Litsy

Purpose of Power: How We Come Together When We Fall Apart | Alicia Garza

Hello #SheSaid. Lots of good detail about the hard work of organizing underneath the “easy” by pure luck myths. I particularly liked the way she explained intersectionality as breaking down the us vs them mentality that has been used to subjugate many groups for so long with the old divide & conquer. How are you doing on this weeks sections?

Riveted_Reader_Melissa @tenar @vlwelser @KVanRead @SamAnne @Julsmarshall @arlenefinnigan @Chab256 @Scochrane26 @CoffeeK8. @MallenNC @Caroline2 @DebinHawaii @Nute @Currey @Augustdana @Suet624 @Singout @mhillis @megnews @Jgotham @AnneCecilie @Kdgordon88 @kspenmoll @staci.reads @AllDebooks ⤵️ 6d

Riveted_Reader_Melissa ↪️ @Smrloomis @KathyWheeler @Bookwormjillk @bibliobliss @JenlovesJT47 @Karisa @fredthemoose @ravenlee @Christine @mandarchy @rjsthumbelina @Tera66 @Megabooks @BookBosomed1 @IndoorDame @MoonWitch94 @sabyym @ncsufoxes @Readergrrl As always if anyone would like added or removed from this tag list, please just let me know. And if you asked and I forgot, please remind me. 😉 6d

Suet624 Shoot! I‘m so late! I need to find the book! 6d

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AllDebooks I think the intersectionality part is the best bit of the book in an outstanding book. I will reread this many times as I think there is so much information to take in. Great pick. Thanks for organising x @Riveted_Reader_Melissa 6d

MallenNC I thought chapter 9‘s focus on the challenges of trying to build solidarity without losing focus on the unique issues that face Black Americans was very strong. No easy solutions offered, but by drawing attention to it, that chapter made me think. (edited) 6d

ravenlee I was very taken with the difficulty of finding balance within a movement or organization. The importance of having BOTH interracial needs and needs of individual communities met, and how challenging that can be. And the explanation of intersectionality (which has been mentioned in several books we‘ve/I‘ve been reading) was so clear and compelling. None of our issues exist in a vacuum. 6d

Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Suet624 When you find it, join in whenever you can. These discussions will be here to join whenever you are ready. 😉 6d

Suet624 @Riveted_Reader_Melissa thank you! 6d

Bookwormjillk This was a great section. It feels like a master class in organizing. Great book. 6d

staci.reads I liked her comments about "shifting people from spectators to strategists" There are so many keyboard warriors who want to show solidarity on social media, but when action is required, they don't actually want to have skin in the game. Like she says, "What people are willing to do on social media doesn't always transfer into what they're willing to do in their everyday lives." 4d

staci.reads @AllDebooks @ravenlee I also liked the way she explained intersectionality as "a framework by which we examine how groups that experience double or triple discrimination get their needs met at the same time, not in spite of, groups in the same situation." It's not about ranking discrimination, it's about making sure no one gets left behind. 4d

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Riveted_Reader_Melissa

The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America | Richard Rothstein

A special that I think might interest #SheSaid, I‘m going to try to track it down myself to watch. It also looked like a great continuation of relearning some of our history that I read in books like The Color of Law; showing how much systematic inequality has been pre-built into our country, not accidentally, but often with very malicious intent, & how much we‘re still dealing with that legacy today from everything from healthcare access ⤵️

Riveted_Reader_Melissa ↪️ during a pandemic, to clean water in Flint, MI, to food deserts, and to our latest read on organizing that highlighted a “community beautification” project being used to force residents out of their homes.

