Who We Are: Dallas Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation (Dallas TRHT) is a community-driven organization whose mission is to create a radically inclusive Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex by addressing race and racism through narrative change, relationship building and equitable policies and practices. Dallas TRHT’s approach examines how the hierarchy of human value became embedded in our society, both its culture and structures, and then works with communities to design and implement effective actions that will permanently uproot it.
In 2023, as we prepare for North Texas Giving Day, we are launching a campaign that not only fosters racial equity but also addresses the alarming challenges our community faces—book banning and attacks on local libraries. Our hope is to create a community-based racial equity library and an anti-racist book club that will serve as a cornerstone in the journey towards a more just society.
The TRHT Freedom Library: The library will serve as a liberating resource for community members that promotes open access to books and information, providing a more accurate local and national history.
The C.L.U.B (Community Learning & Unpacking Books): The book club will provide a gathering space for the community to share, study, and discuss books from the library and to plan for future, equitable action beyond the pages.
The Urgency: Book Banning in Texas and Attacks on Local Libraries: Recent statistics highlight the gravity of the situation:
- Texas Leads in Book Banning: Texas leads the nation in book bans, with an alarming number of titles removed from schools and libraries, including those addressing racial equity and LGBTQ+ topics.
- Suppression of Knowledge: These bans suppress the knowledge essential for understanding the history of racial discrimination and the ongoing fight against it.
- Attacks on Local Libraries: Local libraries have faced vandalism, threats, and political pressure to remove books that promote diversity and inclusion.
By supporting Dallas Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation on North Texas Giving Day 2023, you are contributing to a community that has access to accurate histories, deeper understanding, and a gathering space for racial healing.