White People: Listen, and then Educate Yourselves

As I sat down to write this, I started scrolling through my past posts. My post on Charlottesville, my post on the 2016 election, my post on Ferguson. And here I am again, begging white people to do the work necessary to dismantle the systemic racism in this country, because it's on us--the people who created it--to tear it down. 

So listen to your black friends/family/neighbors/colleagues, and then educate yourself. Ask questions if you need, but don't expect them to teach you about something your ancestors created. 

Below is a list of some of the resources that I've read/watched as I've tried to educate myself. This list is by no means exhaustive, and my own work continues. 

History Lessons: 

Wilkerson's book traces the migration of over six million Black Americans from the South to the North from 1915-1970s as they looked for better lives. She focuses on three individuals in particular--Ida Mae Gladney, George Swanson Starling, and Robert Pershing Foster--telling their lives before their moves, the issues they had while moving, and the issues they encountered once they found their new homes. (Spoiler: racism and segregation aren't just a Southern thing.) A really good overview of the time and the people who continue to change our country.

I know Dr. King's name has been used to try to discredit what is currently going on, so I hesitated to include the movie here, but I think it's important for people to realize that it hasn't mattered HOW Black Americans have protested in the past--white people have never liked it. A good look at the lead-up and consequences of the March on Selma. 

Also: Check out Rep. John Lewis' three volume graphic novel memoir March about his experiences during the same time period. I would recommend watching  movie and then reading the graphic novels together. 

Black America and the Criminal Justice System: 

Michelle Alexander takes a deep look into the criminal justice system and the practices put into place that have resulted in more Black Americans behind bars in this country than were enslaved. It isn't a coincidence that these policies took over once Jim Crow laws were abolished. 

Ava Duvernay's documentary The 13th covers much of the same ground as Alexander's book, particularly how our justice system actually kept slavery in the Constitution with the 13th Amendment: "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States." 

That loophole has allowed our government to justify the things discussed in Alexander's book as well as the "tough on crime" stance of a lot of our politicians (on both sides of the aisle). 

Bryan Stevenson is the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, dedicated to ending mass incarceration and racial inequality. His book chronicles his experiences both as a lawyer in Alabama working to free people wrongfully charged and as a black lawyer in the South. 

(This was recently turned into a movie starring Michael B. Jordan as Stevenson, but I haven't watched it yet.)

Memoir/Essay: 

James Baldwin's 1963 work was written during the centennial of the Emancipation Proclamation, and consists of two letters, one to his nephew discussing what life is like as a young black man in America. His line "This is your home, my friend, do not be driven from it; great men have done great things here, and will again, and we can make America what it must become" contrasts greatly with current administration's views on this country, as well as echoing Langston Hughes' poem, Let America Be America Again. 

An incredibly important work, this one should really be at the top of your list. 

The eighteen pieces in the collection, written by contemporary authors of color (Black and otherwise), address the situations Baldwin brought up over fifty years ago. These essays, poems, and memoir continue the conversation of race in this country--both historical and contemporary, as well as the hope for the future. 

Following in Baldwin's footsteps, Coates' 2015 book is a letter to his teenaged son about being a Black man in America and everything that entails, including the very real threat of police brutality. 

Fiction/Poetry:

Rankine's work was published in 2014, only a few months after Michael Brown was murdered by police in Ferguson, MO. This is a mixed media work, including poems, artwork, and video links that address the spectrum of racism Rankine and her friends have experienced, from subversive to the explicit. 

This is one of the most powerful pieces I've read in recent years, and asks that you look at your own biases and place in the systemic racism in the country. 

Ruffin imagines a not-so-distant dystopian future (present? It's hard to tell, and that's the point.) where a Black father decides to do everything he can to protect his biracial son from society, including medically lightening his skin. It's a horrific, chilling look at a world not that different from our own, where Black men are forced to wear surveillance devices, police can legally cut off locs, and deportation "back to Africa" is a justified punishment. 

