by Juliet Fay | Jul 26, 2020 | Book review
This post is here in appreciation of the anti-racism resources I have come across in my ongoing journey of re-education. Please add a comment with other resources you have found useful.
The question for me is, what would a society which has respect, justice and equity at its heart, look like? How can we be part of making that a reality? I am beginning to see racism represents profound separation and insecurity operating from a foundation of fear and competition. It ripples out and creates injustice in so many other areas: climate, gender, socio-economic, sexuality, ability, religious practice, health, education, criminal justice systems and family systems. It centres on a misunderstanding and misuse of power. I am interested in a new narrative and how I can play a part in my life and work. A new narrative rooted in oneness, reciprocity, abundance, responsibility, respect, justice and care for all peoples, creatures and resources of our planet. Looking to see what daily actions I can take towards this end.
Books – non fiction
White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo
Me and white supremacy by Layla F Saad
How to be an anti-racist by Ibram X. Kendi (USA)
Why I’m no longer talking to white people about race by Reni Eddo-Lodge (UK)
For US subscribers, I recommend this bookseller, Elizabeth’s Bookshop and Writing Centre.
For UK subscribers, I recommend Book Love.
Poetry
Hanan Issa – Cardiff based poet author of My Body Can House Two Hearts
A brave and startling truth by Maya Angelou (listen to a reading)
Articles
White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh
White Supremacy Culture by by Tema Okun . dRworks . www.dismantlingracism.org – this article just keeps on giving.
Videos
Not all superheroes wear capes – how you have the power to change the world | Nova Reid | TEDxFrankfurt
How to be an anti-racist with Dr Ibram X. Kendi and Dr Charlene M. Dukes from Prince George’s County Memorial Library System
Michaela Coel | James MacTaggart Lecture | Edinburgh TV Festival 2018
TV/Films
Dear White Folks – Netflix drama series set on an Ivy League College campus
An American Son – Netflix film (Black Lives Matter collection)
13th – Netflix
Pose – Netflix drama series
I May Destroy You – BBC iPlayer &
I Am Not Your Negro (2017) documentary film of the life of James Baldwin
Many thanks to people I’m following for learning and inspiration
Molly Gordon – Shaboom Life could be a dream (Facebook)
James Olivia Chu Hillman @Inquisitive human (Facebook and Instagram)
Rachel Elizabeth Cargle @Rachel.Cargle (Instagram)
Please add your recommendations in the comments
by Juliet Fay | Jul 9, 2017 | Book review, Three Principles
I first heard Mara Gleason speak at the One Solution conference in Oslo in May 2016. It was an event that changed the direction of my life and more importantly added a big dose of oomph to a journey I had begun a couple of months earlier into exploring a new understanding of how the mind works.
Since then I have gone from being at the mercy of my roller coaster thoughts and emotions and experiencing periods of excruciating mental distress, to worrying less and less about how and what I think or feel in any given moment and getting more and more curious about just being and doing.
The impact of this shift in understanding continues to amaze and awe me as I experience life more lightly and worry less about what mood I happen to be in. What’s more, curiously, my children, friends and complete strangers keep showing up in my life with more and more laughter, love and wisdom.
For me having found so much relief, the obvious next step was to learn how to share this new understanding to help others alleviate their mental distress. To that end, I undertook a Three Principles Facilitator Training Programme in London with The Insight Space and have been running group programmes in Llanelli Mind’s Welcome Centre, where I live in West Wales.
So to Mara’s book. I haven’t written a book review before and I know it’s probably bad form to start a review talking about myself, but I did that quite deliberately. Mara’s book points the way to this new understanding I stumbled across and more importantly to the massive potential for change in our world that lies in spreading this understanding far and wide.
I am just one person and already I can see the ripple effect of this understanding showing up in my life. It is impacting me, people I know, people I work with and people I hardly know.
There are many books about this understanding or The Three Principles (as first expressed by Sydney Banks), as it is known, but there is something in the timing, the range and reach of the shifts described in the case studies, the broad sweep and most of all, in the hope behind this book that is, quite simply, compelling.
Many of us who work in this field are recognising this book as a great introduction to this understanding. I’m looking forward to sharing some passages with my group at Mind on Monday and have already shared it with a friend who messaged me asking for a book recommendation for a friend who is experiencing depression.
Mara’s book has arrived in the world on the crest of a wave with a huge bundle of energy behind it, which shows up in the writing and is evidenced by the fact that it hit the number one spot on Amazon UK, psychology books section on the day of its launch.
That energy is much in evidence when you hear Mara talk about this understanding, her work and her hope for the world. There is something about her intention in bringing this book into the world which is so simple and yet so utterly compelling. She doesn’t just want you to have a nicer, easier life (though that is very much what tends to happen), as the title says, she is looking at the biggest possible picture and inviting you to consider the possibility that, ‘one thought changes everything’.
What if that was true?
For the photo above, I found myself asking my daughter to snap a picture of myself holding the book up on our train trip to Cardiff, so I could share the cover with my Facebook friends and highly recommend they read it. I don’t usually do that kind of thing.
At the same time, it occurred to me to share it in a group called Campfire Convention, thinking that the creative, curious crowd there might be interested. In fact it was Pete Lawrence, founder of that group, who suggested I write a review. At first I thought, eh no, but then I thought, yes, why not? Thank you Pete.
My response to this book is similar to the response I had to Cheri Gillings, Listening Post idea back in May this year. The energy behind it is so easy and compelling, I found myself with a very simple clear response. Yes!
Yes I want to be part of that.
Yes I want to read this book. Yes I want to share this book. Yes I want to help promote this book.
Why?
Because this book might just change the world and I think we can all agree, that would be a good thing.
So go on, grab a copy, read it and decide for yourself.
Right now you can get the Kindle version here on Amazon UK for just £2.30.
Juliet Fay is a Marketing Geek and Three Principles Facilitator based in West Wales helping individuals, social care workers and social entrepreneurs find more ease in life and work.
