Santa Cruz Public Libraries will observe the overlapping United Against Hate Week from Sept. 21-27 and Banned Books Week from Sept. 22-28 with bystander intervention training and a panel discussion.
CAIR California will lead a bystander intervention training workshop at the Aptos Branch Library from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21, in collaboration with Santa Cruz County for Safe and Inclusive Communities. It will cover principles of nonviolence and deescalation techniques, including hands-on skills about how to deescalate a hate incident before it leads to violence, how to create a safe space and how to support the person being targeted. Registration is required.
A “Unite Against Book Bans, Unite Against Hate” panel discussion will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 26, at the Capitola Branch Library. It will feature a conversation about the ways reading challenged and banned books positively influence well-being, reduce hate and bias, and save lives with Zak Keith, Diversity Center graduate student researcher and program coordinator; Amber Baumbach, Capitola Branch Library youth services librarian; Maddeline Aliyah, speaker, poet, author and Santa Cruz Queer Trans Youth Council member; and Alex Trask, Delta High School junior. Registration is required.
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