of color,” Usong said. The project aimed to illustrate stories of student activism by sharing resources such as archives, book collections, visual art and software like the KNOW Systemic Racism (KSR) Project.

At one of the fair’s booths, Course Reserve Specialist Brianna Ramirez welcomed guests to visit the online spotlight exhibit on the history of Stanford’s Latinx community. 

At an adjacent table, Caelin Marum ’21, an intern for the Native American Cultural Center, presented a project on which she had collaborated.

“Stanford has celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Stanford American Indian Organization over the last academic year,” Marum said. The project showcased this history through a collection of photos, timelines and maps.

Smith emphasized the fair’s wide range of topics, including racial justice, LGBTQIA+ justice, mapping collections and a Black Lives Matter banner that spanned the length of the library’s facade, emblazoned with “Know Justice, Know Peace.”

“You put justice before EDI [Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion] initiatives. As a racial justice librarian, I really want to focus on putting justice first,” Smith said. “This is a place where people can start their research and then be inspired to take action on their own.”