Recommended reading lists are always a good thing because that means summer is here! Go grab your beachwear, your hiking gear, your camping gear, or your passport. And don’t forget to grab a book or two. What book to grab is where the following recommendations are meant to be of help. There is so much out there to read. If you are like me, a lifelong learner, and are always looking to increase your knowledge in CLR, even while you are having fun, then you are going to need some pointing in the VABB direction. In our annual tradition, there is a theme of sorts. The following 6 recommendations revolve around the general concept of building ethnic-culture identity and more specifically understanding the idea of ethnic-cultural misrepresentations, stereotypes, and misappropriations.
1. A Watch, Not a Read:
If you want an understanding of the nuance of culture, particularly Black culture, then you MUST see the Oscar-nominated movie, American Fiction.
It is on most streaming services and flights. You will laugh and learn. There is irony on top of irony all throughout that causes you to think about how culture is examined internally and as well as externally for all of us—the question of authenticity and whose authenticity is also raised. According to Rotten Tomatoes, “The Film “American Fiction” is an excellent example of how it is possible to satirize the world’s view on stereotypes without once resorting to sensationalism or condescension. From the very opening scene, you can immediately tell what direction this movie is going to take with its satirical point of view.”
2. Now Read the Book:
Well…if you see the movie, then you have to read the book, right? Of course! I became so wrapped up in the movie that I ended up getting the book that it is based on – Erasure, a Novel by Percival Everett. Reading the book is not necessarily better than the movie in this case but doing so will explain in-depth and with complexity what occurs in the movie. The sharpness of satire instructs, informs, and entertains. The New York Times says, “With equal measures of sympathy and satire, Erasure craftily addresses the highly charged issue of being “black enough” in America.
3. One More Book to Read Related to the Movie:
I actually referenced this book earlier this year, so in case you missed it, put it on your summer list. When you watch the movie, there is a very quick reference to this book in the movie. See if you can catch it. The title of the book is
White Negroes: When Cornrows Were in Vogue…and Other Thoughts on Cultural Appropriation by Lauren Michelle Jackson.
“American culture loves Blackness. From music and fashion to activism and language, Black culture constantly achieves worldwide influence. Yet, when it comes to who is allowed to thrive from Black hipness, the pioneers are usually left behind as Black aesthetics are converted into mainstream success – and White profit. Weaving together narrative, scholarship, and critique, Lauren Michele Jackson reveals why cultural appropriation – something that’s become embedded in our daily lives – deserves serious attention. It is a blueprint for taking wealth and power, and ultimately exacerbates the economic, political, and social inequity that persists in America.”
4. Not Connected to the Movie:
The White Bonus: Five Families and The Cash Value of Racism in America by Tracie McMillan.
This recommendation came via one of my favorite talk radio shows, The Karen Hunter Show on Sirius XM’s Urban View. On a very long drive from Zuni, NM back to the ABQ airport, I heard the author interviewed. When I heard the title, I was not too excited but when I heard the author, I had to read it. In short, the author, who is white, traces her own family history, as well as four other white families’ histories and determines the “cash benefit” that white privilege delivered for them – no matter how rich or poor they were. Fascinating! One reviewer said, “A painful, calm, and clear-eyed excavation of white complicity, The White Bonus is stunning in scope.
5. Poetry is Back (or Did It Ever Leave?):
Do you know who the US Poet Laureate is? Neither did I. Ada Limon is her name and she is VABBulous. Her story of how she became our US Poet Laureate is worth it, even if you never read her poems. Again, I became aware of her through an interview. This time it was NPR’s Podcast Codeswitch. She has many books, but I will recommend the one I checked out. It was her latest, The Hurting Kind.
Goodreads says, “An astonishing collection about interconnectedness—between the human and nonhuman, ancestors and ourselves.”
6. Just for Inspiration and Fun. Sort of.
If the theme of these reads is cultural authenticity, then I have to throw in Deion Sanders’
Elevate and Dominate: 21 Ways to Win On and Off the Field.
Speaking of being culturally misunderstood, I would say Deion Sanders has been seen as everything than what he is actually – 100% authentic culturally. Although this book is in the genre of inspiration or leadership, I think that it gives great insight into who Sanders is as a person – not just one the greatest football players of all time or now a college head football coach. Above all, he preaches two messages that are consistent with validating and affirming – the importance of confidence and outrageous love for all students.
Happy Summer VABB nation! Be Safe, have fun, and stay VABBulous doing it.
VABB Perspectives will return in September!!
