At the third National Joint Conference of Librarians of Color in Albuquerque, New Mexico, during the session, “Engaging and Serving Black Immigrant Communities,” Ana Ndumu, PhD postdoctoral researcher at the University of Maryland iSchool, shared her research on the obstacles black immigrants face in accessing information and what libraries can better do to reach this diverse population. Ndumu shared that the biggest obstacle black immigrants face is information overload.
As a result of her research, Ndumu suggested that librarians should, “\really see and probe where they are and who they are. Remember that personal narratives matter. Think strengths, not deficits. Our profession has had this narrative of the poor, needy, immigrant.”