Diversity for Representation
Channel: SJSU School of Information
Date: 2023-01-09

Podcast Link:

Abstract:
Dr. Aisha Johnson will discuss her path to librarianship, archives, and discovery of the Julius Rosenwald Library Fund. Her title, The African American Struggle for Library Equality: The Untold Story of the Julius Rosenwald Fund Library Program, unveils the almost forgotten philanthropic efforts of Julius Rosenwald, former president of Sears, Roebuck, Co., and an elite businessman. Rosenwald simply desired to improve “the well-being of mankind” through access to education. The talk will extend into a discussion on the need for diversity for adequate representation in libraries and archives to provide service to all people. A talk on the impact of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Biography:
Dr. Aisha Johnson (she/her), Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Outreach at Georgia Institute of Technology Library, is a revelator of Southern library history. Formerly an Assistant Professor/MLS Program Director for the School of Library and Information Sciences at North Carolina Central University, she is committed to archival research, the production of minority librarians and archivists for cultural preservation, and redefining the scholar.

A leader in the field, she was dubbed the 2020 Distinguished Alumni of Florida State University's College of Communication and Information, School of Information. In 2021, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History recognized her work and impact with the Freedom Scholar Award.