IGHS & DEB Social Justice Book Club

About the book club

Our intentions

• Become more comfortable talking about racism—get familiar with the language and learn more US history
• Reflect critically/deeply about our own behavior/thoughts/experiences/complicity
• Generate ideas about how to change ourselves/society and how to be better allies

Some may be just starting to have these conversations, and others may be stepping into more active ally roles or advocating for change. Each person’s engagement looks different, and that is ok!

We meet every two weeks on Thursdays from 12:10–1 pm.

We will break out into affinity groups if there is interest in that and if there are enough participants.

We welcome anyone in IGHS and DEB whenever we start a new book (which is about every other month).

Books we’ve read so far:

• How to Be and Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
• The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
• Caste by Isabelle Wilkerson
• Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
• The Purpose of Power by Alicia Garza
• The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
• Minor Feelings by Cathy Park Hong
• The Sum of Us by Heather McGhee
• The Origin of Others by Toni Morrison
• Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
• The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-Jones
• There There by Tommy Orange
• A Big Picture by Vanessa Nakate
• Being Heumann by Judith Heumann and the documentary Crip Camp
• The Sentence by Louise Erdrich
• Black, White, and the Grey: The Story of an Unexpected Friendship and a Beloved Restaurant by Mashama Bailty and John O. Morisano
• Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
• The Seed Keeper by Diane Wilson
• The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalilia Harris
• Living Beyond Borders: Growing up Mexican in America
  Edited by Margarita Longoria
• The Body Is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self Love by Sonya Renee Taylor
• Solito: A Memoir by Javier Zamora
• Upcoming: On Earth We Are Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

“The IGHS book club is a safe place to discuss challenging topics such as caste, racism, and unconscious bias. Through sharing of personal experiences we are able to heal, become better versions of ourselves and make changes to the way we operate in public health.”
– Maggie Lam

“The book club has been a gift. It enables me to connect with IGHS colleagues in warmth and with respect, as we delve into critical and often challenging material.”
– Mylo Schaaf

“I am glad to have a commitment that pushes me forward in reading books I know are important. It helps that the group gives me a chance to chat with coworkers in a more informal way than Zoom meetings usually allow.”
–Cameron Scott

Questions/concerns?

Email [email protected], [email protected] or [email protected].