Ep. 176: Read Less Basic Book Club --Nice White Ladies

In this episode of #readlessbasic, we dissect "Nice White Ladies" by Jessie Daniels, a book challenging the complicity of privileged white women in perpetuating systemic racism. We interviewed Jessie Daniels back in Oct. 

Roundtable guests:

• Annie Jansen is a former teacher and current apprentice electrician.

• Christina McDade, school counselor and former guest the Nerdfarm Podcast Ep. 90 “On Representation & Making Space for Black Women in the Workplace” 

• Marco Manuel–MS history teacher.

We start by examining the book's provocative opening line and share our initial reactions. Despite not all being the target audience, we reflect on how this influences our engagement with the text. Each of us highlights two significant ideas or passages and discusses how our perspectives have evolved. We explore actionable steps proposed by Daniels for white women to become genuine allies in the fight against racism. We debate whether we'd recommend the book and where it stands among other race/antiracism literature like "Caste" and "Stamped." Join us as we navigate the complexities of privilege, allyship, and social change.

Ep. 173: Perspectives From An American Librarian Abroad

EQ: How can school libraries effectively promote diverse representation, particularly of Black voices and histories, fostering greater social awareness and inclusivity?

In today’s episode we are joined by teacher-librarian Osa Oyegun, the whole school librarian (PS-12) at the American International School of Abuja, Nigeria. We discuss the power of representation in literature, the attack on books and libraries in the US, and ways to grow partnerships between the library and the community. Not to mention, we all throw a few book recommendations your way! Check out her curated list of Anti-Bias and Anti-Racist Resources.
Do Your Fudging Homework:

• Osa: Becoming by Michelle Obama; Jennifer Lewis The Mother of Black Hollywood, Ketura Kendrick No Thanks: Black, Female and Living in the Martry-Free Zone, Diahann Carroll, The Legs Are the Last Thing to Go

• Megan: Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine by Uche’ Blackstock

• Hope: Eloquent Rage Brittney Cooper; 28 Days of Black History newsletter

Ep. 108: Hot Reader Summer

EQ: What can woke-aspiring individuals do to have a hot reader summer (hint: read books)?

Megan and Hope are joined by Lincoln High School Librarian, Kristen Sierra. They sit down to discuss all of the best reads and what has been at the top of their list. From easy vacation reads, books to read as a family, and books to push your thinking and learning, they cover it all in this episode! Check out a previous conversation with Kristen about Decolonizing Your Bookshelf.

Vacay Reads/Easy Reading:

• Furia, Yamile Saied Mendez

• Leviathan Wakes (Expanse Series), James A Corey

• Rodney Scott’s New Cookbook - Rodney Scott’s World of BBQ

• Roar, Cecilian Ahern. Short stories separate so something you can read and put down/pick up easily.

• A Wicked Kind of Husband, Mia Vincy (romance)

• The Lovely War, Julie Berry (highly recommend the audiobook on Libro.fm)

• Firekeepers Daughter, Angeline Boulley

• Patron Saints of Nothing, Randy Ribay

Young Adult:

• Grown, Tiffany Jackson

• White Smoke, Tiffany Jackson

• Blackout, Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, Nicola Yoon

• Clean Getaway, Nic Stone 

• Dear Justice, Nic Stone

• From Little Tokyo, With Love, Sarah Kuhn (silly YA Romcom)

• Concrete Rose, Angie Thomas (especially the audiobook)

• Emergency Contact, Mary Choi  (YA romcom)

• Walk Two Moons, Sharon Creech

• On the Come up, Angie Thomas

• Concrete Rose, Angie Thomas

Nonfiction Favs:

• What Unites Us: The World Citizen Series, Dan Rather

• (Several Channel 253 members recommended) How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America, Clint Smith

• March, John Lewis

• How We Get Free: Black Feminism & the Combahee River Collective, Keeanga Yamahtaa Taylor

• Treatise on investing mutual funds. Stock picking is like picking a needle in a haystack with index fund investing, you buy the whole haystack: The Little Book of Common Sense Investing, John Bogle

• Know my Name, Chanel Miller (was a #nerdfarmreads book)

• Unrig, Dan G. Newman

• Fault Lines in the Constitution: The Framers, Their Fights, and the Flaws that Affect us Today, Cynthia Levinson and Sanford Levinson

• Caste: The Origins of our Discontent, Isabel Wilkerson

• Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood, Marjane Setrapi, Mattias Ripa

• After the Fall: Being American in the World We’ve Made, Ben Rhodes

• Up From Slavery, Booker T. Washington

• Yes Please, Amy Poehler

• Bossypants, Tina Fey

• A Promised Land, Barack Obama

Something You Can’t Help But Love

• The Once & Future Witches, Alix E Harrow 

• The Pale Horse, Agatha Christie

• Open Book, Jessica Simpson

• Green Lights, Mathew McConnaghy

Something Every Teacher Should Read:

• “These Kids Are out of Control: Why We Must Reimagine Classroom Management for Equity”, Milner, Cunningham, et al

• We do this Till We Free Us: Abolitionist Organizing and Transforming Justice, Mariame Kabe (the science & art of organizing)

• Kristen Sierra’s book “Core Values in School Librarianship”

• Pillars of the Republic: Common Schools and American Society, Carl F. Kaestle

• The Practice of Adaptive Leadership, Ronald A. Heifetz, Alexander Grashow, Marty Linsky

• Raising Free People: Unschooling as Liberation and Healing Work, Akila S. Richards

• Silencing the Past, Michel-Rolph Trouillot 

Things to Read as a Family:

• I survived (series), Lauren Tarshis

• Percy Jackson (series), Rick Riordan

• Babysitters Club (newer series), Jordan Silver

Ep. 54: Read Less Basic Book Club--"White Rage" by Carol Anderson

Today we're discussing our 2nd book in the #readlessbasic book club. We encourage listeners to read more of Carol Anderson’s work and listen to her interview on Democracy Now.

Guests: Nate Bowling and Jennifer Newton

• Nate Bowling, host of the Channel 253 Nerd Farmer podcast

• Jennifer Newton, long time listener and even longer time friend. Educator, NBCT and general rabblerouser

Discussion Highlights:

• The connection between Anderson’s work and Derek Jensen’s Endgame

• The nature & goals of the book. Feels almost like a “second in a trilogy”

  • White Fragility

  • White Rage

  • Me & White Supremacy

• Things we gloss over in history classes but Anderson brings home

• How our own racial identity influences our reading of the book

• Criticism and wishes for the text

• Why everyone should read White Rage in the current political climate

Listener To Do List:

• Read the discussion of this book on Twitter #cleartheair

• Human Smoke Nicholson Baker

• “The Tunnel” Criminal Podcast, Episode 120