Ruffin recently tweeted: 

    Reader Question: why did you make the police so brutal in your book? 

    Me: I didn't make them anything. 

We're seeing evidence of that every day. 

Don't be put off by the "Young Adult" tag on this novel. It's every bit as important as all the works on this list. (I'll save my rant on the dismissal of YA lit for another day.) Angie Thomas tells the story of Starr Carter, a young Black teen who lives in a poor Black neighborhood but attends a predominately white high school. She witnesses the death of her best friend at the hands of a police officer, and has to decide whether or not to come forward with what she knows. Meanwhile, the national media attention and protests begin, with very real consequences for everyone involved.

Read it. And then watch the movie. With lots of tissues nearby. 

And as always, 

Things Worth Fighting For

Just a reminder to myself, when the world looks dark.

This is just some of what we're fighting for:

Equality
Compassion
Family
Friends
The environment
Basic necessities for all
A living wage
Equal pay
Black Lives Matter
Reproductive justice
The end of the death penalty
LGBTQIA+ rights
Quality education for all
Prison and criminal justice reform
Religious freedom--for all religions
Our veterans
Common sense gun control
Art--both visual and performance
Music
Literature
Free speech
Voting rights
And, as Lin-Manuel Miranda put it:
Love is love is love is love.

I refuse to stop believing that we are better than this moment in time. 

To My Sisters Everywhere

To all my sisters,

You are Amazing.
Courageous.
Brave.
Strong.
Determined.
Important.
Inspiring.

For those of you who have shared your stories, thank you. You've showed others they're not alone and forced this country to sit up and confront the truth.

For those of you who are still hesitant to come forward, you are loved. You have a support system millions of women strong. When or if you are ready to share, you will have a wall of others standing beside you.

The country needs to hear our voices. We won't be ignored or belittled anymore.

Rabbit Hole #55: September Reading Update

Still battling a weird reading slump/rut, so only seven books this month, and wondering if it's because of the three challenges. I feel a bit locked in; there's not a lot of wiggle room for me to read things outside of the tasks. I am reading a lot of amazing books, don't get me wrong, but lesson learned for next year, I think.


Popsugar 2016 Reading Challenge (Current Completion: 35/41)

A National Book Award winner: Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward (4 stars)

A book 100 years older than you: Lady Susan by Jane Austen (3 stars)


Bustle Women/POC Challenge (Current Completion: 13/20)

YA book by an author of color: Listen, Slowly by Thanhhà Lai (3.5 stars)

Post-apocalyptic fiction written by a woman: The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon (3.5 stars)


Read Harder Challenge 2016 (Current Completion: 18/24)

A food memoir: Trail of Crumbs: Hunger, Love and the Search for Meaning by Kim Sunée (4 stars)




Non-challenge books completed: 

March, Book 3 by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell (4.5 stars) 

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson (4 stars)


Check my weekly In/Out posts for more information on the completed reads!

Rabbit Hole #49: August Reading Update

Six books this month (Well, seven really, but Abby Cadabby is kinda tiny!) Not as much as I had hoped, but given I'm back at work this month, and things are always a little hectic getting back into the school year, I'm ok with it for this month. I'm slowly ticking off the challenge reads--only 24 left!! (I think I can, I think I can. . . )

Popsugar 2016 Reading Challenge (Current Completion: 33/41)

A book from the library: Villa America by Liza Klausmann (3 stars)

A dystopian novel: The Chaos by Nalo Hopkinson (3 stars)


Bustle Women/POC Challenge (Current Completion: 11/20)

A book set in the Middle East: Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (4.5 stars)

Read a children's book aloud: Abby Cadabby's Rhyme Time by P. J. Shaw (no rating)


Read Harder Challenge 2016 (Current Completion: 17/24)

A book with a main character with mental illness: The Round House by Louise Erdrich (4.5 stars)

A book about politics, fiction or nonfiction: The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander (5 stars)




Non-challenge books completed: Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter (2 stars)



Check my weekly In/Out posts for more information on the completed reads!

