Happy Wednesday everyone!
Our book club officially started on Monday. Some of you who ordered through Bookshop haven’t received your copy yet. More on that in a minute. First, I’d like to contextualize our discussion of Lies My Teacher Told Me.
WHY THE PAST MATTERS
The past informs the present. It shapes our view of the world and understanding of our society. As James P. Loewen notes in the Introduction to Lies…:
There is a reciprocal relationship between truth about the past and justice in the present. When we achieve justice in the present, remedying some past event or practice, then we can face it and talk about it more openly, precisely because we have made it right.
Revisiting our history is not, as some claim, anti-American. It is about resisting the urge to make heroes out of figures from our past. It is about complicating a past we have sought to simplify and embracing the lessons we can find in the messiness.
It is about resisting the urge to gloss over the inconvenient parts of our past. It is about fulfilling the promise of a more beautiful America in the present. It is about choosing our values and our ideals.
Loewen continues:
A topic that is mystified or distorted in our history, like secession, usually signifies a continuing injustice in the present, like racism. Telling the truth about the past can help us make it right from here on.
This is why it is our duty as citizens and members of a society to have an accurate and complete understanding of our history.
My decision to read Lies My Teacher Told Me arose from the confusion and helplessness I felt watching continued injustice unfold. I decided to revisit our past not because I hate this country but because I love it. Not because I’ve lost faith in us but because I have hope. I believe we can and will realize the ideals and values that we as a nation have promised.
When a friend suggested I start a book club, I jumped at the opportunity. I see it as a small part of "making it right,” much of which involves learning from all of you beautiful folks.
This is my hope for your reading and our discussions: that we can approach it with open minds and open hearts. That we can be eager, ready, and willing to learn and grow. That we can ask ourselves what we can do to make it right.
A question for your consideration: why does history matter? Or, does it? How might revisiting our past help inform how we live in the present?
I’d like a 2-3 page double-spaced essay on the topic. (JK, please do not send me papers to grade - though you should leave a comment below for our discussion and consideration).
ON THE BOOK CLUB
We have members of our group ranging from their early 20s to their 60s. It really is an amazing group. I’ve had discussions with some of you about your personal experiences with race and other issues discussed in this book. It’s been a beautiful learning experience for me. I hope we can share that with one another.
I’ll be sending out an invite for our monthly discussion this Friday. We will be doing it on Sunday, August 2. I’m considering having the meeting at either 10AM PST or 3PM PST. If anyone has preferences, please let me know before Friday. Otherwise, I’ll decide and send out the invite Friday.
Thank you all for being here. If you’d like to help grow this community, please consider sharing this newsletter with someone who would enjoy and from whose presence we’d all benefit.
DIFFICULTIES WITH BOOKSHOP
I know some of you ordered the book through Bookshop. They are currently backordered.
I have reached out to their customer service team and have yet to hear back. I apologize for the trouble. They are a small team that launched in January of this year and….what a time to launch! It seems like they’ve had some troubles with supply chains and their team in that time. I’m hoping we can get the books sorted soon.
In the meantime, I’ve got some solutions for you all. Please email me if you have not received your copy yet and I can help you get set up.
I’ll talk to ya’ll on Friday.
Be good to each other.
Until next time,
KB