Anonymous asked: What are some good readings to recommend to a friend who doesn't know much about race/gender/sexuality or politics but wants to learn?
so sorry it has taken me so long to answer this.
you would have to be a bit more specific for me.
race, gender, and sexuality are massive topics each in their own way. of course all three are connected in very intimate ways. but if i were to be speaking with the friend, i would need to know more about how much they do and do not know, and what exactly they want to learn.
covering the basics would be defining the terms, and their histories and social meanings…
BUT… being the person i am, i would want to politicize the conversation, and ultimately politicize the friend. or more directly, make the friend aware of power relations, and how each term is tied to histories/realities of rhetorical, physical, and psychic violence.
and also being the person i am, i would want to touch on histories of protest.
i think i may be most comfortable talking about race.
on the simplest level: i would point the friend to this website: Race: The Power of Illusion. There are videos, readings, and much more! It’s a good start in understanding the “myth of race” and the trajectory of its meaning. Another awesome resource, though it may be a bit dry for a beginner, is Mark Smith’s book, How Race Is Made
as for gender and sexuality… hmmm, let me think on that. check out the race website and let me know if that helps; venture the book if you have time on your hands.
please bother me again about gender, sexuality, and politics, ill be thinking on an answer.
i am also going to enlist the help of two people i would go to:
@abolitionista, she’ll be teaching soon enough and works with folks who taught me
and
@jeromeiznice, he sat in classrooms with me and is a pretty smart guy.
if they read this, the should shoot me some of their thoughts, pretty please!!!
or i apologize for this next sentence, y’all. anon, you could follow their links and fill their inbox with the same question, it may produce more fruitful and timely results.
peace&light…
