New Year, New Books
2021 marks an exciting moment for Rise Up Against Racism. With the new year, we are updating our curated collection of antiracist books with 21 new titles. Spanning different genres, our newest update elevates Black voices, celebrates different identities, and helps continue critical conversations about race.
Thanksgiving Reconsidered
RUAR co-founder, Meg Honey, shares valuable resources for responsible representation of Indigenous contributions, perspectives, and experiences to help students understand the courageous journeys, bold decisions, and transformative actions of Native peoples.
Q&A with Artist Gaia WXYZ
Gaia Wxyz is a multimedia creator who specializes in visual art, specifically comics, illustration, painting and design. With their Little Free Antiracist Library, they wanted to create something that the community could enjoy while also functioning as a site for the distribution of antiracist texts.
Q&A with Artist Adia Millett
As we conceptualized the Little Free Antiracist Libraries for our community, an important component was engaging local Black artists who would be commissioned to transform the houses of books into functional pieces of community art. In researching artists across the Bay Area, we were delighted to discover Adia Millett and her incredible art.
Q&A with Artistic Activist Netsanet Tesfay
Netsanet Tesfay (Net) is an Ethiopian born artist who lives in Walnut Creek. Her work has been shown at the Bedford Gallery and around the United States. Net works with a variety of mediums and draws deep inspiration from issues of social justice. We absolutely loved working with her and are thrilled with the Little Free Antiracist Libraries that she painted for us.
Rise Up Supports Marcus Books, America’s Oldest Black-Owned Bookstore
This week, the Rise Up Against Racism team spent a wonderful morning at Marcus Books in Oakland. We are thrilled to have purchased the selections for our Little Free Antiracist Libraries from Marcus Books, and we learned so much about the history and legacy of this special establishment.
The Continued Fight for Voting Rights: Elevating The Women of Freedom Summer
Meg’s piece, Teaching a More Expansive View of Women’s Suffrage, centers on women who continued the fight to ensure that Black Americans could safely register to vote and fully participate in the democratic process. Meg spotlights women like Fannie Lou Hamer and provides educators with resources and strategies for elevating activists’ stories in broader discussions about civics, history, and the centennial of the 19th Amendment's passage.
Look What's Rising Up in Our Community
Rise Up Against Racism yard signs are now available to donors who have contributed a minimum of $25 to support our Antiracist Book Fund.
An Inconvenient Fourth of July
As we reflect on this unprecedented Fourth of July, consider taking action by donating to our Antiracist Book Fund initiative and help us achieve our goal of creating antiracist book collections for our community and school. This year, as we remember the Revolution of 1776, perhaps it is also time for a revolution within ourselves: How are we “unlearning” our biases? How are we deepening our personal understanding of privilege and the nation’s history? What are we doing to disrupt racist systems and inequality?