Before Black History Month comes to a close, I’ve got to share my three most recent reads, all of which I’d recommend.
Caste
Isabel Wilkerson
Caste is getting all kinds of buzz, and deservedly so. Isabel Wilkerson looks at three applications of Caste: Nazi Germany, racial stratification in the US, and the assigned castes of India. One short lived and brutal, one ancient but persistent, and one I’m living in. This read was sobering but not fatalistic, and an important reminder of what can happen when we’re asleep to how inequities persist.
How to Fight Racism
Jemar Tisby
How to Fight Racism is full of good reminders and a helpful, accessible read for someone wanting to turn their concern into action. Jemar Tisby has helped me learn so much about the church’s complicity in slavery and segregation, and I think this book is an important follow up to some of his work to show how faith communities can break those cycles.
The Color of Law
Richard Rothstein
Then there’s The Color of Law. Housing segregation is the main vehicle for so many community level inequities- including educational disparities, overpolicing, public health, and environmental justice. It’s tough to keep track of all the acts, historical events, and court rulings that led to this. This book helpfully highlights a bunch of them. It’s important to talk about, so even though the history here is complex it’s worth the time it takes to try and understand.