Purpose of Power: How We Come Together When We Fall Apart

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GingerAntics I‘ve seen commercials for this. It links heartbreakingly intriguing. I don‘t understand how anyone can say racism isn‘t systemic or doesn‘t exist anymore with the facts in front of them, but then those folks aren‘t great with truth and facts. I swear, people choose not to know. It‘s basically a choice at this point. 1w

Riveted_Reader_Melissa @GingerAntics I was just discussing this somewhere else. I think it‘s that we all learn this white-washed version of history and many never learn any different, and then when confronted with another version…it basically throws everything they knew, thought they knew, thought this country stood for on its head so they reject all of that as “crazy”. But in school you are taught these fights happened, in the past, were won, and we are great now.⤵️ 1w

Riveted_Reader_Melissa ↪️ whether it was Washington‘s wooden teeth (really slave teeth) or the interstate highway system that united the country and gave people jobs after the Great Depression (but was used to basically imminent domain many minority communities into nonexistent), to the Tulsa massacre that we just weren‘t taught at all. Or civil rights, voting rights, affirmative action which we were taught were fought for & won & done… but now are overturned and gone. 1w

Riveted_Reader_Melissa ↪️ people were taught these things were decided so they didn‘t need to fight for them anymore, or be vigilant about protecting them… problem is, the other side was vigilant about getting rid of them, and had very long term plans to do so. ↪️ (edited) 1w

Riveted_Reader_Melissa ↪️ they created a whole constitutional doctrine to look at these issues, and find the decision flaws, taught a school of thought to judges, went for decades stymieing regular judicial nominations when judges outside that school of thought were nominated (we just won‘t hold nominations), and then pushing through judges that were on board with that school of thought. And sadly, their long-term plan…worked. 🫤😬 1w

GingerAntics @Riveted_Reader_Melissa oh yeah. It‘s certainly working on roe v wade. Sadly, I fear it‘s all down hill from here. I am contiguously reminded these days of how lucky I was to go to a school that taught REAL indigenous history. It wasn‘t perfect, but at least they tried. I really hope that school is still doing it and has hopefully added more diversity to their curriculum as well. 1w

ncsufoxes I was at a webinar a few months ago about health policy or something (I don‘t remember it was from one of the larger hospitals near me). Anyhow they were talking about how zip codes are used to study trends in public health. All that data is used to monitor disparities (now hospitals, hopefully, are trying to use it for better purposes). They are able to track what diseases are hitting what areas & where they need to focus interventions or more 1w

ncsufoxes info being disseminated to those areas. I thought that it was fascinating & never realized that was how they track public health trends. Although there are so many issues with the fact that many hospitals/gov‘t officials & such have had this data for years & didn‘t utilize it to help people but to hinder people further. 1w

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Butterfinger

Unbound: My Story of Liberation and the Birth of the Me Too Movement | Tarana Burke

pick

A very challenging read. The book opens when a nervous Tarana Burke does not want #metoo to go viral. She had worked so incredibly hard to incorporate it into the Black community where women are statistically abused. She realizes that it is time to increase the range of her community. It covers her abuse and her humility when she fails a young girl's need to share. Every one should read this. Burke even makes a powerful plea for men to stand up.

Butterfinger #Nonfiction2022 I'm unplanned. Was browsing and so glad I chose it. @Riveted_Reader_Melissa 2w

Riveted_Reader_Melissa I‘m glad you found it! I want to add it to the #SheSaid reading list, so it‘s good to hear that it was a good read. 1w

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Riveted_Reader_Melissa

Purpose of Power: How We Come Together When We Fall Apart | Alicia Garza

Hello #SheSaid I hope you are having a great day despite many more reasons to get organizing lately! Right now I‘m really appreciating this unvarnished look at the real work it takes to organize people to accomplish any goal, even “just” protesting. I have a feeling we will all be protesting more in the current environment we live in.

Riveted_Reader_Melissa ↪️ @Smrloomis @KathyWheeler @Bookwormjillk @bibliobliss @JenlovesJT47 @Karisa @fredthemoose @ravenlee @Christine @mandarchy @rjsthumbelina @Tera66 @Megabooks @BookBosomed1 @IndoorDame @MoonWitch94 @sabyym @ncsufoxes As always if anyone would like added or removed from this tag list, please just let me know. And if you asked and I forgot, please remind me. 🫠 2w

Riveted_Reader_Melissa Anybody else watching the news lately and feeling like we picked the right book at the right time again! 🙄 Sadly because our world remains crazy. 2w

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Readergrrl I‘m not familiar with this read along, but I‘d love to join…especially in these times! 2w

ravenlee I found the bit about leaders having to balance between addressing the needs of the community in question and keeping the peace with the powers that be - and there‘s no way to strike that balance successfully. Nobody with a prominent position can afford to risk it, and is therefore inherently unable to do what actually needs to be done. 2w

ravenlee And yes, absolutely, this is a well-timed read. As so frequently seems to happen! 2w

