Hello friends! Happy Monday! I am coming up briefly for air to hit publish on this post as we struggle through the stomach bug. It’s absolutely as awful as I remember. Possibly worse with little kids. I haven’t really picked up a book in days, and can’t wait for when I have the capacity to do so again. Looking back on the month, however, shows I read a good number of books and enjoyed them! I will be rolling Black in Blues: How a Color Tells the Story of My People by Imani Perry into April. It is absolutely fascinating, so stay tuned for a full review.
Books I Read This Month
Madness by Antonia Hylton
I started this last year when it came out and I ended up putting it down because I couldn’t handle the subject matter. When I picked it back up this month, I opted for the audio and doing so definitely helped me. While it was still heart wrenching subject matter, I was able to learn a lot about the use of insane asylums in the Jim Crow Era. And honestly, it was frightening at the inhumane “treatment” people received. Yet I would highly recommend this novel as without understanding where we’ve come from, we are doomed to repeat ourselves. Especially since the focus of this book, Crownsville State Hospital, just closed its doors as recently as 2004.
Yonder Come Day by Jasmine L. Holmes
With a focus on the Works Progress Administration (WPA) Narratives, Jasmine L. Holmes weaves a story of what could have been to shed light on the reality of slavery. It was eye opening and heart breaking.
10 Minutes and 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shafak
Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
Oathbound by Tracy Deonn
The third installment of the Legendborn Cycle, and boy was I here for it! This Young Adult Fantasy kept me turning pages and I finished all 700 pages in about five days. As a mom of three kids ages four and under, that really is the highest endorsement I can give, haha. Have you been drawn into this magical world?
Colored Television by Danzy Senna
Education is for Everyone
When I was in college I distinctly remember having a conversation with a professor about the politics of education. I scoffed at him saying, “education isn’t political; just close your door and teach.” In some ways I was right; in reality I was so young and naïve. Historically, public education has been a bipartisan issue where everyone was overwhelmingly supportive. As a certified teacher, I believe in the public good of schools and hold firmly that everyone — no matter what ability they have or who they are — deserves the chance to learn. As we are currently organized, this requires a public system in order to reach the most number of people. Education has been weaponized in the past, and it looks like it’s happening again.
While I do think there are issues that could stand to be evaluated and changed, I question what removing the office of civil protections for students1 and funding from an already underfunded area will do to the educational system. For example, where I live, we get almost $2,500 per student from the federal Department of Education — that’s over one billion dollars annually.2 Where is that money coming from if the department is shuttered? Most of that money is used for Title 1 services (helping low income students) and ensuring IDEA is upheld (a law granting services, resources, and teachers for children with exceptionalities like Autism, ADHD, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, to name a few). I believe this to be a good use of funding as an uneducated populace is not only correlated with higher rates of violence3, but I believe it’s also a threat to freedom a la Robespierre.4 We need educated, critical thinkers in our government, and we cannot be as short sighted as to put that future at risk.
Combined with the recent executive order cutting funding to American libraries5, I am concerned certain people want to completely privatize education and eliminate services that allow for learning and paradigm expansion through reading. Remember, fictional novels are also one of the best correlations to higher modes of empathy6, which helps us to understand and care for others in a deep way. Plus, I want everyone to be able to travel in their mind to far off places and go on adventures they might only ever dream about. I myself just came back from an epic magical battle in Asheville, North Carolina.
So, what can we do? It seems very overwhelming, but this moment in time will take a lot of people doing a lot of various types of work. Here are some ideas:
Call your House Representative and Senators to let them know you support the Department of Education and want them to oppose any legislation - including HR 899 - or attempts by the executive branch to close the department. When you call, add in your support for libraries saying not to cut funding to the Institute of Museums and Library Services (IMLS). The American Library Association has some great information. You can call your House Representative and Senators using the Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121. Just ask for your specific Representative or Senator (find yours here).
If you’re also passionate that others should have equal access to an education, share your thoughts! It could be a simple text to someone asking them to call their representatives, sharing a resource on social media, or engaging in a conversation with a friend. All of these are great ways to keep the ball rolling and inspire others to get involved.