The struggle is real, y'all!

Rabbit Hole #48: In/Out Aug. 21-27

Making progress, but only finished one this week. 

Recently Purchased

I am so excited for the third installment of Rep. John Lewis' graphic novel series about the Civil Rights movement. Lewis was a founding member of SNCC and marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and most recently caught headlines for leading the Democratic sit-in of Congress to protest that body's refusal to address gun violence in this country. The man is a living legend, and his series is a must for history buffs, people interested in social justice, or people who just care about humans.

Recently Finished

The Chaos by Nalo Hopkinson

A YA dystopian novel following 16 year old Scotch, a mixed race teen whose skin is being covered by an unremovable sticky black substance. Then her brother disappears in a bubble of light, and everyone in town starts changing. 

I had high hopes: Scotch's voice was incredible and the diversity of the characters was well-done, but the plot itself just seemed to fall apart in the second half. There were some interesting tie-ins; the legend of Baba Yaga showed up, as did the story of Brer Rabbit, but I would have preferred it if the Chaos never happened. There didn't seem to be anything clear as to the cause or resolution of the weird and devastating things that were happening. 
I do love Hopkinson's writing, though, and I definitely will be reading more of her work. 

Currently Reading

Listen, Slowly by Thanhhà Lai

The story of a young Vietnamese-American girl who is, in her words, forced to accompany her father and grandmother back to Vietnam for the summer because a detective has told her grandmother that her husband, who was imprisoned during the war, is still alive. Only a few pages in, but the angsty tween voice is fun to read!

The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander

The injustices in our legal system, from the local law enforcement all the way up to the Supreme Court are very, very real. 

Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward

Putting this one on a small pause right now. Tomorrow's the anniversary of Katrina, and while I wasn't here, I had family and friends who were. Couple that with a possible tropical storm heading our way this week, and while I'm enjoying Ward's story and characters; I just am not in the right head space for this currently. 

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter

I'm having a tough time getting into this one. I just haven't found anything to really hook me into the story yet. I will finish it (I only have 3 days until book club!), but so far it's leaving me...meh.

Rabbit Hole #47: In/Out Aug. 14-20

Much better this week!

Recently Purchased

Starting a little vacation dreaming/planning with this one. I was actually born in the Azores, but since I was so young when we moved back to the States, I don't really remember anything about it. I figured it was finally time to do something about that, so sometime in the next two years, we'll be heading across the Atlantic!

Recently Finished

The Round House by Louise Erdrich (4.5 stars)

This follows an Ojibwe woman in North Dakota who has been attacked and her 13 year old son who tries to unravel what happened. This is a very compelling read, diving into PTSD and how trauma affects not only the victim, but everyone around them. It also take a look at the difficulties Native peoples have in prosecuting such crimes, especially if they are committed by a white person. 

I thought this was an incredible read. The characters and the emotional upheaval they go through is well-drawn, and the impact is raw and heart-
breaking. I would recommend this as a good starting point into Erdrich's writing. It followed a more linear narrative than a lot of her work, and while it was centered around the same reservation life as her other novels, it isn't necessary to have read anything else by her to fall into this world. 


The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (4.5 stars)

What I appreciate most about this graphic novel is that Strapi presents herself honestly: the good, the bad, and the ugly. As I've said, it's a insightful look into Iran before, during, and after the Islamic Revolution of the 1970s, how it affected people, and how they coped with their rights being stripped away. In a time when people have seem to have a narrow view of people from the Middle East and of Islam, it's always good to read something from those people's perspective. I also highly recommend the film version. 

Currently Reading

The Chaos by Nalo Hopkinson

A YA dystopian novel following 16 year old Scotch, a mixed race teen whose skin is being covered by an unremovable sticky black substance. Then her brother disappears in a bubble of light, and everyone in town starts changing. I'm not very far in, but I'm already loving Scotch's voice. Maybe it's because school has started again, but she seems a lot like my students. I'm looking forward to where this is going. 

