Justice Library Added to Bay City's Waterfall Park

Author Rae Chesny with the Justice Library Commitee member during a story-telling exercize before opening the new Bay City Justice Library (Photo- Ric Antonio; WSGW)

A new way for Bay City-area readers to learn about racial justice has been added to the Downtown Area’s Waterfall park.

Saginaw Valley state university community writing center director, Helen Raica-Klotz, says the new tiny-library style enclosure is based on the work and success of the first Justice Library in the area, located outside the Saginaw Art Museum.

The aim of the addition is to provide options for both adults and children in the area to educate themselves and contribute to building and understanding the experiences of others.

Author and Justice Library Commitee member, Rae Chesny, said at Wednesday’s unveiling ceremony “The addition of the library at Waterfall park serves as a physical symbol of a community that’s ready to contribute to building a just world by having vulnerable conversations designed to understand the experiences of others.”

Several Live-read sessions will be held by the Justice Library committee, which organized the installation, focusing on “All American boys” by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely- a story of two friends, one black and one white, and their viewpoints following an assault by a police officer.

Reading sessions will be held via ZOOM and at Bay City’s Sage library:

-Thursday, April 29, 7-8:30 pm (on Zoom)
-Tuesday, May 11, 7-8:30 pm (on Zoom)
-Saturday, May 22, 10-11:30 am (at the Sage Library)
-Wednesday, May 26, 7-8:30 pm (on Zoom)

All conversations are free, but participants are asked to register for a session in advance by visiting the
Justice Library website at justicelibrary.org, where you can also find more information on the Justice Library program and committee.