If You Enjoyed This Month's Book...
Before getting to the recommendations related to this month’s book, I am going to start with some inspiration. I normally save our Badass Woman of the Week feature until the end of the newsletter but this one is so relevant to the message of this book, it deserves top billing!
Days after being publicly insulted by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) on Twitter, Olivia Julianna, a 19-year-old abortion rights advocate, wrote him a tongue-in-cheek thank-you note on the platform. “Dear Matt, Although your intentions were hateful, your public shaming of my appearance has done nothing but benefit me,” she wrote after his tweet about her spurred a load of harassment — as well as a flood of donations to her reproductive rights advocacy organization. She’s now raised $1.5M for the nonprofit Gen Z for Change. You can read more about and support the work of her organization here.
Health care for women is one issue that is motivating a lot of women to action right now. We know the many abortion bans and limits on health care and choice will have detrimental impacts on women of color. Already, a disproportionate number of Black women are failed every year by the U.S. maternal health system. Afterschock tells the story of Shamony Gibson and Amber Rose Isaac, who both died due to childbirth complications. Now, their partners and families are sounding a rallying cry around this crisis. You can watch the trailer for this powerful new documentary here.
Understatement alert: There’s a lot going on in the news right now. To stay up-to-date on it all, there are two badass women whose work I read almost daily. One is Heather Cox Richardson, a history professor at Boston College. You can subscribe to her daily newsletter, Letters from an American, or (like I do) follow her on Facebook. I read her posts first thing every morning for her take on the latest news. Besides being a good summary of what is happening in our world, she adds an historical perspective that is sometimes reassuring, as she often highlights other major challenges our country has overcome.
The other badass woman I read regularly is Joyce White Vance. Those of you who are MSNBC viewers will recognize Joyce as a frequent legal commentator. She’s also co-host of the #SistersInLaw podcast (with our June author, Jill Wine Banks), a former federal prosecutor, and a law school professor. Joyce’s newsletter, Civil Discourse, breaks down the legal implications about the news of the day. I’ve found it very helpful in following SCOTUS rulings and DOJ actions. You can read a recent issue and subscribe (free and paid versions) here.
If you enjoyed this book, here are two more action-oriented books that came out this month…
Revelatory and thought-provoking, this highly illustrated, highly informative interactive workbook gives readers a unique, hands-on understanding of systemic racism—and how we can dismantle it. Packed with activities, games, illustrations, comics, and eye-opening conversation, Do the Work! Challenges readers to think critically and act effectively. Have hard conversations with your people (scripts and talking points included). Be open to new ideas and diversify your “feed” with a scavenger hunt. Team up with an accountability partner and find hundreds of ideas, resources, and opportunities to DO THE WORK! You can read more and get your copy here.
You’ve read White Fragility and How to Be an Antiracist, but what comes next? The answer lies in this clear, actionable guide providing a vital 4-week program for becoming an ally who makes a real difference in the racial justice fight. Get the tools you need to get off the sidelines and onto the frontlines of allyship, combat racism while supporting Black women, and avoid common pitfalls white people fall into when they think about and discuss racism. You can read more and get your copy here.
If you have any other resources to share, feel free to reach out to me at hello@badasswomensbookclub.com.