The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander

I keep saying I'm going to finish this, and I will. It's just so full of crucial information that it's not something I want to rush through. 

Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward

Esch and her family are preparing for an upcoming possible hurricane. Her brother Skeetah is focused on his pit bull and her puppies, her father is single-minded about the storm, her two other brothers are just trying to be kids, and Esch realizes she's pregnant. This culminates in Hurricane Katrina, which makes me a little hesitant to read this right now, especially with the devastation in Baton Rouge and other areas here in Louisiana, but the characters already have me hooked three chapters in. 

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter

Book club meets in 10 days, so I'd better start this one about an aging Hollywood actress, an almost love affair, and Italy. Doesn't really sound like me, but we'll see. 

Rabbit Hole #46: In/Out Aug. 7-13

I have a confession to make. School started this week, and I have been preoccupied with getting my classroom ready and trying to readjust to waking up early. (I am, as anyone who knows me will attest, NOT a morning person. Life would be better if it started at 9 a.m.) As a result, this week was horrible for reading, so most of these books are going to look like last week's. I promise to be better!

Recently Purchased

I've been a good girl, I have, to paraphrase Eliza Doolittle. No new books added to the shelves this week. 

Recently Finished

Um...yeah. 

Currently Reading

The Round House by Louise Erdrich

This follows an Ojibwe woman in North Dakota who has been attacked and her 13 year old son who tries to unravel what happened. This is a very compelling read, diving into PTSD and how trauma affects not only the victim, but everyone around them. 







The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

I've read the first volume of this graphic memoir before, but never the second. Satrapi chronicles her life in Iran before, during, and after the Revolution (as well as her high school years in Vienna). Honestly, if you truly want to understand a culture, read about it. I've learned more about Iran from Satrapi and Nazar Afisi (Reading Lolita in Tehran) than I could ever learn from watching the evening news. 

The Chaos by Nalo Hopkinson

A YA dystopian novel following 16 year old Scotch, a mixed race teen whose skin is being covered by an unremovable sticky black substance. Then her brother disappears in a bubble of light, and everyone in town starts changing. I'm not very far in, but I'm already loving Scotch's voice. Maybe it's because school has started again, but she seems a lot like some of my students. I'm looking forward to where this is going. 

The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander

Ferguson. New York. Baltimore. Baton Rouge. Dallas. Milwaukee. If you want to know why #blacklivesmatter, and why this is the continuation of the Civil Rights Movement, read this book. 









Hopefully all of these will be finished this week, and I'll have something new to report!

Rabbit Hole #45: In/Out July 31-Aug. 6

I've decided to do just a quick reading snapshot each week so I can talk a little more about the books I've read, rather than just listing all of them at the end of the month. (I'm still going to do that, though, to keep track of my reading challenge progress.)  I've taken the idea from a Book Riot feature called Inbox/Outbox, which I highly recommend checking out. Be careful, though: you may find your to-be-read list growing very quickly!

Recently Purchased 

 Trail of Crumbs: Hunger, Love, and the Search for Home by Kim Sunee

Sunee was a Korean orphan adopted by a couple from New Orleans. After college she moves to Sweden, falls in love, and moves to France. Interspersed in the memoir are Cajun and French recipes. New Orleans, Europe, and food? Yes, please.

The Chaos by Nalo Hopkinson

A YA dystopian novel following 16 year old Scotch, a mixed race teen whose skin is being covered by an unremovable sticky black substance. Then her brother disappears in a bubble of light, and everyone in town starts changing. This sounds like a refreshing take on the popular dystopian genre.

