{"id":11536,"date":"2021-04-04T08:22:50","date_gmt":"2021-04-04T12:22:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/intramuralist.com\/?p=11536"},"modified":"2021-04-04T08:29:32","modified_gmt":"2021-04-04T12:29:32","slug":"14-books-part-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/intramuralist.com\/?p=11536","title":{"rendered":"14 books – part 3"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

[Note: if you have not read Part 1 & 2 of \u201c14 Books,\u201d allow me to encourage such now, as it will provide necessary context.]<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we come to the end of this incisive series, sharing aspects learned in pursuit of racial and ethnic diversity and harmony, we conclude by loosely focusing on next steps. Let me offer a spoiler alert from the onset: I don\u2019t, won\u2019t, and can\u2019t<\/em> have all the answers. In fact, none of us do; that includes all 14 books.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While no book was therefore \u201cthe answer,\u201d so-to-speak, it was helpful to read the work of Dr. George Yancey, the professor\/sociologist who specializes in race\/ethnicity and biracial families. In \u201cBeyond Racial Gridlock,\u201d Yancey lays out four common models in dealing with racism: colorblindness, anglo-conformity, multiculturalism, and white responsibility. What I appreciate about Yancey\u2019s approach is that he is incredibly respectful of all; he makes zero attempts to rattle the reader. He concisely, logically lays out the roots of each model, its strengths and weaknesses. I found myself not angry at the models\u2019 beholders; rather, I found myself with increased empathy for how a person came to believe what they do. Empathy builds community and changes culture for the better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I had a similar response to Jodi Picoult\u2019s masterful \u201cSmall Great Things.\u201d Told in first person, the fictional account weaves the lives of Ruth, Kennedy, and Turk \u2014 an affable, African-American labor and delivery nurse, a naive, white defense attorney, and a militant, male white supremacist. The beauty of the book is that the focus isn\u2019t on hating who doesn\u2019t think like me; the key is understanding them. Understanding is the key to knowledge. Knowledge also changes culture for the better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If empathy and knowledge change culture for the better, how can we glean more? Shouting at another doesn\u2019t help. Antagonist social media posts don\u2019t help. Supporting barely-majority-passed legislation doesn\u2019t help. Each of those creates resentment, hostility, and\/or potentially more injustice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which leads us to today. Easter Sunday. A day celebrated by hundreds of millions across the globe. That gets my attention especially here, reminding me once more\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n