What a time to be alive!

What a time to be Black!

Dear friends,

One of the things that brings me back to the page month after month is knowing that I’m not alone in my thinking. Between editions of the newsletter, I carry you with me and consider what we might need or find helpful in this moment. I have my eyes peeled and my ears primed for the kinds of resources that may give us pause, support, comfort or a bit of joy.

Despite attempts from a certain political administration to deflect from and deny the reality,  February 2025* is still very Black, full of history and a time to celebrate and honor African American history. This month’s offerings include a range of opportunities to learn from, appreciate and delve into Black History Month with abandon!

(*In the UK, Black History Month falls in October)

Black Authors, Black History

Here are some of my favorite non-fiction reads I have appreciated over last several years which may or may not be on your radar.

• The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson (not pictured)
• White Rage by Carol Anderson
• Hood Feminism by Nikki Kendall
• Thick by Tressie McMillan Cotttom
• Under the Skin by Linda Villarosa
• How The Word Is Passed by Clint Smith

Each book has spoken to me in different ways. In The Warmth of Other Suns, Isabel Wilkerson’s very human portrayal of the Great Migration of Blacks from the South to the North and West during the early 20th century blew my mind when I first read it. Because I was able to recognize my parents’ and grandparents’ experiences in it, the history was the opposite of abstract and academic. Similarly, Carol Anderson’s White Rage filled my gaps in understanding the vehemence of white supremacist repression of Black advancement across the decades between reconstruction and the civil rights movement.

Hood Feminism, Thick and Under The Skin illuminate the ways Black folks in the US navigate the material realities of racial inequities. Linda Villarosa specifically examines health disparities including infant and maternal mortality, the effects of environmental racism, as well as the consequences of racism baked into American medical education. Mikki Kendall and Tressie McMillan Cottom apply sociological and journalistic lenses to their personal experiences as Black women in a society that actively insists on their marginalization, regardless of achievement.

Finally, in How The Word Is Passed, Clint Smith documents his visits to Black historical sites including the Whitney Plantation and Angola Prison in Louisiana and Monticello in Virginia with a critical ear as to how each presents its history to the public. His emphasis is on the legacy of slavery at these sites and his conversations with historians, tour guides, visitors and curators broaden the reader’s understanding of how the stain of slavery is diluted, papered over or placed front and center at different locations.

To these books I want to add a long form interview with cultural theorist, Professor Koritha Mitchell, which I think pairs especially well with White Rage. One of her central points concerns the “perverse flex” enabled by American culture (it’s a longer quote and worth it):

“American culture allows for what I see as a perverse flex. If I go back to Tulsa, it is a perverse flex. Not only does whiteness empower folk to destroy entire communities; it empowers them to say to your face that the destruction doesn’t have reverberating effects in the current moment…

“Not only will we do the violence, but we will do the legislative violence, the judicial violence, the discursive violence of denying that any of it matters. And we’ll do it all in your face.” This kind of perverse flex is built into American culture. The most common discourses and practices, the most common words and deeds, what is most commonly said and done in the United States—these are all designed to downplay and denigrate and dismiss anyone who isn’t in that vaunted category of whiteness.

What I want Americans to understand is that, when there’s nothing proactive you need to do to be considered “good and decent,” then society trains people who are considered white to never (on purpose) make this country less hostile for more people. Never (on purpose) to cultivate something like decency. I’m not even talking about justice. I’m talking about decency.”

As a young person I had a hard time engaging with history. I resented the obligation to memorize dates and wars and famous (white) men. That said, what I did not realize at the time were all the ways that I was surrounded by living history. Those rare times when my mother described growing up in small town Tennessee during the depression. Or when my aunt talked about how my dad, as the oldest of three, went out to work at 15 to supplement my grandmother’s income as a housekeeper in a wealthy white home. (I eventually went on to attend the same private day school as the great grandchildren of said wealthy family. ) I also learned about Black History at church where it came up during Sunday school lessons. That said, I was working with fragments rather than a whole cloth. While my sense of historical coherence has improved, there is still so much more to learn and investigate. Black History Month as an institution gives me an added nudge to take stock of my progress so far.

Acknowledging Current Realities

Whew, boy! You may have already heard the US Department of Defense has announced that “Identity Months Dead at DoD” detailed in the follow way (I mean, that language! “Dead”!):

“Going forward, DoD Components and Military Departments will not use official resources, to include man-hours, to host celebrations or events related to cultural awareness months, including National African American/Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, National Hispanic Heritage Month, National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and National American Indian Heritage Month.”

But tell us how you really feel!

It may seem like a small detail in the margins given the far more pressing effects resulting from a violent torrent of Executive Orders from the new presidential administration. We must, however, recognize this move as emblematic for a government regime designed to stamp out all forms of engagements that fall under the broad umbrella of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. On the other hand, a proclamation from Feb. 1, 2025 seeks to change the this month’s name to National Black History Month. *insert eye roll emoji*

I don’t want to give more space than necessary to a subset of leaders who are fundamentally hostile to a DEIJ focused project such as this modest newsletter. But I do feel compelled to share resources that may be useful in contacting elected officials (if you’re a US citizen) or organizations that offer reliable updates on unfolding events.

For contacting representatives:

• resist.bot makes it easy for you to call or contact your representatives, even from abroad.
• https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials go here to locate your representatives at the Federal, State and local levels
• democracy.io provides contacts to representatives. You can write rather than call, if you prefer.

Alternative news sources:

• 19th News Network – “a collective of national, regional and local publishers who share in our newsroom’s mission of advancing gender and racial equity in journalism.”
• ProPublica – “Investigative journalism in the public interest”
• Marisa Kabas at The Handbasket – She was the independent journalist who broke the story about the federal funding freeze which was then picked up by legacy media.

Before I close, I have to share this classic sketch from Saturday Night Live which is already 10 years old but still brings me to tears of laughter.

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While it feels like I haven’t shared much for you to share directly with students, I do want to shout out libraries and librarians who constitute some of the most critical knowledge infrastructure available to everyday folks. Public libraries need our support and that begins by visiting them, checking out books and movies and other resources. Ask librarians how you can support them in countering book bans in your area. If you enjoy the benefit of a school library, find out which authors they are featuring during Black History Month or ask them to give you some suggestions of books, authors or other resources.

Here’s hoping you find ways and opportunities to highlight Black life and achievement in a variety of ways this month and throughout the year.

Thanks, as always, for your support and readership,

Sherri ✊🏾