Welcome to our Antiracism Book Club!
We are excited to learn and unlearn together with you. Click here to learn more!
Hi there!
Thank you so much for your interest in joining our antiracism summer book club! We have been truly awe-inspired by the organizing and commitment to justice of this moment, and are committed to engaging as many people as we can to extend the passion of this moment into commitment to a long-term movement. We’ve also been excited about the interest in joining this community — almost 200 of you have signed up so far, and we are just getting started!
As we shared, this book club is for anyone who is interested in committing themselves to learning more about antiracism. However, as two white people who believe it is *on white people* to *educate and have antiracist accountability with their fellow white people* this space is especially for… you guessed it…white people who are ready to do better. If you are committed to learning and unlearning, this space is for you.
That’s why we’re calling this project the Antiracist Learning and Unlearning Book Club.
Today, we wanted to start by reaching out to share our book selections and a little bit about what you can expect from us. You will also hear from us more in the coming days with questions for you, and more information about how this online community will be structured.
Summer Book Selections
We have selected 3 books and one workbook to start. After our initial three months, if there is interest in continuing the book club, we will expand to works of fiction and nonfiction, all by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) authors.
July - So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
August - How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
September - Women, Race & Class by Angela Y. Davis
Summer-Long Workbook - Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad
What’s Next?
Because we are already one week into June (where is 2020 going?!), and because many antiracism books, including the ones we’ve selected, are sold out and on backorder in many bookstores nationwide, we have decided to officially start the readings in July. We will send out a full reading and meeting schedule in the coming weeks, once we have received feedback from you.
Beginning next week, we will begin sending out a weekly newsletter with resources of what you can watch, listen to, read, discuss, or take antiracist action on. This will include reminders on the reading, but will absolutely not be limited to the reading. We encourage you to stay engaged with the newsletter and share it with others, even when you’re not able to make the reading commitments.
In the meantime, we need two things from you:
Get the books! If you are able, please purchase these from a Black or POC-owned independent bookstore. If purchasing these books presents a financial barrier for involvement for you, we have other options. We do not want cost to be a barrier to entry. We have compiled a list for you of independent, Black and POC-owned bookshops, as well as library and cost-reduced options for obtaining these texts.
Tell us what’s on your mind! At the end of this week, we will be sending you a survey. Community feedback will be critical to our process of ensuring that we build an equitable and non-hierarchical community space. We are working very intentionally to ensure that this space does not recreate the white supremacist dynamics we are actively trying to dismantle. With that said, we request frequent community conversation, feedback, and accountability to us.
If you have any questions, concerns, or ideas, please reach out to us any time at learnunlearnbookclub@gmail.com.
Finally, if you have friends or loved ones who you think may be interested in joining, you can share this email with them. If they subscribe using the button below, they will be included on all book club communications!
Otherwise, we will be in touch with more information, a full reading schedule, and a survey very soon!
In community,
Lori and Jess