A monthly conversation about racism and classism, in our lives, MtToby, and wider Quaker circles is ongoing at Mount Toby. It was greatly helped by a packet of reading materials put together by Adele Smith-Penniman, assembled as she said to be a springboard in the conversation, not an endpoint. These materials included the following which you can access below:
- Some of Adele’s random thoughts on race and class which she hopes will be helpful and challenging: Race and Class at Meeting
- An article that appeared in the January 2013 Friends Journal on the lack of class awareness among many Friends: Blue Collar Welcome
- A transcript of a powerful talk on Alternative radio by lawyer Michelle Alexander: Incarceration Nation
Adele recommends that we all read her book, The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness - Two poems by Naima Penniman, Adele’s daughter and, as Adele acknowledges, her teacher:
Materials added after the initial packet was distributed:
- A lecture on Alternative Radio by Barbara Ehrenreich: “Kicking People When They’re Down” (58 minute mp3)
- Mt Toby response to Queries from NEYM Ad hoc Work Group Challenging White Supremacy, May 2017
- A recent addition to this page is ResourcesOnEnding MassIncarceration created by Phil Stone who, with his wife Katie Green, presented an 11:40 hour on that topic, November 22 2015.
Other valuable materials may be available in the future.