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Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools
Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools | Monique W Morris
41 posts | 33 read | 168 to read
Fifteen-year-old Diamond stopped going to school the day she was expelled for lashing out at peers who constantly harassed and teased her for something everyone on the staff had missed: she was being trafficked for sex. After months on the run, she was arrested and sent to a detention center for violating a court order to attend school. Just 16 percent of female students, Black girls make up more than one-third of all girls with a school-related arrest. The first trade book to tell these untold stories, Pushout exposes a world of confined potential and supports the growing movement to address the policies, practices, and cultural illiteracy that push countless students out of school and into unhealthy, unstable, and often unsafe futures. For four years Monique W. Morris, author of Black Stats, chronicled the experiences of black girls across the country whose intricate lives are misunderstood, highly judged--by teachers, administrators, and the justice system--and degraded by the very institutions charged with helping them flourish. Morris shows how, despite obstacles, stigmas, stereotypes, and despair, black girls still find ways to breathe remarkable dignity into their lives in classrooms, juvenile facilities, and beyond.
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review
WriterAtHeart
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Pickpick

Pushout was a fantastic read and one I will definitely recommend you read, especially if you work in education or within the law. The stories of the girls within the book are rich and the author does a great job weaving the stories together with concrete facts and statstics. #TeachersOfLitsy

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vonnie862
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Pickpick

A very informative book about the injustices in the educational system. I highly recommend it to educators.

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Blaire
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I‘ve read a lot of books in the past about systemic racism. The one I recommend most is The Warmth of Other Suns. I‘m most excited to read the tagged book which I first heard about on litsy. I‘ve also read a lot of fiction that focuses systemic racism including Nickel Boys which I finished today. I‘ve added about a dozen non-fiction books. I‘d also highly recommend the podcast series “Seeing White” for a great overview. #integrateyourshelf

hermyknee I thought this book was incredibly powerful & important (especially for people working in public education). I‘m reading her follow-up to it now: 4y
Blaire @hermyknee great to hear! That was the same reaction @Riveted_Reader_Melissa had and it really made me want to read. I‘m an attorney representing kids with special needs. 4y
Emilymdxn I really really want to read the tagged book! I work in education outreach in the UK working on expanding literature education with underserved groups in London, a lot of issues are different in the us and uk but it‘s always useful to read about in other countries s 4y
See All 8 Comments
Demeter2112 Loved this book. Heartbreaking, but very powerful. 4y
ChasingOm Litsy put this one on my radar too! 4y
Blaire @Emilymdxn that is so cool! Yes, I think so much of the school to prison pipeline dialogue is focused on boys so I‘m very interested to read this. 4y
Blaire @Demeter2112 glad to see so many endorsements of this book. I just downloaded it from my library. 4y
MidnightBookGirl Just bought the tagged book! Thanks for the recommendation!
4y
56 likes2 stack adds8 comments
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sarahlandis
Pickpick

very hard to read, statistic heavy, but important and educational

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Megabooks
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Pickpick

We need to listen to the voices of BIPOC schoolgirls, and we need to ensure needs of vulnerable students are met.

Morris heard black girls who spoke of school resource officers escalating conflicts, policies that criminalize black hairstyles, schools that don‘t have counselors or resources to address sex trafficked, abused, and hungry children, and teachers that treat black girls differently than white ones.

Thanks @Reviewsbylola for the rec!

