Cataloging and classifying materials are exercises of power: power over naming and organizing knowledge; making knowledge accessible and discoverable; and appropriating authority. Standardized systems and vocabularies act as catalysts that normalize white supremist ideologies. Jennifer Martin explains that controlled vocabularies “reflect and reinforce cultural norms which are harmful to non-dominant peoples and cultures, with LGBTQ + people, racial and ethnic minorities, religious minorities, and non-Western countries most frequently discussed” (Martin, 2020). What actions can we take to dismantle these harmful practices that actively hide and ostracize BIPOC authors and points of view?
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