I was disappointed to learn that on July 2, the Portland Public Library’s downtown branch will be featuring a member of the Portland Police Department as part of their “community helper” story-time series. The downtown library has always been my happy place — where my family could find respite and enjoy hours of play and reading. As a white parent to two white children, I’ve especially appreciated that staff in Children’s Services highlight books by Black authors and about the Black freedom struggle.

I am extremely disturbed that the same library that promotes literature about Black freedom is ignoring the impact of its programming on its Black patrons. As my 6-year-old immediately recognized when I told him about the event, Black children and their parents might be terrified to see a police officer in the library.

Nor can police be appropriately categorized as “community helpers” alongside doctors and firefighters. The horrific history and present reality of police violence against Black communities puts them in a different category. Furthermore, the police are the instrument by which the government suppresses speech and silences dissent, as demonstrated by the arrests of nonviolent student protesters earlier this year. These issues strike to the core of the library’s purpose.

Libraries around the country, including our own, have reduced reliance on police by training staff in security, mental health and first aid. This event would be a step backward. I urge the leadership to reconsider this programming.

Lev Leviter
Portland