Urban Honolulu: Little Free Diverse Libraries & Murals

Hawai‘i FEAST and Greener Reader are seeking donations as we launch the “Urban Honolulu: Little Free Diverse Libraries & Murals” Project. This project will involve building and installing five little free libraries and two public murals, in the hopes of contributing to the discourse on race and equity issues in Honolulu.

Our organizations consider books and art to be effective catalysts of reflection, critical thinking, empathy, and conversation on these topics within communities, or even small groups of friends, and we'd like to do our part in facilitating their circulation and implementation in Honolulu.

Additonally, we are inspired by the work of Sarah Kamya, a New York City school counselor who is collecting  book donations that amplify and empower black voices, and distributing those books to Little Free Libraries throughout the US.

Thus far, we have: 

• Identified sites willing to host little free libraries, including: Aloha Beer Company, Da Shop Honolulu, ARS Cafe, and Aupuni Space. 

We are still in the process of: 

• Securing project funding by reaching out to organizations and businesses that are willing to sponsor or donate to this project. 
• Working with a local craftsman to design, construct, and install five little free libraries in select locations throughout urban Honolulu.
• Purchasing race and equity-focused books, primarily from BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) authors and bookstores. Initial book selection is being curated here based on titles available at Nā Mea Hawaiʻi, the Black Lives Matter list available through Da Shop Honolulu, titles recommended by activists we follow such as Sarah Kamya (@littfreediverselibraries and see her book list here) and Rachel Cargle (@rachel.cargle and Elizabeth's Bookshop & Writing Centre), and suggestions and donations from the community. Over the long term, we can all swap books on these topics with each other that we would like to share. 
• Selecting artists who will be responsible for paint the libraries with murals that embody the themes of race and equity. 

Build Public Discourse on Race & Equity 

Communities across the United States are grappling with how to address systemic racism and equity disparities. As activist Angela Davis once said, “In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be antiracist.” Engaging in literature and artwork that showcase the experiences of people from different racial and ethnic backgrounds can be a useful tool in better understanding different perspectives and dismantling the biases people have towards one another. At the core of this project, Hawaiʻi FEAST and Greener Reader seek to contribute to the discussion on race and equity by sharing the work of BIPOC authors through 'little free libraries' and public murals.

Moreover, public spaces—parks, streets, and courtyards—have always been powerful arenas for democratic action, protests, and public discourse on these important topics. We hope the little free libraries and murals created for this project will not only improve the sense of place within the communities they are implemented, but will also serve as a visual memorialization to the ways in which these communities are grappling with issues of race and equity. 

Improve the Built Environment 

Artists have an important role in improving the physical and social fabric that holds communities together. It has been well documented in urban planning studies that public artwork, and public murals in particular, improve a neighborhood’s economic wellbeing and provide residents with a greater sense of place.

Enhance Artist Resources 

Despite the vital need for art, the creative community in Hawai‘i often lacks the fiscal resources to implement projects on a scale that is visible to the public. This project will provide Hawaiʻi FEAST and Greener Reader the opportunity to work with artists to strengthen their story-telling capacity and provide them with the financial resources to implement public art that benefits the people of Hawaiʻi.