Recently Finished

Villa America by Liza Klaussmann (3 stars)

I had really high hopes for this. I absolutely love the 1920s and the mischief and mayhem of the Lost Generation writers and their set. And while this did give me some of what I was looking for (the Murphys, Fitzgeralds, Picasso, Hemingway, Dos Passos, etc.), I felt let down. Other than the Murphys, the others were just caricatures, lacking the depth that made these individuals so intriguing. The connections between some individuals are also never explained (Dorothy Parker doesn't show up until the last 100 pages, and then she's shown as a beloved, indispensable member of the circle, even though she's never mentioned prior to that.) The use of letters in random spots also makes for some awkward reading, especially since Klausmann sometimes uses real letters, and then uses real letters but switches who they are to/from, or then uses fictional letters. It gets a bit messy. I do like the discussion of LGBT themes and how those relationships were addressed in the 1920s; although, I think she could have gone a bit further with that. All in all, a fun summer read, but not exactly what I wanted.

Currently Reading

The Round House by Louise Erdrich--This follows an Ojibwe woman in North Dakota who has been attacked and her 13 year old son who tries to unravel what happened.

The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi--I've read the first volume of this graphic memoir before, but never the second. Satrapi chronicles her life in Iran before, during, and after the Revolution (as well as her high school years in Vienna).

The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander--I know I've been reading this for a while, even though it's not a difficult read nor a particularly long one. Because the information it contains is so important and so vital to understand our society today, I'm taking this one slowly. Hopefully I'll finish this upcoming week.

Reflection

I had to take the past few days off. Things have gotten so crazy in the world, culminating with the hateful rhetoric from some Republicans and citizens in this country, that I was at a loss.

I honestly don't know what to say any more. I feel as if I'm repeating myself every day, telling people to be kind to each other, to stop the culture of fear and hate we seem to be spiraling in. And this fear and hate is in every aspect of our society--women's rights, LGBTQIA rights, religion, race; the list goes on and on.

What has brought us to this point where people find it so easy to hate each other?

I'm not naive to think that things have ever been perfect; in fact, in a lot of areas, things have never been great, except to whites looking on. But it seems so common place to find posts and news reports filled with some of the most despicable. I've actually lost a lot of respect for some people I've known for a long time.

I have no problem with open discussions. I have no problems with differing opinions. Some of my nearest and dearest are on the opposite side of a lot of issues from me. But when you start talking about hating another group of people, about refusing to help others in desperate need, about rounding people up in camps and making them wear identification, and closing down places of worship and you see absolutely nothing wrong in that? (And you call yourself a Christian?!?) When you refuse to talk about gun control when white males commit most of the mass murders in this country, and yet you're refuse to help people fleeing from annihilation because they "might" commit acts of terror? And accuse my loved ones of treason because they refuse to engage in fear-mongering and hate?

Those are not the type of people I want in my life. Or in my country, quite frankly. Those words go against everything we should stand for as Americans, as imperfect as we are.

Once again

It doesn't take much to make me an emotional wreck.

That may seem really cheesy to say, but it's true. When disaster strikes, I am only able to absorb the news/social media/conversations, etc., for a limited amount of time before I have to crawl into my shell and regroup. 

At the same time, I know I am extremely lucky and privileged to be able to do that. So many people in the world, and in this country, can't shut off disaster, because it is with them every day, every year. They are living it, physically, or are scarred by it mentally. I can sit in my house and sympathize, and then retreat to heal myself, because I have that advantage. 

It's not enough. 

I listen, trying to understand the other person's perspective, knowing full well I can never truly comprehend their situation. 

I read, educating myself on history, culture, micro-aggressions, violence, racism, so that I can speak more intelligently on subjects when discussing them, especially with other white people. 

I want to do more. So I keep trying. Keep empathizing. Keep reading. Keep listening. 

What I don't understand is how people don't try. How they can see children suffering in the streets, sleeping outside, haunted by bullets and death, and how they say, "Not my problem." "Not here." 

We have a lot of problems in this country, yes. But we've always told ourselves we had hearts big enough for others as well. I just wish more people would actually live by the words they say they believe in. 