Megabooks @Cinfhen all I want is milk to calm my nerves and my mother accidentally froze the only milk we had 😩 #firstworldproblems And yes I‘m in insomnia land again 😩 (edited) 4y
rockpools Oh no! Hope you get some sleep (and the milk defrosts quickly) x 4y
Cinfhen Oh, frozen milk might have pushed me over the edge 😉 4y
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Cinfhen I almost picked this up on Hoopla the other day....I‘ll add it to my list 🥰 4y
Emilymdxn This sounds like a really important book! Stacked. Thanks for your amazing recs as always. Sending love and hoping you‘re ok xoxo 4y
Reviewsbylola My insomnia has returned the past 1-2 weeks and it is BRUTAL. My Graves Disease seems to flare up in the summer and I‘m becoming miserable. 😭 Insomnia is the worst. I‘m so glad you liked this book. It should be required reading for all educators imo. 4y
Megabooks @Reviewsbylola I am so sorry!! That sucks!! I agree that it should be required reading. 4y
Megabooks @Emilymdxn you‘re welcome! sending you love too! Just a rough stomach day today. How are you? 💜💜 4y
Megabooks @Cinfhen I didn‘t love the narrator but she wasn‘t annoying either. I hope you read it! I‘ve lost my hoopla login! 4y
Megabooks @Cinfhen and the milk is still frozen. Thanks mom! 😒 4y
Cinfhen Ugh!!! So annoying ~ the milk & the Hoopla login!!!!! And of course all the other stuff you‘re dealing with💓💓💓Thank God for books & Litsy 😘 4y
Megabooks @Cinfhen yes, currently reading prep and listening to this book on and off 4y
Cinfhen I loved that audio!!! It made me believe in humanity 4y
Megabooks @Cinfhen just finished it! Exactly the positivity I needed now! 4y
Cinfhen 🙌🏻💜agreed 4y
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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This was a great book about the harm that‘s been done by inviting police officers into our schools as security in the wake of school shootings. This was at the end as some of the things we should be doing instead to support black girls instead of criminalizing them from a young age.

#BlackLivesMatter

Emilymdxn Fantastic I need to read this! 4y
Blaire This sounds great! I‘m a special Ed attorney and SROs can definitely compound the school to prison pipeline problem and the huge discrepancy in suspensions and law enforcement referrals for students of color, especially black students. 4y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Blaire She discusses that extensively in this book, in relation to girls. As well as how sending them to juvenile detainment derails their schooling even further pushing them future from school. She also discusses children really dealing with special education issues and trauma issues, are being routed to disciple instead of getting the resources they need. (edited) 4y
Blaire @Riveted_Reader_Melissa I see this all the time! Girls are often left out of this conversation. I definitely need to read this one. 4y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Blaire She specifically wrote it because girls are often left out of this conversation, and she talks to a bunch of young women about what they‘d like to see changed as well as the larger system discussions. It was very good. 4y
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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Pickpick

As we become MORE aware of huge systemic issues of mass incarceration, this book reminds us to look at young women, and not just focus our whole attention on young black men. Girls face racial issues, but also gendered issues, stemming from slavery through today where they are considered more mouthy, more sexualized, and more nonconforming just be being themselves. All of which puts them at a greater danger of being punished as “willful” ⤵️

Riveted_Reader_Melissa ... which can all to easily divert them out of the school system and into the juvenile detention/prison complex. This book also covers some aspects of the sex trafficking forces that are acting to pull our girls out of school, because they are worth more out on the streets than in school, & worth more the younger they can be diverted. With young vulnerable black girls often falling between these two forces, it‘s no wonder they struggle and need.. 4y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa ... our support and better educational resources. 4y
See All 11 Comments
BennettBookworm Thank you for sharing 4y
Megabooks Stacking!!! 4y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @KVanRead You liked this! Are you back? I‘ve missed your posts! 4y
KVanRead @Riveted_Reader_Melissa Aww, thanks! !❤️ 4y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @KVanRead You are welcome! We had some great discussion, and who else can I share weird literary names with #Spankle 😉. Anyway, it‘s good to see you again, I hope you‘ve been doing well the last few years? Well, as well as anyone can in this crazy upside-down world. 4y
KVanRead @Riveted_Reader_Melissa 😂👍💗Yes, all good here, though life sure can be interesting! 🤪Hope all‘s well for you too😘 4y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa I think I‘m actually going to use this one for #SomethingAboutEducation 4y
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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🙁 Why wasn‘t he removed or retrained!

