On May 25, 2020, George Floyd was killed by a police officer. In the aftermath of his death, the United States has erupted with protests calling for an end to police violence against black Americans and other Americans of color. This guide offers resources that can help explain the history of race in America, why these protests are happening now, and what we can do moving forward.
The graphic below illustrates the data around police violence toward black people in America. See more statistics about police violence in America at the links below the graphic. See the boxes below this one to find books, ebooks, podcasts, and movies on race in America.
Image from Mapping Police Violence
The documentaries below are available for free online. Click on the links to access the films.
The following documentaries are available on Hoopla, a streaming service available for free through the Kern County Library. Click on the links below to check out the films. You need to have a Kern County Library card to access these movies. If you do not already have one, sign up for an ecard at this link: https://www.kerncountylibrary.org/contact/
Stream or download the following podcasts for free via any podcast streaming app (Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play, Apple Podcasts, etc.). These podcasts focus on racial equity and justice in America.
These books are available online through the BC Library. To access each book, simply click on the title of the book.
These links will take you to other guides by the BC Library that may be useful for learning about Black Lives Matter.
These books are available in print at the BC library. If you would like to check out one of these books, please start a chat with a librarian via the chat box on the library home page and let them know you would like to make an appointment to check it out. You may also call the Circulation Desk at 661-395-4661 to set up a check-out appointment.