Sending prayers, comfort, and love to the victims in Nigeria today. I only wish they would receive the same attention as their counterparts in Paris. 

Selective Hearing

We hear the cries
from France
News cycles devoted
to tragedy,
to the lives lost,
to the terrorists who
invaded our quiet lives
again.

We change our pictures to
red white blue
Vow solidarity
Forgetting about
"freedom fries"
at least, for now.

The world coming
together,
United against hate.
It's a beautiful thing
to see.

But where is our unity
for Beirut?
for Iraq?
for Syria?
for Kenya?
Hundreds of voices
silenced each day,
but no flags fly in those colors
across our profiles.

The news
mentions those tragedies
then moves on,
to other
"more important"
stories.

Where is our union
against the hundreds of lives lost
here
in this country
to violence
every week?

What makes a country worthy
of having the news
devoted to those lost?

What makes a life worthy
of such attention?

How do we choose who to mourn?

Why do we choose who to mourn?

Rabbit Hole #24: The Be a Good Human Tag

Several months ago, the amazing Jen Campbell, author of Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops (or Bookstores, if you have the American version, because apparently we wouldn't know what a bookshop was? Silly publishers) posted a BookTube video called the Be a Good Human Tag. In it, she showcased several books she felt make people open their eyes to the world around them and understand the humanity around us.

Books have the ability to change the way we look at people. They allow us to empathize with those who are different from us, learn about other cultures, understand history, and so much more. No other medium quite has the same effect.

So in the wake of everything that has been happening in the United States and around the world this past year (and of course, much longer), I thought I would create my own list. In no particular order, I present a snapshot of the following:

Nine Lives by David Baum: This is a nonfiction book chronicling the lives of nine New Orleanians from Hurricane Betsy through Hurricane Katrina. The individuals come from all walks of life: rich, poor, black, white, gay, and straight. They all cope with the tragedies in different ways, but they are all transformed by what happens. For those who don't truly know what happened here during the storm, this will open your eyes.

Citizen by Claudia Rankine: Part poetry, part essay, part photographic essay, this is a fierce look at race relations in America today. Rankine pulls no punches with this one, but this is not a topic we should shy away from. A must read for anyone who cares about our country today.

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver: A beautifully written book about the negative impact of colonialism, this also tackles the dangers of trying to impose one's beliefs on others. Told through the perspectives of four young women and their mother as they are carted off to the Congo in the 1950s by their zealot missionary father, Kingsolver tackles American foreign policy, gender issues, religion, and a host of other topics.

Native Son by Richard Wright: The oldest book on this list, but still a necessary one, Wright's dark tale of Bigger Thomas, a young black man trapped by economic circumstances, resonates even today. Some people like to believe that all one has to do is work hard, and he'll get ahead; Wright shows that there are larger forces working against people in America, and against minorities in particular.

March Vols. 1-2 by Rep. John Lewis: One of the best graphic novel series I've read, this is Rep. Lewis' autobiography of his time in the Civil Rights Movement. While it's useful as a history, it's also insightful into what is going on today as we continue to tackle racial discrimination in this country. The more things change...

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saénz: The story of two young Hispanic boys growing up and discovering their sexuality, this YA novel is heartbreaking as well as beautiful. I think my favorite part of this novel is the way the parents are portrayed; they are fierce and loving, regardless of who their boys are.

Whistling Vivaldi by Claude M. Steele: This book is an in-depth look at stereotypes and how they affect each and every one of us on a daily basis. It's a thorough analysis of microaggressions, and how/why they are so hard to overcome.

A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra: This is a gut-wrenching book about the horrors of war, both for the people directly involved and those on the fringes. It takes place in Chechnya in 2004, where war is still tearing people's lives apart. Americans as a whole have very little knowledge of what it is like to live in a war-torn country and have no idea what they would have to do to survive.