Addison_Reads This made me so angry when I read this book. We had a similar situation at a middle school here and it took 3 years of complaints before someone finally listened to the parents and kids. 4y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Addison_Reads That‘s just insane! This book is so frustrating, but such an important read. 4y
Karkar That is so sad. Why does it take them so long to find someone who wants to help keep the kids safe and cares about them enough to not say things like it‘s time. 4y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Karkar I agree! I just can‘t imagine how this person was reassigned outside of a school after this...instead of constantly reminding them over and OVER again. 4y
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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Reggie Have you read Anger is a Gift by Mark Oshiro? This reminds me of that book. They don‘t have enough funding for books but they put bullying cops in the school is just one thing in that book. And the mc‘s father was “accidentally” killed by cops so it makes it traumatic when they‘re suddenly stationed at the school. It‘s really good. 4y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Reggie No, but I will definitely look for that one now! Sounds excellent 4y
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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🙁 so all the efforts to make schools “safer” for students has led to them being processed and put into the justice system faster.

CoffeeK8 This book is on my TBR. I think I‘ll have to move it up. Have you read (edited) 4y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @CoffeeK8 No I haven‘t, but I will recommend this one, it definitely continues on with my education from The New Jim Crow and The Color of Law. 4y
31 likes3 comments
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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I‘m sure that has increased a lot in the last 10 years...

Karkar I remember going to 7th grade in a Dallas TX suburb that had guards all over the place. I cannot imagine what that school is like now. 4y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Karkar I agree, I‘ve thought that a lot during this book, because in the past few years even schools in my mostly white/mostly rural area now lock the students in during the day...all in the name of safety. They even went so far as to brick up a huge wall of windows that opened up the view into the cafeteria/gym area that had been there since my elementary school days because it was too much of a safety liability in this day and age. So sad 😞 (edited) 4y
27 likes2 comments
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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1. Pushout, Anthony & Cleopatra, Silmarillion, Shades of Wicked

2. The Last Conversation by Paul Tremblay...I‘m still working my way through the Forward series

3. I don‘t know, technically it was probably Lord Of The Rings, because I read it in a big kindle compendium set this time, but that‘s really 3 books....after that, according to Goodread‘s it was Archangel‘s War coming in at 478 pages.

#WeekendReads @rachelsbrittain

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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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This book is going to break my heart...our world and society is So F‘cked Up! 😢

Patchshank Wow. That's heartbreaking. And it's sickening how many children are in the same position. What is wrong with people? 4y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Patchshank What‘s even scarier to me, is that it‘s so prevalent that the 11 year old is being punished for it, that everyone around her thinks that makes sense, and she at 11 year olds needs to fix the problem and turn her life around. How is it that a Brock Turner (white guy) is to young to be responsible for rape in college, can‘t have it ruin is life, but an 11 year old (black girl) is old enough to be punished.🤯 (edited) 4y
42 likes2 comments
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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38 likes1 stack add
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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This book is going to be a great read and totally infuriating.

#Nonfiction2020

Loretta These poor girls 😡 4y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Loretta I can‘t even imagine how traumatizing that is at that age. 4y
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SW-T
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Pickpick

One of those books you‘re glad you read even though it breaks your heart one minute and makes you angry the next. Our systems are broken and children, specifically young black girls, are paying for it. Taped the PBS documentary and watched it after finishing the book. Highly recommend both.

https://pushoutfilm.com/

#documentary

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Addison_Reads
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Pickpick

Powerful read! 💚

It was not an easy read, but it was worth it. Definitely one that everyone should read. We still have so far to go with racism in our society, but books like this open up lines of communication and make me hopeful for the future.

#Nonfiction2020 @Riveted_Reader_Melissa

Riveted_Reader_Melissa So glad you liked this one, it‘s on my list to read this year too! 4y
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hwestfall
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This book is really good so far. I borrowed it from the library but I think that it would be worthwhile to have a hard copy to share with others.