Bookwormjillk @Riveted_Reader_Melissa @ravenlee yes, right book at the right time. I too am appreciating a look at the ins and outs of organizing. 2w

Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Readergrrl We‘d love to have you join us, feel free to grab this one and catch-up/join in whenever you are ready. And put the next one on hold if that sounds interesting to you too. (edited) 2w

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ncsufoxes

Rage Becomes Her: The Power of Women's Anger | Soraya Chemaly

pick

I started reading this for #shesaid but life got busy & I didn‘t keep up with the conversations. But I finally finished & loves this book. It brought up lots of interesting points. Every day in the US it feels like women have a reason to be angry, looking at you the Supreme Court. This book was the perfect book for me to finish right now as I am about to go back into the working world. I feel things have changed a lot over the last 11 years since

Riveted_Reader_Melissa, TheAromaofBooks

ncsufoxes I have been a stay at home mom. As an advocate for disability & social justice this book highlights all the things I hold dear (plus infuriates me that these are still fights & issues in 2022). Plus raising 3 kids that I want to be aware & be ready to fight for others. #bookspin #nonfiction2022 prompt: I‘m a Rule Breaker 2w

TheAromaofBooks Great progress!! 2w

Riveted_Reader_Melissa Great review! Good luck re-entering the working world, I‘m nervous about that shift myself at the moment. 2w

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AllDebooks

The Purpose of Power: How We Come Together When We Fall Apart | Alicia Garza

Catching up on the #SheSaid choice read for May. Already so engaged and enamoured by Alicia Garza and her story. What an amazing woman 😍📚

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Riveted_Reader_Melissa

Purpose of Power: How We Come Together When We Fall Apart | Alicia Garza

Hello #SheSaid I hope you are all having a good week & maybe getting some warmth from the change of seasons no matter which hemisphere you are in 😉.

I‘m learning a lot about the complexities of community organizing in this section, I knew the idea before, but this really explains some of the divergent groups that need to find common ground, and how things sold as “common good” might not be really. Devil‘s in the details (and fine print)!

Riveted_Reader_Melissa ↪️ @Smrloomis @KathyWheeler @Bookwormjillk @bibliobliss @JenlovesJT47 @Karisa @fredthemoose @ravenlee @Christine @mandarchy @rjsthumbelina @Tera66 @Megabooks @BookBosomed1 @IndoorDame @MoonWitch94 @sabyym @ncsufoxes As always if anyone would like added or removed from this tag list, please just let me know. And if you asked and I forgot, please remind me. 🤪 3w

MallenNC I really enjoyed the parts about her work with POWER and how they dealt with the city‘s plan to put in underground power lines. It was very clearly meant to force residents to move out so more “desirable” (richer) people could move in. 3w

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ravenlee I agree, the inside look into community organizing was eye-opening. And I liked the reminder that we can‘t make blanket statements about what Black communities (or really any communities) want, because the individuals all have such different perspectives. I also really liked her way of turning biased statements into questions to make people think about their prejudices. 3w

staci.reads @ravenlee I appreciated that too. The story of her froup from POWER visiting the African American history museum together and what a powerful experience that was for them 3w

staci.reads I really liked the way she defined empowerment vs. power and clarified the difference and the necessity of gaining power when you are organizing. "Unless empowerment is transformed into power, not much will change about our environments."
3w

staci.reads I loved too the advice her coworkergave her when starting out..."Starting a campaign is like starting a fist fight. Sometimes you Just need to punch someone in the face, step back, and see what happens." ? 3w

staci.reads I also made connections to the recent essay in The 1619 Project "Traffic" when she talked about how the San Francisco subway system doesn't serve Bayview Hunter's Point and so essentially cuts them off from access to better resources and many job opportunities. That's the kind of urban planning that creates and reinforces segregation which the essay was pointing out, but using Atlanta as the example. 3w

Bookwormjillk I thought the inside look at organizing was very illuminating as well. I wasn‘t expecting management lessons when I started this book but that‘s (part of) what I‘m getting. 3w