Zami: A New Spelling of My Name by Audre Lorde: This is Lorde's autobiography of growing up poor, black and gay, and an ode to all of the women who shaped her into the person she became. This is one of the most powerful autobiographies I've read.

Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi: Nafisi created a book club for women in Tehran, Iran, to expose them to Western classics. While that may not seem like much, one has to realize that Western books had been banned, and the women were literally taking their lives in their hands to read and attend these sessions. Part book discussion, part memoir, the books and these women's lives intertwine and show just how powerful literature is.

The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henríquez: I want to give this book to every person I hear disparaging immigrants--they seem to forget that these are human beings, with families and circumstances not that different from our own. The novel follows several families from Mexico and Latin America as they try to find a life in America. Some are undocumented, some have work visas, some are citizens, but all have very particular reasons for their journeys.


I could continue on and on with this list, and I know I didn't do these books justice. Please, just take some time to read. Be willing to step outside your comfort zone and learn about other peoples, places, religions, cultures, etc. The worst thing that will happen is that you'll expand your mind and learn that all humans are struggling, and we are better together.

Try empathy.

Why is it so hard to have empathy?

The following are some statements heard every day in this country:

All immigrants are illegals. 

All Muslims are terrorists. 

Gay people just want to turn everyone gay. 

People on welfare or minimum wage just need to work harder. 

If you're homeless, you're an alcoholic or a junkie. 

Black people don't care about family. 

And the list goes on and on....

We're all guilty of it. We say things, or assume things, about people every day, and never realize the negative atmosphere we are contributing to. 

We spend so much time demonizing others that we never step back and try to see things from their perspective. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has an amazing TED Talk about the dangers of just seeing people from one lens, about insisting that each person has a single story about him or herself. When we refuse to see a person as a sum of their parts, and insist that we "know" about them because of one aspect of who they are, we are denying them their humanity.

This lack of empathy is at the root of all of our problems as a country, and as a world.

We're so focused on the sound bite, the snapshot, that we forget to truly see people for who they are, and it makes us that much poorer for it.

It takes so little to listen to people.

Just. Listen.

Good for Mizzou

Good for Mizzou. Those are honestly words I never thought I would say in my lifetime. As a Husker fan, there is no love lost between our two programs. There have been contentious situations with fans, some of them ending less than sportsmanlike.

But there are things much more important. Today, Missouri's President Tim Wolfe and Chancellor announced their resignations following months of a lackluster, almost non-response to student complaints of racism. The protest began earlier this fall, culminating a week ago with a hunger strike by Jonathan Butler, a black graduate student, and the announcement that Missouri's black football players, with full support from their coaching staff and teammates, would not practice or participate in any games until Wolfe stepped down.

The cynic in me believes that had the football team not taken that step, Butler would probably be hospitalized as a result of his hunger strike, and the status quo would remain the same. Things weren't moving forward in terms of resolving the issues. Wolfe basically said that "systemic oppression just meant you didn't think you were getting the same opportunities," an incredibly tone deaf sentiment to the very real oppression that happens to individuals every single day based on nothing more than skin color. Media coverage was also basically non-existent, until the team made their announcement. Suddenly, everyone knew about Mizzou.

Slate's Jessica Huseman came to a similar conclusion in her article today, "Should It Really Take a Football Team to Force Change on Campus?" She discusses the fact that the issues should have been resolved long before the team became involved, and seemed a little surprised, it seemed to me, that it would take a football team to change things.

It's not that surprising, though. Missouri stood to lose one million dollars if the team forfeited on Saturday. Money still rules the world, and it's a lesson the Civil Rights leaders of the 1950s and 60s knew well. The Montgomery Bus Boycotts worked because they disrupted the economics of the system. Find the people to protest, and cause people to lose the almighty dollar, and things get changed.

We have a long way to go in this country before we are truly equal, and there are many more battles to be fought. I hate that it takes such crude steps for people to do what is right. But in this case, it worked, and hopefully with a new administration, progress can begin at the school.

