My 2017 Reading List

I spent much of my year deepening my faith and my commitment to justice. Those priorities are reflected in my reading, with perhaps a bit of a specific focus on race within the justice sphere.

In all honesty, I thank God for Clint Smith. I find his poetry transcendent. It makes me feel that I am a part of something greater than myself. Run, do not walk, to your local (independent) bookstore to get your copy of Counting Descent (2016).

You Will Not Have My Hate (2016) is my first book that I will be reviewing for Friends Journal. It is the raw, honest, and beautiful account of a man who lost his wife in the Paris terrorist attack of November 2016. It is so readable that could have finished the whole thing in one sitting! The author's self awareness calls all of us to examine our choices just a bit more closely.

We Gon' Be Alright: Notes on Race and Resegregation (2016) by Jeff Chang has so much beauty and brilliance in such a small package. It is full of thoughtful analysis on the racial justice movement of the last few years.

I'm not going to lie, when I found out that Chimamanda Adichie's Dear Ijeawele, or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions (2017) was originally a Facebook post, I was mad that I spent the money to buy it. Ultimately, though, I'm always happy to have her wisdom in my life. She's all about equality. Generous, just equality. Hard not to buy in to that.

I genuinely enjoyed Trevor Noah's Born a Crime (2016). It is a book that just goes to show that someone being joyful and funny can belie the challenges they have faced in life. And it shows that no matter how tough you have it growing up, there is no telling how you can turn out! What a life he has led!

I read The Irish Jesuit's Sacred Space for Lent 2017 every day of Lent. It's amazing how the same story can have such a different impact on us year after year. I had the joy of attending several retreats during Lent, and they all helped me connect more deeply to my spirituality. The daily readings in the book helped me to make connections between that deepening and the themes of Lent. I've done a lot of reflection on what it means to be a contemplative in action.

It is telling that the reviews on the back of Seeking the One Whom We Love: How RSCJs Pray (2016) come from James Martin, SJ, and Joan Chittister, OSB, two of my favorite religious leaders. They are both unapologetically progressive, wondering only how other Christians could misunderstand the Gospel message. They both see themselves reflected in this text, as the Sacred Heart Sisters describe how they form their own "personal and active" relationships with God. The RSCJs feel no need to box themselves in with their prayer lives - the methods they use to pray are as diverse as each of their personalities. And it is encouraging. It is nice to know that there is not one right answer, but that we're on the right track as long as we are "seeking the one whom we love."

Like much of the country, I picked up a copy of J.D. Vance's Hillbilly Elegy (2016) to try to understand the 2016 election. Although I wouldn't say it did that, that was also not its point. It was written as a window into the lives of "hillbillies." The push was effective in pushing me to consider the distinctions between race and class, as well as the many ways that privilege can be made manifest.

Over the course of the past nine months in which I have been savoring the experience of reading the works in Of Poetry & Protest: From Emmett Till to Trayvon Martin (2016), I have had the honor of being in the room with several of the featured poets. I have a Spotify playlist called "I'm Black and I'm proud," and this book reminds me of that sentiment. The book features essays, bios, and photos of black poets, as well as featured poetry and accompanying images. The book is a powerful testament to the fact that the struggle is real, while also serving as a testimonial that we are up to the challenge.

I can't believe it's been two months since I finished a book. What a year! I spent much of that time reading The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World (2016) by the Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu ad Douglas Abrams. The book itself literally was filled with joy for me. I kept sending bits of it to people whom I thought either reflected or could use certain passages. It was also affirming because I do many of the practices that it suggests. Now when people ask me how I can be so joyful, I will get them a copy of this book! 

My department is all reading On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century (2017) by Timothy Snyder this summer. We are history teachers, and it is about how to apply history to better understand the United today and all of our role in this evolving political climate. It is a very quick, yet thoughtful read. It is certainly encouraging for history teachers, as it speaks to the importance of our work in helping people to contextualize the present moment.

My next summer reading book for work is Architects of Catholic Culture: Designing and Building Catholic Culture in Catholic Schools by Timothy Cook (2001). I had trouble getting into it at first because the preface states that the biggest difference between Catholics and Protestants is that Protestants believe that God is dead. As I am a Protestant who certainly does not believe that, I had to take a break from the book for a while before returning to it this week. Once I got into it, I found the book to be very thoughtful - it's perfect for the beginning of the year to get all my neurons firing with brainstorming! It is a workbook and so invited lots of quality reflection. The book made me genuinely excited to help build Catholic culture at my school! 

I had to start From #Black Lives Matter to Black Liberation (2016) by Keeagna-Yamahtta Taylor several times before I got through it. I think if it weren't for the review I had agreed to write for it, I wouldn't have finished it this time. It is dense, but it offers a powerful history of how it we got to this moment. It is a perfect reminder of how important it is to push for systemic change.

I must admit that I did not appreciate Bitch Planet Volume Two: President Bitch (2017) as much I enjoyed the first collection. The concept reminds of a handmaids tale in which the oppressed women fight back. I love the concept. The actual plot is not as engaging for me, and I think I may be done with the series. 

The wife of a friend of mine is a member of the Black Ladies Brunch Collective who collectively wrote Not Without Our Laughter: Poems of Humor, Joy, and Sexuality (2017). It is a manifestation of the fun they have with language. It is poetry about their everyday lives and it serves as a reminder that we can find awe anywhere.

