by Taylor Ryan
“Do you have a program scheduled?” The woman answered when I asked her if they had a cart
for me to bring some meals in to feed the 30+ children that attend the Shawnee Library between
3-8:30 PM on a daily basis. I had just gotten back to Louisville from Lexington, KY. I took a
coworker and myself to the Kentucky Compost Council’s Annual Conference, and because of
my affiliation with Change Today, Change Tomorrow, they sent us out the door with about thirty
individually boxed lunches.
“No. Don’t you have a whole bunch of hungry kids in here every day?” I responded, wondering
why I would need a program scheduled to feed the kids they know are hungry and in attendance
daily. I was asked to wait to get the approval from her boss, “You need approval to feed kids?”
And, she confirmed she needed approval to feed the kids. I am typing that twice because how crazy
is that?
I walked off to take a call, and she approached me to let me know her boss declined the food
distribution, but we could “schedule something for a later date.” She then proceeded to connect
with me and tell me how it would be “okay” for me to distribute “off-site.” When she says this I
happen to notice a cart with a sign identifying a “free” section in the bookcase close to the exit.
Of course, I inquired about putting the food boxes in the free section, to which she responded, “I
can remove the sign if you want me to.” I walked off with an attitude, wondering why I have spent
the last five years advocating for people to have a library card and getting organizations to
utilize the community rooms so they can keep their doors open. And the whole time, they are
kicking kids out and not wanting to feed the kids they know need food.
How do I know they are kicking kids out, you ask? Because I was just at the library on Monday
October 6, 2025, evening to host a restorative circle with those same kids and a group of local
leaders. We had to advocate for them to allow the children to come back in to not only
participate in the restorative circle but also eat.
What could have been a simple food drop-off turned into a lack of care for the children they
serve every day. Was it because they didn’t want to clean up afterwards? They could have given
them the boxes on their way out as the library closed. Was it because they just didn’t want to do
it because it wasn’t their job? There were three white staff members sitting at the front desk of
the library in a Black neighborhood, doing everything but caring for the community they’re paid to
serve.
According to research from Clemson University, when food access in your neighborhood goes
down by 1% crime in your neighborhood goes up by 12%. And, we wonder why we are navigating
the amount of gun violence happening in Louisville, KY’s West End. I know why, because our
neighborhoods have been scraped of all things humans need to thrive, and when you throw in a
lack of basic respect for human life from our municipal workforce, you have increased violence. It
is that simple. Why do three non-caring white people work in the Shawnee Library if
they don’t care about the very people utilizing the space?
Who are we really hiring to work in these spaces? We are in a world where teachers don’t like
children, doctors are not preventative, police don’t protect nor serve, council folks not
representing their districts, people in customer service are rude, and so on. Is the library a
clock-in and clock-out job, or is it a community role that exposes vulnerable people to literature
and art for free? We are doing a disservice to our community when we hire people who are not
of the community. We are doing a disservice to our community when we hire people just
because they need a job. What happened to basic care? I keep asking myself that question,
especially after what happened at the Science Center.
A couple of weeks ago, I received a call no parent should ever get. My son choked during
lunch at the Kentucky Science Center’s out-of-school camp. A staff member performed
the Heimlich maneuver and saved his life. When I arrived, I was told twice that I was
“lucky”—lucky that someone happened to know the Heimlich because, as they said, “We
don’t typically do anything for medical emergencies beyond putting a Band-Aid on a
child.” That sentence haunts me as a mother.
I contacted their President and CEO Thursday, September 25, 2025, and he has been
“looking into this situation” ever since.
Our children, especially Black children, are not being cared for with the urgency, safety, or
humanity they deserve.
Ask yourself, would this happen to my white child?
Whether it’s a library that needs “approval” to feed hungry kids or a science center where
staff aren’t trained to respond to choking, the message is the same—Black children’s lives
are treated as optional, not essential. Our public spaces are not neutral; they reflect the
values of those who run them.
We need to demand that institutions serving children (libraries, museums, community
centers) be staffed by people trained not only in safety but in care, cultural competency,
and responsiveness in real life, and not a quick-pass virtual training.
The next generation deserves more than our luck—they deserve our care, our
competence, and our accountability.
