OWISM Book Club
The OWISM would like to announce the next book of 2020.
The next book will be Wednesday, October 21, 2020, 5:30pm -7pm via Zoom.
So you want to talk about race
by Ijeoma Oluo (Author)
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
In this New York Times bestseller, Ijeoma Oluo offers a hard-hitting but user-friendly examination of race in America
Widespread reporting on aspects of white supremacy -- from police brutality to the mass incarceration of Black Americans -- has put a media spotlight on racism in our society. Still, it is a difficult subject to talk about. How do you tell your roommate her jokes are racist? Why did your sister-in-law take umbrage when you asked to touch her hair -- and how do you make it right? How do you explain white privilege to your white, privileged friend?
In So You Want to Talk About Race, Ijeoma Oluo guides readers of all races through subjects ranging from intersectionality and affirmative action to "model minorities" in an attempt to make the seemingly impossible possible: honest conversations about race and racism, and how they infect almost every aspect of American life.
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/You-Want-Talk-About-Race/dp/1580056776
The last book in 2020 will be hosted via Zoom in early December.
The Bluest Eye
by Toni Morrison (Author)
New York Times Bestseller
Pecola Breedlove, a young black girl, prays every day for beauty. Mocked by other children for the dark skin, curly hair, and brown eyes that set her apart, she yearns for normalcy, for the blond hair and blue eyes that she believes will allow her to finally fit in. Yet as her dream grows more fervent, her life slowly starts to disintegrate in the face of adversity and strife. A powerful examination of our obsession with beauty and conformity, Toni Morrison’s virtuosic first novel asks powerful questions about race, class, and gender with the subtlety and grace that have always characterized her writing.
"You can't go wrong by reading or re-reading the collected works of Toni Morrison. Beloved, Song of Solomon, The Bluest Eye, Sula, everything else — they're transcendent, all of them. You’ll be glad you read them."--Barack Obama
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Bluest-Eye-Vintage-International/dp/0307278441
Please buy the book prior to the book club so that informed discussions can occur!
Invite a friend or two and RSVP to Talk about race. Please let Joann Bodurtha (jbodurt1@jhmi.edu) know if you have questions or suggestions.
Look for Isabel Wilkerson’s “Caste” in February 2021 and Octavia Butler’s “Kindred” in April 2021.
Thanks!
We look forward to seeing you there!