race

Widows

Steve McQueen

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5

Rated by

Zachary C

To call Widows a heist film is reductive. It revolves around a heist, but that doesn't do the film justice.

LaToya goes to a mostly white school. She has no friends and even the other black kids make fun of her. One night she prays to be anything but black, and she wakes up with white skin, blond hair, and blue eyes. Then the real fun begins in this journey of self-discovery that takes shocking and hilarious twists and turns.

This was an interesting book about putting oneself in someone else's shoes. It was not as hard hitting as I might have liked. There were some good moments that got you thinking, but overall, things turned out as expected. I'm not sure what this book was trying to...

Out of Darkness

Ashley Hope Perez

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5

Rated by

Emily D.

Out of Darkness is a heartbreaking and powerful read. This is a story about racism, disaster, love and hope.

Naomi is a 17-year-old Mexican living with her half siblings and white stepfather in New London, Texas, in 1937. Naomi is in danger of her stepfather's wrath and abuse, but she'll do anything for her siblings.

Bear Witness Writing Contest Winner

Victoria Fries

5

Rated by

Helen H.

The Read Local committee is very pleased to announce Victoria Fries has won our Bear Witness contest in the open category for her piece "Racism in America." The piece garnered passionate discussion; the universal message, which can be applied to any dehumanized and disenfranchised group, lends power to the topic and we appreciate the call for unity. Structurally, we like the repeated thread of standing tall.

All American Boys is a big-issue book that also makes an excellent character study. Rashad, a sixteen-year-old African-American boy, is the victim of police brutality. Quinn, a sixteen-year-old white boy, is a witness to Rashad's beating. These two guys live in the same city and go to the same school. Quinn plays on the same basketball team as some of Rashad's friends. And yet they barely know each other.

The House You Pass on the Way is a short novel--less than 100 pages--but it contains unusual depth and beauty. It's a pre-sexual love story about two fourteen-year-old cousins who don't yet know where they fit in. One girl, Staggerlee, is biracial--black and white. One girl, Trout, is adopted. Both girls are struggling with their budding sexuality. Are they gay? Are they straight? Does it matter?

Beyond Skin - One Local Author's Response

Justin Carter

5

Rated by

Helen H.

This fall, Johnson County Library has been looking at race: stereotypes, self-awareness, and what it means to look beyond the surface. We’ve invited you to tell us how you have been affected by race. Justin Carter, in the following essay, shares his experience. As a suburban white woman, it’s easy to subconsciously, or otherwise, believe that issues of race don’t happen in my community, my city, or even my state. My country, sure, but that’s Missouri. That’s the other United States.

42 (DVD)

0

Rated by

Robin D.

If you are not a baseball fanatic (and I am not) then you may not realize that 42 is about Jackie Robinson, the first African American baseball player to be signed to a major league team. The title of the movie was Robinson’s jersey number and is the only number to have ever been retired from the entirety of Major League Baseball to this day.

The Confession by John Grisham

0

Rated by

Jane R.

This is not a “sit back in your recliner and relax” kind of book. Grisham’s opposition to the death penalty is evident in his previous work, but in this one he brings the gavel down and spares the reader no detail. There is suspense and very edgy moments in this no-holds-barred opinion piece.

Micah live in New York City and attends a fancy private school, she is on scholarship. She lives with her parents in a small apartment and she doesn't seem to have a lot of friends. The drama starts when a boy from school, Zach is found murdered in Central Park. Micah, who narrates the story, says she barely knew Zach, just had a few classes with him but as the story goes on it is uncovered that Micah and Zach were actually secretly dating, secretly because Zach was actually dating another girl.