SIBA has created this 21-Day Challenge as part of its commitment to provide anti-racist initiatives and training to its membership. This is the third year SIBA has held this challenge, and the content has been updated to reflect recent concerns and issues, and to make recently created resources available. Even if you have participated in the challenge in the past, you will find new material available to you this year.

The Challenge will begin on February 6th. Registration will close on Sunday. February 5th. Each day, participants will be emailed a prompt for reflection, discussion, and action. The prompts will also appear on this blog, along with more ideas and resources as the Challenge progresses.

The Challenge is divided into three weekly themes:

Week 1: Anti-Racism and Your Bookstore
Week 2: Anti-Racism and Your Community
Week 3: Creating an Equitable Society - Change starts now.

We call this a "Challenge" because it will be hard work. Participants last year remarked that it requires a time commitment, and the willingness to self-pace as necessary to avoid being overwhelmed. To make this a success, keep in mind these three tips:

1. Grant yourself extra time for working on each day’s prompt. Sit with whatever comes up, and pause before reentering space with others.
   
   
2. Keep a journal of some kind handy to jot down your thoughts and feelings as they occur. This will be an invaluable record as you work through the challenge.
   
   
3. Welcome to the first day of the rest of of your life! The Challenge is an opportunity to apply what you’re learning to your everyday life, but it’s not something that ends after 21 days. Becoming anti-racist is an ongoing process and this challenge is meant to support you on your ever-evolving journey.

SIBA created "The Anti-Racist Bookseller" column as a resource for booksellers seeking to keep their anti-racist work going throught the year. A new article appears in each SIBA newsletter.

Booksellers already know that books change lives. Words change lives. But it is the people who read them who take what they have learned and go on to change the world. We can't wait to see the changes each of you will make.

Register to take the 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge