Walz Administration to Hold Racially Segregated Retreat for ‘BIPOC’ Librarians

Minnesota State Library Services, part of Democratic Gov. Tim Walz’s administration, plans to use public funds to pay for a retreat intended exclusively for “BIPOC” librarians, according to documents obtained exclusively by the Daily Caller News Foundation.

The Walz administration describes the event, which will take place in October, as “a day of professional development and network-building designed specifically for BIPOC library workers of Minnesota,” according to a registration page. Minnesota will use public funds to cover hotel lodging, meals and other fees for those attending the program, state documents show.

“BIPOC” stands for “black, indigenous and people of color.”

A sign-up form for the event allows those seeking to attend the program to select from an assortment of races and sexualities to describe themselves but “heterosexual” and “white” are notably missing from the options available.

Nicole Cooke, a professor of library and information science at the University of South Carolina, is booked as a keynote speaker for the event, according to an agenda obtained by the DCNF.

Cooke has argued that it is “tantamount to malpractice” to allow students to enter the workforce without first being educated on diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice. In 2017, she received a grant to study “racial microaggressions in libraries,” according to a press release.

The professor has a long history of giving presentations on the importance of center racial justice and diversity when managing libraries, according to her personal website. In 2020, she created an “anti-racism resources for all ages” project {snip}

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