This year’s theme for Black History Month is “Resistance” and as we transition from MLK Day into BHM in February, I’d like to announce a challenge that I’d like everyone to consider doing. As has become increasingly evident where I live in Bucks County, and maybe where you live too, there’s been a concerted effort to drown out voices of love and acceptance with voices of exclusion, hatred, and bigotry. I talked about this in my previous article, and it’s my opinion that in order to resist this we need a more educated populace, especially where fair-minded folks are concerned. The time to step up and resist this bigotry is now.
So, as promised last week, here is the challenge I present to you – read and do the exercises in “Me and White Supremacy” by Layla F. Saad. The book is arranged into 28 days of journaling exercises. Five questions a day following each chapter. I’m announcing this now so that you have time to secure a copy of the book, and if need be start early to give yourself a little padding on your time. If you happen to make it all the way through, great! If not it’s ok, just keep track of where you dropped off.
I know that if you live in Bucks County you can obtain this book with a library card, and the Hoopla app (for iPhone or Android). It’s available as an ebook and audiobook (which is how I’ll be doing this). If you have trouble obtaining the book you can reach out to me – buckscountyarc(at)gmail.com.
Yes, I’ll be doing this with you (modifying the questions a bit where needed, given that I’m not white). We will have an online form for submitting your answers to any or as many questions as you like, anonymously or not, to be published in my column in March. We’ll select the most thought provoking answers from those submitted as fodder for discussion, and everyone is a contender.
If you value equality as much as I do, and as much as Dr. King did, you’ll step up. We’re counting on you (yes, you).
Stay tuned…
