Re-Educated

Care to join me?

This is going to be just a quick little note, but I wanted to share with all of you a personal project. I’ll also include a few links to some new recipe winners, causes in need of support, and things at the end.

My time as a volunteer in a support group for grieving children has taught me a lot about talking to children about things most people would shy away from. At The Sharing Place, volunteers speak openly, factually, and age appropriately about death. This practice has been MEGA (as 3 year old loves saying right now) helpful as our family has been greiving a baby I delivered too soon who died. My son knows that mommy had a baby in her belly that came out before it’s body was done growing so it died. It’s simple, honest, and beautiful. As he gets older and if he shows interest, I’ll continue to share more with him.

Every now and then, Stewie will bring up the baby who died. Sometimes I can tell what promtped his thoughts, a pregnant woman in the store or a baby in a show, and sometimes it’s totally random. The conversations are usually very simple and end with me confirming that there’s no longer a baby in my belly and Stewie saying something like “It’s ok. Maybe you can get a new baby in your belly.” To which I always respond, “maybe!”

After one of our most recent conversations, I started thinking about all of the things I learned about as a child that I haven’t really returned to as an adult. What topics, time periods, events, and concepts did I only have a child’s age appropraite understanding of?

The truth is a little haunting. I’m guessing I’m not totally alone in that.

So I’ve been working on bringing my education up to a more age appropriate level and it really has been exciting. My list of things I want to learn about is long, but here are a few at the top of my list and the resources I’m starting.

Rebellions

- A Resistance History of the United States by Tad Stoermer

- Freedom Season by Peniel E. Joseph

- Mother Country Radical (podcast mini-series)

- Hope in the Dark by Rebecca Solnit

Socialism and Communism

- The Spartacist School by my friend and brilliant mind Phoenix Har

American Slavery

Whitney from The Reclaimed generously provided this list. Please CLICK HERE to search for these titles on Bookshop.org. That link is her affiliate link so she’ll get credit for any sales.

- Caste by Isabel Wilkerson

- The Humanity Archive by Jermaine Fowler

- Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs

- Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, and American Slave

- Barracoon: The Story of the Last Black Bargo by Zora Neale Hurston

American Racism

- Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi

- Women Race & Class by Angela Y. Davis

A couple random links for you!

BLT Chicken Ranch Salad Sliders: These were easy and so so good. Don’t skip the chips.

Let’s Vote Girls: I just opened pre-sales for my previously sold out voting t-shirt! These shirts are very high quality. Nothing flimsy here. Plus free shipping.

Enjoy!