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ness
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Pickpick

This book is a must-read for any educator—and anyone who cares about anti-racist work. (cw for a lot of gendered/binary language).

hermyknee ♥️♥️♥️ 5y
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MsLeah8417
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Pickpick

🌟🌟🌟

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MsLeah8417

Chicago Public Schools eliminated recess... In 1998, the district implemented a policy that granted school administrators the discretion to choose whether or not to allow recess. This resulted in two-thirds of Chicago schools opting for a “closed campus,” which means that for nearly twenty-five years, there have been children attending Chicago public schools who have never experienced school recess.

Ms.Story 😢 5y
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ness
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Started this on my way into work. Given some of the things my students are saying about their teachers, it seems vital.

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ness
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tfw the library buys the book you asked for! It must have been a popular request because I‘m fourth in line.

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DanielleRobinette
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Pickpick

This book is recommended to everyone. But it should be REQUIRED reading for anyone working with kids or in education or in juvenile justice. I was a teacher in KY before leaving the profession to go to law school. I so wish I had known this book then. I would change so much about my time as a teacher knowing what I know now. I also have a strong urge to send this to the administrators that I worked under as a teacher. Definitely read this book.

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PatriciaU
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Pickpick

I read this in one night. Pushout was recommended to me by a friend who has been an advocate and activist for urban students and parents for decades. This book should be required reading for teachers, librarians, and anyone else who works with Black girls. Powerful, shocking truths contained within.

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Cortg
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Pickpick

Some of what the author discusses I agree with, some I did not. I felt much of it was one sided and the girls were looking to place the blame on someone else. On the other hand, these girls don‘t have role models and people to guide them on the importance of an education. My 1st job was teaching in an inner city school, I get it! It‘s frustrating.
My daughter‘s text to me an hour after I finished the book. Wow! If only every child had this.

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Lauren_reading
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Pickpick

As an educator in an urban school this is a must read. The author focuses on girls in middle and high school, but the ideas can be applied to any age level. Its so sad to hear about how girls and LGBT students are treated in school/society, how difficult it is to get back into school after an arrest, how judged and punished students are for stupid things. Teachers/community need to take the time to develop relationships to support students.

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bookwrm526
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Pickpick

Finished this one last night. It was a book club pick. It was a good read, though it was just as difficult as you'd expect, and it wasn't exactly what I wanted to be. I love how much the author incorporates the voices of the girls who participated in the research. (Image from the web)

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Erin01
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Pickpick

my most recent nonfiction read for #marchintoreading
this was not a fun book to listen to but once I started I didn't want to put it down for long, an absolute must read for anyone interested in the crimilization of black girls in schools or the treatment of young black girls in general
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

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Erin01
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This book is so important, I'm really enjoying it so far but also wish it wasn't necessary - school should be a safe place & asking questions should be praised, not something that makes someone be marked as disruptive

Moray_Reads Just the blurb is horrific. How on earth does this situation exist?! I'm stacking it but I'll need to fortify myself before I can tackle it 7y
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Erin01
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my library just added a bunch of new books onto its overdrive site (I have a bad habit of checking the recently added list quite frequently, even though there is hardly ever anything new, because I love being one of the first to check something out), and the cover of this one jumped out at me + it's on a topic I want to learn more about

readordierachel This one's on my list as well. 7y
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lowellette
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Pickpick

Important takeaways for all community members--not just schools.