It took me from late some through early winter to finish The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd (2015), but once I got into the flow of it, I ultimately read two thirds of it in the past week. It turns out to be the story of women standing in their power, much like the story of 2017. And I think it the right choice of Sue Monk Kidd to tell it from the perspective of both a real abolitionist (Sarah Grimké) and largely fictionalized an enslaved woman. My two favorite lines were "I’d grown comfortable with the particulars of evil" and "the world depends upon the small beating in your heart." I fully believe that the world depends on each of us listening to that still small voice within.

I love Father Gregory Boyle. He tells the same stories over and over again, but they're great stories. And he shapes them in a way that remind me how to be the most human version of myself. Particularly for Christians, he shines a light on the heart of our faith. That is the value of Barking to the Choir: The Power of Radical Kinship (2017).

We will defend each other!

I have a poster on the back of my door that says, "We will defend each other," and I try to live my life in a way that honors that aspiration. I loved seeing an article illustrating just how alive that sentiment was in 2017!
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/18/world/heroism-altruism-courage-compassion-2017.html 

A week of love in action!

I am a highly programmed person. The programs I go to can be hit or miss, but this week they were all home runs! In fact, I cried at each one!

On Monday it was the brilliance of the Georgetown program "Confronting Racism in Our Hearts and in Our Nation," which featured a deeply moving panel. Here were some of my favorite quotes/ideas from the program:

• Archbishop Wilton Gregory
• Racism is a spiritual difficulty.
•  We confuse public actions with human conversion.
• Pope Francis shows us that the role of faith is to accompany people - to walk with them and to challenge them. Dr. King did that too (he was a minister of the gospel).
• Don't lose hope.
• Professor Marcia Chatelain
• It is significant when someone has a moral choice and chooses against the dignity of others.
• It is important to consider the consequences of our power on others' dignity. 
• We need to sit with negative emotions, and grapple with them, in order to heal. 
• We need to say tough things that call people in instead of out.
• Justice must be joyful.
• Moral imagination is important. 
• We all must consider what harm we have done and how we can work to repair it.
• We need love that is willing to risk. Where is each of us called to risk?
• Don't accept surface-level solutions.
• Racism has two functions - to discipline and to humiliate. 
• Reverend Jim Wallis
• What's at stake is the soul of the nation and the integrity of faith. 
• Racism is a continuing threat to Imago Dei.
• Don't retreat to cynicism. 
• Congressman John Lewis
• The Church should be a headlight not a taillight. 
• The way of love is a much better way. Just love everyone. You're making a downpayment on the Beloved Community. Love is so strong, so powerful.
• Voting is the most powerful nonviolent instrument we have.

On Wednesday it was to the emotion of the Second City show "Nothing to Lose (But Our Chains)." Comedian Felonious Monk shares his life story of growing up with a young single mother, spending time in prison, and becoming an activist. His reflections on life and society are insightful and beautiful stated. I laughed AND cried!

On Thursday it was the joy of rocking out at the Janet Jackson State of the World concert. It was amazing to think back at just how many hits she has had. And she still moves right along with her decades younger backup dancers! It is clear that she has had an impact on the world, and still today she is pointing out injustice and giving her voice to the side of love.

This was one of my all-time favorite weeks!

What a difference a year makes!

This week we marked a year since the election of President Trump. This past year has not been my strongest year of blogging, but it has been my strongest year of activism. I've been intentional in the last year about building my own capacity and the capacity of others. I've focused on the William Penn quote, "Let us then try what love can do." I've participated in workshops, trainings, and marches. I've pushed myself beyond my comfort zone in my advocating for a commitment to honoring the light of ALL people. 

My advocacy work leading up to the election led people to see me as someone who was lighting the way forward, and I have tried my best to live up to those expectations. I'm not new to protests or lobbying, but I am new to advocacy as a way of life. And it's been joyful.

We all have a role to play

I'm inspired by the solidarity among NFL teams today as they took a stand for justice: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/sports/wp/2017/09/24/nfl-week-3-president-trump-urges-boycott-over-player-protests-injury-updates-scores-fantasy-football-tips

The Golden State Warriors also took a stand this weekend: http://www.businessinsider.com/golden-state-warriors-respond-to-trump-curry-white-house-visit-tweet-2017-9

I was also inspired this week by Jimmy Kimmel's stand on health care: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/21/arts/television/kimmel-cassidy-health-care.html

It's a great reminder that we can always make a difference within our sphere of influence!

"Preach the gospel, and if necessary, use words."

There's a line in Macklemore's song Wednesday Morning that says "Got my daughter in my arms and he [Trump] is not gonna raise her," and it's been the refrain in my head all week. I keep thinking about how although I may not have my own daughter, I am living the dream of working with 350+ girls as they discover their voices and their power. I believe that although the world is sharing with them too many messages of fear and hate, my colleagues and I send a much stronger message through our love and we graduate young people who know how to share their love with the world. That is the peace I am holding onto. <3

#BlackGirlMagic

I had a week that made me feel magical because I

- helped organize a discussion and action in response to Charlottesville for high school students
- got appointed to the General Committee of the Friends Committee on National Legislation
- helped plan the orientation and retreat for a Friends School Board of Trustees I'm on
- wrote a book review for Friends Journal
- supported students doing a presentation on models and opportunities for solidarity in connection with Hurricane Harvey
- did meaningful work in my Genocide Studies class, connecting history with current events and putting the students' first projects up on the classroom walls
- helped to coordinate a video for International Peace Day
- got in some quality workouts and meditations

Each day was meaningful. I am ever grateful for work that matters, both professionally and personally.