Thread by @ValeriaBrownEdu

I have lots of work to do so I am going to not do any of it and tweet about what's coming up for #ClearTheAir in the Fall!

Building this thread and will also create a Moment.

A few new things coming from #ClearTheAir. I think I convinced a few people to try out a video/podcast platform occasionally. I am going to work under the assumption they said yes.

We will have three books for the fall semester and three books for the spring. You do not have to read the books before we chat. If you are behind in reading, you will still be able to participate in the chat because we want you a part of the conversation. #ClearTheAir

Drumroll please for our August book selection... #ClearTheAir

Our first #ClearTheAir book is Troublemakers by @CarlaShalaby ! It was originally recommended to me by @palomitaspalm . Woooooo! Here's a piece of the preface.

"Criminalizing troublemakers is our historic, cultural routine. Folks who demand the rights of people to be free - Mahatma Ghandi, Assata Skakur, Nelson Mandela, Harriet Tubman, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Angela Davis, to name just a few...

"...- are regularly detained, jailed, and systematically harassed by officers of the state. This habit persists. Thus, on our streets and in our schools we are in the habit of incarcerating the people from whom we could learn the most about freedom."

So get your heart right for Troublemakers. Check out your local library, Amazon, book store or audiobook and get your copy. I am super excited about this and believe it will be inspiration for all of us. It will also give us a chance to talk about our own practices and biases.

P.S. I am not paid or influenced by any of these authors. I just want to talk about what I am reading with other cool people so that we can all be better and do better. Please join us. #ClearTheAir

Me: Do not use the gif you are thinking about to intro the next book. Do not even think about it.

Also me: Do the damn thing. #ClearTheAir

Any guesses on our September book selection? #ClearTheAir

You guessed it! In September we are reading White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo. #ClearTheAir

If white people taught me anything in the last few weeks, it's that white people will avoid talking about racism. I am so excited (and honestly nervous) about this one and will need a lot of white sangria to get through. #ClearTheAir

Here's an excerpt. "Socialized into a deeply internalized sense of superiority that we either are unaware of or can never admit to ourselves, we become highly fragile in conversations about race."

"We consider a challenge to our racial world-views as a challenge to our very identities as good, moral people."

So, yeah. Bring the tissues. #ClearTheAir

If y'all are still with me, we can continue... #ClearTheAir

The final book we are reading for the is one that I hope will remind us that this journey we are on is a marathon, and although it doesn't feel like we are getting as much accomplished as we may want in an instant, it is still worth every moment in the fight. #ClearTheAir

Our October book will be History Teaches Us to Resist by Mary Frances Berry. #ClearTheAir

Here is a snippet. "It's crucial to recognize that resistance works even if it does not achieve all the movement's goals, and that movements are always necessary, because major change will engender resistance, which must be addressed..."

"Of course, no time period or issue is exactly like what has come before; other factors will have significance. Still I do believe that history teaches us to resist, and I hope analysis of several US resistance movements may provide useful information and guidance for our time."

Specific details on #ClearTheAir chat days and times are forthcoming. We usually do an hour chat, but I have busy friends so it is not uncommon for people to continue chatting into the next day. I love that!

And like I mentioned, we may take this to a video and podcast options. We go with the flow around #ClearTheAir and try a lot of different things.

In the meantime, hit me up if you have any questions. Also, there are several people who rock hard for #ClearTheAir. They can also answer questions, and super friendly. We hold each other accountable. Our goals are to talk honestly, open and vulnerably. We are all learning.

Appreciate your attention and see you on #ClearTheAir soon!