AllDebooks This is just incredible, Alicia gives us a very honest account of growing up in America. For me, the personal side of her story and how she came to be involved in activism is fascinating, alongside the social issues, politics, poverty, inequality and segregation. I'm getting so much from this book. 2w

AllDebooks @staci.reads me too, actually lol as it's such a truthful comment 2w

Riveted_Reader_Melissa @AllDebooks I‘m so glad you are enjoying it! 2w

ncsufoxes I loved learning about how she got into community activism but also realizing how exhausting it must be since there are so many areas to have to fight against. Her work in the Bay View area opened my eyes to many things I did not think about & how they all intersect. Like not realizing where you live & the types of grocery stores that are available to your community. When your only options are fast food or pre-packaged food they are not optimal 1w

ncsufoxes To your health. Then lack of adequate medical care. When you aren‘t eating healthy foods it not only affects your health but your ability to learn. Dr Nadine Burke-Harris discusses her work as a pediatrician in this area of CA in The Deepest Well. Plus you add on the housing issues which the government has been messing with for years (The Color of Law). When you have all of these forces working against people it makes it so hard to break free from

The Deepest Well: Healing the Long-Term Effects of Childhood Adversity

ncsufoxes When all that the system has done is to work to keep you down. I‘ve probably gone off on a tangent because I‘ve seen this all before from my work in doing home visits in lots of Section 8 neighborhoods. It just infuriates me to now learn & realize that the system was designed like this for a reason. This book has helped me to connect the dots of what I was seeing & why it is the way it is. I really admire Garza & find her inspirational 1w

Riveted_Reader_Melissa @ncsufoxes The Color of Law is a fantastic book, I‘ll definitely look for The Deepest Well now too. It‘s amazing once you get into it how much everything is connected, this section showed how “beautification” projects to benefit a community could basically be weaponized against them, and yes, there are a million tiny battles like that to be had everywhere everyday it seems. A never-ending fight. And then I look at the other side…and how they⤵️ (edited) 1w

Riveted_Reader_Melissa ↪️ systematically and long-termed their fights against everything from voting rights, to affirmative action, to now abortion rights…which they lost and instead of accepting the will of the majority to go forward, created a school of thought about the constitution, raised and promoted judges based in that, and then took advantage of every nominating process to deny and stymie other judges and push through theirs until they had enough votes ⤵️ 1w

Riveted_Reader_Melissa ↪️ that they were sure they could count on, to overturn those long fought for gains…so they have to be fought for again. And some of that literally has come down to just deciding not to hold hearings on judge nominations until your person/group is in power to nominate your preferred choices. Scary the long-term work the other-side has done when you really think about it. Not to mention things you thought that were good, from the beautification 1w

Riveted_Reader_Melissa ↪️ project in this book to big national projects like the interstate highway system that employed during the Great Depression and united the country and then learn it was also used to basically imminent domain many minority communities out of existence. You grow up in school basically learning these fights are done, won, and settled… we need people to relearn that they are never-ending and ongoing, and need boots on the ground everyday to keep.⤵️ 1w

Riveted_Reader_Melissa ↪️ and sadly that is where we lose a lot of good people, they never learn the more after those pat school white-washed lessons. 1w

Riveted_Reader_Melissa @ncsufoxes Oprah has a special coming out (or recently came out) that I need to track down and watch. “The Color of Care”…. The tagline was “what if I told you the biggest indicator of how long you are going to live….was your zip code” (edited) 1w

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staci.reads

The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story | Nikole Hannah-Jones, The New York Times Company

#1619GroupRead Another short essay this week, but feel free to also reflect on the supplemental pieces "Rainbows Aren't Real, Are They?" Kiese Laymon's short memoir on hearing Jesse Jackson speak of The Rainbow Coalition, and Gregory Pardlo's poem about the 1985 bombing of the MOVE rowhouse in Philadelphia. Only two chapters left to reach the end of this powerful book.

