{"id":73114,"date":"2020-06-28T15:29:47","date_gmt":"2020-06-28T20:29:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kjhk.org\/web\/?p=73114"},"modified":"2020-06-28T15:34:10","modified_gmt":"2020-06-28T20:34:10","slug":"opinion-how-to-effectively-use-an-anti-racist-reading-list","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kjhk.org\/web\/2020\/06\/28\/opinion-how-to-effectively-use-an-anti-racist-reading-list\/","title":{"rendered":"Opinion: How to effectively use an anti-racist reading list"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Molly Hatesohl | @mollyhatesohl <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the most ubiquitous responses to the ongoing call for racial justice has manifested itself in the form of the Anti-Racist Reading List: a compilation of resources, usually textual, that deal with the topic of race in some manner. Although the list is a well-intentioned effort to combat racist ideologies, its efficacy may be weakened if used improperly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aware of these lists\u2019 flaws, the Raven Bookstore located at 6 E Seventh St. wants to help the Lawrence community take full advantage of antiracist literature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some warn that lists like these tend to serve a performative, rather than productive function.  In her article \u201cWhat is an Anti-Racist Reading List For?\u201d<\/a> Lauren Michele Jackson contends, \u201cThe books are there, they\u2019ve always been there, yet the lists keep coming, bathing us in the pleasure of a recommendation. But that\u2019s the thing about the reading. It has to be done.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jackson confirms that adding popular texts to your bookshelf does not make you an enlightened antiracist. However, she also makes the point that doing the reading is a necessary first step on the path to antiracism. In order for the list to function as an effective tool of activism, its contents must not only be acquired and actually read, but read critically. Consequently, the Anti-Racist Reading List is burdened with gaps in accountability which occur between obtaining, reading, and synthesizing the list\u2019s contents. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sellers at the Raven Bookstore are conscious of the lists\u2019 pitfalls and are working to help their patrons get the most out of their materials. In addition to providing curbside pickup, local delivery, and national shipping of available titles, the store has also released its own Black Power Reading List<\/a>, curated by bookseller Nikita Imafidon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Raven bookseller Nakita Imafidon curated a “Black Power” reading list with ranging genres to satisfy every type of reader and promote the works of Black authors. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Like most bookstores, the Raven received overwhelming requests for antiracist literature in the last month. The demand surrounds two titles in particular: \u201cWhite Fragility\u201d by Robin DiAngelo and \u201cHow to Be an Antiracist\u201d by Ibram X. Kendi, both of which are perhaps the most frequently mentioned works among lists. While the influx of orders does inspire a certain optimism in the community\u2019s intentions, the uniformity of these requests suggests that readers may be limiting themselves to a prescriptive, and thus disparate education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been trying to push people to look at different books besides those,\u201d said Imafidon in a phone call with KJHK. If the goal of your reading is to gain a more nuanced understanding of race, it is not helpful to consume your materials strictly within the context of the Anti-Racist Reading List. These works must be considered in their unique socio-historical circumstances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is not to say that reading these or other trending titles is a bad decision. Rather, the ideas iterated by DiAngelo, Kendi, and the like should expand past the context of the Anti-Racist Reading List and into readers\u2019 everyday lives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important to have the groundwork for why you\u2019re doing something,\u201d Imafidon said. \u201cI think that books are one of the most effective ways to do that. There\u2019s just something about that [textual] format that\u2019s going to be very helpful in getting you to a point of action.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In other words, it is up to the individual to synthesize the ideas they glean from engaging with anti-racist resources and apply this knowledge when interacting with others. The discursive materials categorized as \u201canti-racist\u201d were born out of a necessity to combat an injustice that permeates all aspects of American society in very real and very prevalent ways. To consume these materials without using them to challenge the unjust realities they critique, is not helpful and does not accomplish the work of activism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Anti-Racist Reading List should be used as a tool to inform how you combat racial injustice, whether it be in conversation with others, in the consumption of materials and services, or in the act of protest. When each level of your activism is grounded in multifaceted, critical thought, your ability to enact change is greatly enhanced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about other strategies aimed toward critical, meaningful readership, Imafidon recommends taking notes while reading. For those who are auditory learners, she suggests listening to podcasts connected to authors\u2019 work. Imafidon is also cognizant of the Raven\u2019s role as a local bookstore within the larger discourse on race. Where corporate booksellers fail to meet the unique needs of each reader, the Raven is not only able to personalize their recommendations, but tries to connect readers with other organizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t just call up Amazon and be like \u2018What are you reading? What have you been into? What are your values?\u2019,\u201d she said. \u201cWe can help [readers] get to a second step, which is a really cool thing to be able to do, and I don\u2019t think that works unless you have a community basis.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, the Raven encourages its patrons to expand their search beyond examples of theory or nonfiction. Imafidon\u2019s Black Power Reading List spans a variety of texts, providing a holistic approach to antiracist self-education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of beautiful work there that\u2019s like poetry, or just fiction, or memoir that people haven\u2019t been paying attention to as much,\u201d Imafidon said. The inclusion of multiple genres mitigates the temptation to use the Anti-Racist Reading List as an instruction manual for allyship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a newsletter, the Raven owner Danny Caine further emphasized the importance of engaged readership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cReaders must not think of Black authors simply as racism explainers.\u201d In experiencing the syntax chosen by Black poets, or the vernacular used by Black fictional characters, readers may gain insight that is more organic than the kind of practical knowledge offered by sociological theory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just like a protest does not automatically transform its participants into anti-racist people, the Anti-Racist Reading List is not a to-do list that, once fulfilled, miraculously transforms its owner into an anti-racist person. The list is a collection of resources that help articulate the myriad ideas, sentiments, and goals that comprise the motivations behind instances of activism. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to racial justice, the interactive, operative effort of activism should not take place without the reflexive, introspective act of self-education, nor vice versa. It is nearly impossible to affect meaningful change without first taking the time to expose oneself to the discourse surrounding racial justice, and it is unconscionable to consume anti-racist discourse in a theoretical vaccuum without the intention of applying those ideas to your everyday life. Self-education and direct action are equally vital elements in the fight for racial justice, and one should not exist without the other. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe all need to keep on doing the work and focus on embracing Black, trans, queer lives during this month and for all the months to come,\u201d Imafidon said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n


Molly Hatesohl is a graduate student at the University of Kansas studying art history<\/em>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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