If you're looking for a primer into the history of prisons as they currently exist in the US, and the way they are inextricably tied to racist, classist, sexist ideals, look no further. Angela Davis' Are Prisons Obsolete? walks us from the beginning of the penitentiary and follows through
If we want to make the world a better place, we must do work within, but also look at the work that must be done in society at large. The Red Deal: Indigenous Action to Save Our Earth by the Red Nation lays out a plan for how we could work together to combat climate change from an anti-imperialist perspective, bringing Indigenous wisdom to our global problems.
If you’ve ever asked yourself “What is mutual aid?” or “How do I get involved with mutual aid?” this month’s book club book is the perfect place to start.Mutual Aid by Dean Spadenot only introduces what mutual aid is, but walks you through how to show up in and engage with mutual aid organizations. This short book will be helpful both to people newly showing up to movements and more experienced community organizers looking to improve their mutual aid organization’s effectiveness and impact. This will become a reference book you keep returning to over time.
If you're wondering how to cultivate community that really shows up for each other, what community can look like outside the bounds of a nuclear family or romantic relationship, and how to connect more deeply and passionately with your people, How We Show Up by Mia Birdsong is the book for you.s
All About Love by bell hooks is an exploration into the different facets of love -- how it shows up in our communities, how we misunderstand it on a cultural level, and how we can make changes to better show up to invite love into our lives.
Click here to grab a copy from Bookshop.org and support independent bookstores. And we're reading this book together in the Soft Heart Book Club in June 2021, so come join us if you'd like to chat. (Even after we've had the monthly meeting, the Discord space is always open to dive back into different books.
I’ve found that reading books is an important way to educate myself as I work to grow as a human in the world. But it can be hard to do that in isolation, whether it’s because you don’t know where to start, some concepts are confusing, or it’s just hard to hold yourself accountable to our goals without a little external support.
So I've decided the start the Soft Heart Book Club. This is a space where we can explore different works that explore how to be better humans, cultivate our communities, learn new skills, and be better prepared to create the world we want to live in.
If you're interested in checking out the reading list and being kept aware of the book club updates, sign up here. There's no pressure for any specific level of participation, but at least this will help you stay connected and encourage you to add some of these bo