staci.reads @4thHouseOnTheLeft @BarbaraTheBibliophage @BeckyWithTheGoodBooks @BookishGal @Butterfinger @Catsandbooks @ChaoticMissAdventures @Chelsea.Poole @Chrissyreadit @IndoorDame @JenReadsAlot @katy4peas @Kdgordon88 @kspenmoll @MallenNC @mdm139 3w

staci.reads @Megabooks @Megnews @ncsufoxes @PurpleyPumpkin @Readergrll @Riveted_Reader_Melissa @rjsthumbelina @sabyym @Singout @skygoddess1 @TheKidUpstairs @TimInCalifornia 3w

staci.reads I had to dive in a little more after reading the poem about the police standoff with MOVE because, once again, it was history I had never heard. The story is appalling, including how the aftermath amd remains were handled. Here's a New Yorker article that tells much more for anyone interested https://www.newyorker.com/news/essay/saying-her-name 3w

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MallenNC I had only a surface awareness of the MOVE bombing so I‘ll definitely read the piece you shared. The writer of the New Yorker article wrote a great book about the Attica prison riots. 3w

MallenNC My thought on the Traffic chapter was that it was a very clear example of how decisions driven by racism hurt everyone. The traffic and transportation in Atlanta are such huge headaches and it didn‘t have to be that way. Also building road projects through Black neighborhoods. That happened here in N.C. when Durham‘s Black Wall Street was destroyed by a new freeway. This chapter gave me a lot to think about. 3w

staci.reads @MallenNC Me too. I just commented on the #shesaid post about how Garza shared that the San Francisco subway doesn't serve Bayfield Hunter's Point and cuts members of that community off from job possibilities. It reminded me of "Traffic" and the Atlanta example. 3w

ChaoticMissAdventures I had never heard of the MOVE bombing and as I often do I got angry that these histories have to be so searched for, for many Americans. We can never understand our history 200 years ago or 50 unless we understand what happened and why. 3w

ChaoticMissAdventures Traffic, while I knew about these topics it is always good to be reminded. A city in Kansas just passed a no cohabitation bill where no more than 3 unrelated adults cannot live together. So many blatant laws passed to keep people from getting ahead. A great book for further reading

The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America

staci.reads @ChaoticMissAdventures I had not heard about the cohabitation bill...unbelievable. I've heard great things about The Color of Law. It's on my tbr! 3w

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GingerAntics

This Life: Secular Faith and Spiritual Freedom | Martin H�gglund

Maybe it‘s just in America, maybe it‘s just me, but this seems like something that only comes with privilege.
#ThisLife #MartinHagglund #Philosophy #AdventuresInPhilosophy #DeadPhilosophersSociety
@TheBookHippie @ravenlee @JaclynW @RavenLovelyReads @AlaSkaat @Chrissyreadit @kspenmoll

ravenlee This comes back to our perennial discussion of free will. I think it‘s yes, but only to a certain extent. You can pick your poison, basically. There‘s a certain freedom of choice in that one can decide among several jobs, but it‘s not much of a choice between minimum-wage food service and minimum-wage janitorial service, is it? But there are some freedoms beyond work - involvement in a worship community, or neighborhood/family. 3w

ravenlee But so much if it really is a matter of privilege, and those who have broader freedom because of their privilege condemn those without for not taking advantage of their “freedom.” This actually related to this week‘s #SheSaid reading from The Purpose of Power. 3w

GingerAntics @ravenlee that‘s exactly what I was thinking of. Owning one‘s life and how much one can own one‘s life correlates perfectly with the amount of free will one has. Unfortunately, it seems that many (most?) can‘t fathom anyone being in a position of less freedom than themselves, but they won‘t hesitate to treat others as beneath them. Such a contradiction. 3w

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TheBookHippie @ravenlee I agree. 2w

TheBookHippie Privilege ego righteous indignation…. 2w

GingerAntics @TheBookHippie all of that, yes… and it‘s so hypocritical. 🙄 2w

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AllDebooks

The Purpose of Power: How We Come Together When We Fall Apart | Alicia Garza

High expectations for this from the amazing co-founder of Black Lives Matter, Alicia Garza.
I'm thrilled to be reading along. Need to play catch-up first. #SheSaid
@Riveted_Reader_Melissa

Riveted_Reader_Melissa Glad to have you join us! 4w

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