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lowellette
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ZoeyPeacock The term "American Exceptionalism" is a term Europeans used in the early 19th century to poke fun at Americans. It does not mean we are exceptional. Agree 100 percent with the rest though!! 8y
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BookishFeminist
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Just finished watching the Republican Convention & I now need to recover. So this is happening. Pushout is such a great read so far on how Black girls are treated & criminalized in school, from fellow students, teachers, & the system, and how it can dictate their safety & stability in the future. Looking forward to learning a lot. 🍷 #ReadWomen #BlackLivesMatter #WNDB

Twocougs I'm going to need to read that one. I also need a counter balance to all the blame, fear, and anger I heard tonight. 8y
BookBabe Mango sorbet? 8y
Mayread I watched one clip & noped the fuck offline. Did you know that protesters can't carry tennis balls but are allowed to carry firearms (including long guns) due to OH gun laws? Nope. Nope. Nope. 8y
See All 21 Comments
BookishFeminist @Twocougs Ditto, I was live tweeting it for a while & was then like THANK GOD IT'S OVER. Hoping to purge my brain of the hatred by learning. 8y
BookishFeminist @BookBabe Orange sherbet! 🍊 8y
BookishFeminist @Skiles Yep! Toy guns are also banned, but real guns aren't. Makes no sense. Total respect for folks with different political beliefs than me but I 100% can't get behind bigotry, hatred, & anti-gun regulation stuff. I mostly stuck around for the laughs but my brain hurts. 8y
WordWaller Oh I just added this on GR! From the list I blogged about (: 8y
SoniaC I watched a few minutes of it announcing its running mate this Saturday and just couldn't stomach it at all. 8y
BookishFeminist @SoniaC Yea I can't with them. It's a bit like watching a multi-ring self-loathing circus. 8y
BookishFeminist @WordWaller Yes! I recommend it so far--I'll have to check out your blog post. 8y
Notafraidofwords You're brave. I can no longer watch any of it without getting heartburn lol. 8y
Shortstack Glad you said it's good so far. May have to pick this up eventually. Too many books. Too little time. 😁📚💔 8y
SoniaC @BookishFeminist yes sadly it's a lot like that. How lovely it's wife stole the speech of a truly remarkable woman. It just makes me angry! Anyways I should be nice don't want to offend anyone. 8y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa At this point I feel like Trump is pulling the biggest Punk'd ever on the GOP. I'll quote the clan, you'll still vote for me; I say I could shot someone and still be elected, you'll vote for me; I disparage vets & the disabled, you cheer; my wife repeats the Democratic First Lady's speech, a.... 8y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa ...woman you can stand 90% of the time, and if MO had read it you would have booed and jeered, but my wife you'll clap and cheer and wholeheartedly defend her right to plagiarize it. 8y
BookishFeminist @Notafraidofwords LOL I am right there with you. To me it's a bit like watching a train wreck where I can't look away. Especially when jokes abound on Twitter! 8y
BookishFeminist @Shortstack So true! The plight of a reader. I'll definitely post my full review when I'm done. So far it's an important but difficult read. 8y
BookishFeminist @SoniaC Yea completely agreed, and more plagiarism scandal after tonight. Incredible how it always seems to be a Black woman they steal from, especially one they spend so much time tearing down. It's maddening. (You can post whatever here & I won't be offended, btw – I can't speak for others but as long as we're respectful I think it's alright.) 8y
BookishFeminist @Riveted_Reader_Melissa Yea I completely agree. Makes me sick, especially when they spent so much time dragging the Obamas & Clintons down only to emulate their work. Especially maddening about Melania's plagiarized MO speech which is literally riding off the coattails of a Black woman while taking credit for "doing the work herself" & then spewing racist remarks. 2016 can just end already tbh. 8y
SoniaC @BookishFeminist I have a great deal of respect for Michelle Obama she is a strong, intelligent, and classy woman. I find Trump and his cronies difficult to stomach. It scares me that people actually respect and look up to a man who is so clearly a narcissist. 8y
BookishFeminist @SoniaC Yea I feel the same way. And I don't have much sympathy for the GOP establishment that's tried to distance themselves from him either—the party (not everyone in it obviously but many elected officials) have been fear-mongering & spewing hate for at least a solid decade now, from the tea party to its various iterations & laws that reinforce hateful conventions. They didn't speak out then & now they've got this monster. 8y
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GabrielleMRO
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This cover is incredible. I'm excited to teach this book in the fall. Very hard realities.

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