Gov. Tim Walz’s administration in Minnesota is organizing a retreat exclusively for “BIPOC” librarians, sparking backlash for using public funds to host a racially segregated event. The retreat, scheduled for October, will be fully funded by taxpayers and limited to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, according to state documents obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation (DCNF).
The event, overseen by Minnesota State Library Services, is described as a day of professional development tailored to the state’s “BIPOC” library workers. Hotel accommodations, meals, and other expenses for participants will be paid for using state resources.
Critics are raising concerns about the event’s exclusivity, particularly since the registration form excludes options for “white” and “heterosexual” attendees. This follows a pattern of racially segregated events under Walz’s administration. In 2022, his Department of Education held “restorative justice” trainings that explicitly barred white educators from attending, and his Department of Veterans Affairs hosted events that limited white participation unless they agreed to serve as “stakeholders” or allies for non-white and LGBTQ veterans.
The keynote speaker for the retreat is Nicole Cooke, a professor at the University of South Carolina, known for her advocacy in diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI), and social justice. Cooke has made waves with her argument that educating students without a DEI lens is equivalent to educational malpractice.
Tamara Lee, who directs Minnesota State Library Services, has been an outspoken advocate for racial equity in libraries. In her writings, she has argued that librarians must take an active role in educating children on racial justice and combating what she describes as white supremacy in the field.
As news of the event spreads, critics argue that the use of public funds for such a racially exclusive event is problematic. The Walz administration has faced similar controversies in the past, and this latest event is sure to stoke further debate over the administration’s commitment to DEI initiatives in public institutions.