So, good for you, Mizzou. You've made the nation proud.

Cowardice

It took
a
long
time
to find my voice.

For years, I listened
to people who
ignored
dismissed
ridiculed
the things I said,
the things I held dear.

Shuttering my thoughts
behind
closed windows;
Moths
banging against the glass,
desperate to be free,
Only to die of exhaustion
on the window sill.

Slowly
very
slowly
I fought back:
Quit being so timid.
Quit being so scared.

Finding those who thought
my ideas
worth hearing,
I started opening up,
tentatively.
Ideas and thoughts
c r e e p i n g
toward the surface
like vines

Breaking down brick,
slipping into cracks
in the foundation,
striving to reach the sunlight.

They see the sunlight now.
The thoughts find their way out
More confidently than before,
Less afraid of what others
may think,
may say.

But.

But.

There are still
too many times:
Shrinking away from conflict
Refusing to engage
Creeping back into myself.

I let others down.

I let myself down.

It's easy to hide.
I have that luxury.

I keep trying.
Too many people are hurting.
I can't keep silent.
I can't keep
being
a
coward.

Rabbit Hole #18: July Reading Wrap-up

July was another good reading month. I averaged three books a week, which is kind of crazy, actually. I never thought I would be reading that much, and that's coming from someone who can't ever remember not having a book in her hand. (And I only read three graphic novels this month, so most of those were 250+ page reads.)

I used to read one book at a time, not moving on until I had finished a book. However, I've become a polygamist reader lately. I usually have one nonfiction book, one YA, and one literary fiction book that are being read at the same time. I will also throw in short stories, poetry or graphic novels if the mood hits. I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to keep this up once school resumes, but we shall see!

Now, for the month's reading highlights (if you'd like to see everything I read this month, check out Rabbit Hole #17 for the full list).

YA magic--I read three amazing YA novels this month: Daniel José Older's Shadowshaper, Nnedi Okorafor's Zarah the Windseeker, and Benjamin Alire Sáenz's Aristotle and Dante Discover the Universe. All three of these have phenomenal protagonists and dive into the struggles of growing up, even if you do discover you have magical abilities (Zarah and Shadowshaper). We need more books with diverse characters by diverse authors, especially for young people, and these are great places to start if you haven't started to broaden your reading.

Geek love--Clive Thompson's Smarter Than You Think: How Technology Is Changing Our Lives for the Better is a smart, insightful look at our tech-dominated lives. He argues that, contrary to popular belief, all of this technology is actually good for us. He talks about education, the tech field, the average user, and a host of other topics. Thompson has a very accessible writing style, and I highly recommend this book to everyone. On the other side of the technology discussion, Margaret Atwood's MADDADDAM, the last book in her Oryx and Crake trilogy, warns us about the abuses of tampering with genetics and the eternal "just because we can, doesn't mean we should" question. This is a terrific dystopian series, and well worth the read.

Contemporary Issues: Jesmyn Ward's Men We Reaped is a powerful look at life growing up black in Mississippi. Ward discusses five young men she lost in the span of only a few years, the social, racial, and economic issues that contributed both to their lives and deaths, and how the black community in particular tries to cope with the loss of a generation. Last month I said read Claudia Rankine's Citizen; this is this month's must read.

Dystopian Circus Version of Waterworld: Except it's so much better than that movie. Kirsty Logan's The Gracekeepers is a beautiful fairy tale of a world in the future where humanity is divided between the landlockers, who live on what little land is left, and the damplings, who spend their lives traveling the oceans. It's a lovely tale of the need to belong and feel love, with discussions on humanity, disability, gender, and societal conflict. And it has bears!! The end is a bit rushed, but it is definitely worth a read (It's been compared to Night Circus meets Station Eleven; so if you've read either of those, you'll probably like this one).


In case you haven't noticed by now, I have an extremely eclectic taste in reading. If you have any recommendations for me, please let me know!