The Black Bookshelf Project Ltd.

The Cause

Founded and led by a diverse group of women, The Black Bookshelf Project’s (TBBP) mission is to promote equality by equipping schools, child care centers, and organizations with supportive educational resources that increase community appreciation of diversity. TBBP specifically curates and distributes diversity focused literature collections and educational resources that amplify diverse people’s contributions to community, sports, arts and culture throughout the community. TBBP’s service supports, empowers, and inspires organizations to take informed and positive action to strengthen diversity and equality in their communities. TBBP’s resources are inclusive, accessible and engaging for all ages. With the support of Field Law’s grant, TBBP will deliver individually tailored book collections and resources to community organizations, childcare programs, and schools at no cost.

TBBP’s educational materials highlight stories that are written by and representative of people from a myriad of cultural backgrounds. By uplifting the stories of diverse people and cultures, TBBP builds community capacity to foster diverse, inclusive and strong communities that benefit everyone. TBBP’s accessible and engaging diversity-focused resources inspire and provide organizations with foundational knowledge about diversity that is scaffolded by resources created by certified teachers. Our resources provide a supportive entry point from which people of all walks of life can deepen their understanding of and find value in diversity.

Each school is given:

- Kallax Bookshelf
- (1) Acrylic TBBP sign for on top of each bookshelf
- (30) Age Appropriate Books that have spine stickers, bookplates and educational resource stickers
- (1) Deck of 30 Affirmation Cards for Indigenous Women & Girls
- (3) Pencil Boxes Filled with Crayola Colours of the World markers, pencil crayons and crayons
- (100) Colouring Cards Printed on high quality cardstock
- (1) TBBP Branded File Folder to hold the Coloring Cards and other printed materials in
- (1) Year of Free Access to the online resources in the TBBP resource repository

Many community organizations are excited by our project and are eager to welcome it into their libraries. Our waitlist, for schools, child care centers and organizations that do not currently have the means to support the $1,300.00 purchase price of a TBBP Bookshelf, continues to grow. There are currently 15 schools (and counting) on our waitlist.

Who Will it Benefit?

When granted to The Black Bookshelf Project, Field Law’s Community Fund will directly benefit 18,933 children throughout Northern Alberta’s communities. Broken down more specifically based on the current numbers provided to TBBP by the schools on our waitlist, 7,575 of those students will benefit from gaining access to our diversity focused literature collections and 11,358 of those students will benefit from gaining access to the resource repository. According to Statistics Canada, the average household size in Canada has 2.6 people. Based on that statistic, 30,292 more people will also immediately benefit from the ripple effect created by placing TBBP in learning environments. People across Northern Alberta, the province of Alberta, the country of Canada and the world will benefit from the enhanced knowledge of diversity and community equality gained by those who have benefitted from access to our books and resources.

TBBP benefits the whole community by promoting equality for all communities. With Field Law’s support, TBBP will place diversity-focused books in schools and childcare centers throughout Alberta. Children and adults will be inspired and strengthened by TBBP’s resources to build and sustain more community-minded learning environments will benefit Northern Albertan communities’ by enhancing their capacity to actively value and nurture diversity so all community members’ potential and ingenuity has the opportunity to flourish and thrive in ways that benefit and nurture the whole community. When equipped with TBBP’s education around the importance of diversity, inclusion, learning and growth, students and educators will be equipped to go above and beyond in their practices of diversity and inclusion for the benefit of the whole community. By supporting TBBP, Field Law will be providing materials that highlight diverse representation that inspires children, youth and families of all walks of life to develop their unique talents, potentials, and abilities.