| EDUCATING OURSELVES
ABOUT RACISM When we were kids, choosing
what to read was fairly easy: We read the books our mothers and teachers insisted on, and
the ones our public libraries recommended. But now, we are old enough to make our own
choices, and choosing what we read is an important one. Sure, we all enjoy a good thriller
or romance or spy novel or maybe the latest by Harry Potter. But, we also owe it to
ourselves to read books that we will enjoy and that will enrich our knowledge of the world
and important issues. Here are a few such books, which diversity trainer Jane Elliott
recommends to heighten our understanding of racism (and, yes, to enjoy.)
The
Autobiography of Malcolm X, Alex Haley: You may have seen Spike Lee’s
rendition of Malcolm X’s life, which holds pretty true to Haley’s book. Now get
the full details on how Malcolm X transcended childhood poverty, crime, jail and his own
racism to become a unique and controversial voice for civil rights.
Roots:
The Saga of an American Family, Alex Haley: Alex Haley was the man. This
700-plus page novel is the saga of an African and then American family, beginning in 1750
with a birth in an African village of a man-child and ending seven generations later. By
reading this book, you will learn more about slavery and oppression than you could ever
hope to in any history class.
The
Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison (really, anything by Morrison): A little Black girl
wants nothing more than for her eyes to turn blue so that she will be beautiful. Through a
stunning story, Morrison teaches us how the American standard of beauty (blond hair and
blue eyes) devastates our children.
The
Color Purple, Alice Walker: Yes, this is the book on which the movie with
Oprah Winfrey was based. And yes, it is as phenomenal a book as it was a movie. Grab your
tissues and travel back to the South in the early 1900s. Don’t be surprised if this
story haunts you.
Black
Boy, Richard Wright: A classic American autobiography. You follow Wright from
boyhood to manhood in the ‘Jim Crow’ South and relive each injustice he
experienced along the way.
A
Class Divided: Then and Now, William Peters: If you’re still curious
about Jane Elliott and her technique, this book is for you. In addition to the original
text of the 1971 A Class Divided, which described Jane Elliott’s first Blue
Eyes, Brown Eyes Exercise, this edition describes a reunion of some participating students
14 years later.
Black
Rage, William H. Grier, with Price M. Cobbs: The New York Times
describes Black Rage as "One of the most important books on black life in
America." What more do you need to know?
Rage
of a Privileged Class, Ellis Cose: A controversial and widely heralded look at
the race-related pain and anger felt by the most respected, best educated, and wealthiest
members of the Black community.
Faces
at the Bottom of the Well: The Permanence of Racism, Derrick Bell: A series of
allegorical stories and encounters with fictional characters. The work sheds light on some
of the most perplexing and vexing issues of the day, including affirmative action, the
disparity between civil-rights law and reality, and the "racist outbursts" of
some African- American leaders.
Killing
Rage: Ending Racism, bell hooks: bell hooks does not capitalize her first or
last name because, as she says, they are slave names and not her own. In these 23 essays,
hooks tackles the bitter difficulties of racism by envisioning a world without it. Join
her as she dreams. |
