Racism

[close] Gerfarer is the pen name of the author of The Abbot of Morpheus. He is a middle-aged male, who lives at the intersection of certain coordinates on the globe. He drinks tea with a few squeezes of lemon and three sugars in the morning and listens to podcasts before going to sleep in the night. He breaks down everything and then helps you to rebuild it back together and encourages you to discern for yourself. Gerfarer offers a fresh line of questioning and answering which would be interesting to curious people who are seeking liberation.

[close] A place to discuss all the unique aspects of Deaf culture as highlighted in the thriller Silent Fear (A novel inspired by true crimes) by Lance & James Morcan. This group can also be an intersection of sorts where Deaf and hearing people can engage and learn from each other.

[close] In this Book Group, we will focus on gaining the knowledge and vocabulary to challenge negative stereotypes about Blacks. For example: • Blacks always live in rundown slums and ghettos • Blacks are taking all the good jobs from Whites • I am not a racist, I see everyone as equal Maybe you have heard these comments and wished you had the information or language to offer a counter perspective. Or, maybe you have these beliefs and want to explore alternative viewpoints. If so, this Book Group is for you. I started it because I had these experiences and have struggled to develop coherent contrasting-stories about Blacks. I adopted the term stories after watching a TED Talk titled: The Danger of a Single Story by author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. As stated earlier, in this Book Group, we will focus on gaining the knowledge and vocabulary to challenge negative stereotypes about Blacks. We will do that by reading books about race and racism. The goal is to amass a variety of alternative messages members might use in personal or professional situations. The discussion format will be very specific. After reading the monthly book, members will post threads that describe a negative stereotype or belief about Blacks; then share insights from the book that might be used as a counterpoint to that stereotype or belief. This Group is about members sharing what they learned and how it might be used to combat negativity about Blacks. It will be a safe space for posting these messages; without fear of challenges to chosen stereotypes, beliefs, or counterpoints. We will be a group of member learners. This Group is not about debating book merits, conclusions, or topics. If you want to debate the content about books on race or racism, this Group IS NOT for you. I know you will help me become more knowledgeable and articulate about the Black experience. Barbara Moderator

[close] This book club formed in Hillsborough Township Public Schools in NJ by a group of concerned educators including teachers, school counselors, and administrators. We originally intended to read the two books suggested for book clubs by the BARWE (Building Antiracist White Educators) group from Philadelphia, PA. We did that and we continue to read books that stimulate thought, conversation, and action around antiracist education.