I have several books on my TBR to learn more so I can (hopefully) help be a solution and not more of a problem. Some titles I have my eye on include Original Sins by Eve Ewing and They Came for the Schools by Mike Hixenbaugh.
Get involved in a school tutoring program in your city. The Boys and Girls Club usually has opportunities to serve in this capacity. Look at your local city offerings, or ask a teacher you know if they are aware of anything in their school where you could be of assistance.
Contrary to the rumors being spread, curriculum is not determined by the federal Department of Education. Instead, it is something determined by your local school board. Sometimes different districts across a county/state will have similar choices, but not always. Local school boards are highly important to educational success in a given region. These board meetings are open to the public, so I encourage you to attend! Be respectful and ask questions if you have any. If you’re don’t like what you hear, run for a school board position in the next local election. I know in my city it costs $50 to get your name on the ballot.
Oppose any legislation in your state to pass a “school choice voucher.” This often is presented as a way for parents to choose options (private, homeschool, or public) for their children. Seems great, right? However, it ignores the fact that private schools have a right to say no. They hold all the cards and can determine they don’t want your child in their school for whatever reason. If you’re unable to homeschool, then you’re left with a public school that has even less funding. Why? Some of the families who did get accepted into the private school took that “coupon” as a discount for themselves since they were going to choose that anyway. You can check on your state and what they have in place via this Education Week article. Some states have a cap on who can apply for these vouchers, in some the cap is set to expire, and others have no cap at all. Different states do this differently, but it all takes money away from the public schools.
Start a Little Free Library in your neighborhood, coffee shop, or public park (make sure to get permission if you do it somewhere other than your property). Stock it with donations from your shelves and ensure it always has a wealth of books to share. Maybe even partner with a friend! You can find more information on becoming a LFL steward here.
Your own personal bandwidth will determine what you can tackle. Calling the Capitol takes me five minutes to talk to all three offices (and if you have to leave a message, remember to leave your full address to make sure it counts). It’s a low level of bandwidth, and I try to call at least once a week. You can call every day if you have the time and ability. Tutoring takes a bit more commitment. Start small and go from there. Keep in mind it might take some trial and error to find out what works, and that’s okay! Let’s band together to ensure everyone has access to an education and grow in their understanding of the world. No matter where you went to school, or where your kids go (or your friend’s kids!), everyone should have access to a public education. The future of book clubs everywhere depend on it.
REVIEW: Take My Hand
Take My Hand has been on my TBR since it was published in 2022, and so many people I know have read it touting what an important read it is for everyone. I could not agree more. With a fictionalized tale based on true events, Dolen Perkins-Valdez asks hard questions of the eugenics movement here in the United States - a movement that we are still seeing the effects of today.
Straight out of nursing school, Civil is determined to make a difference in the lives of her patients. When two of them turn out to be 11 and 13 years old, it’s her life that is changed forever.
I loved this story, and think the audio was a fantastic way to experience it. I am appalled it is based on true events. To make matters hit even closer to home, this happened in my own home state! Dolen Perkins-Valdez made history come alive in this novel. And yes, in case you’re wondering, I do feel like my ability to empathize with others grew (wink, wink).
I would highly recommend this novel to lovers of historical fiction, untold history, or readers who liked House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson (also an excellent book).
Content Warnings: medical trauma, racism, abortion, mental illness, car accident
Things I’m Loving
Spring is fully here and our bulb flowers are glorious! Hyacinth flowers, daffodils, and tulips are blooming, and it makes me incredibly happy. They do need to be split this fall, and I’m excited with the prospect of even more blooms next year. We’ve been busy planting our summer flower garden, and I can’t wait for the bursts of color it will (hopefully) provide.
Hiking with the family! Our two oldest (ages four and two) have really started enjoying going on hikes and it’s so fun to experience one of life’s simple joys with them. We managed a two hour hike last week to find wild bluebells in our area, and it was incredible. I was so impressed with the resilience and persistence of our toddlers as both of them walked the nearly three miles independently.
Coffee coffee coffee — also known as, the four month sleep regression, ha. My current obsession is making a custom half-caffeinated latte with Muletown’s Woodsman Blend and decaf Peru beans from my local roaster, Kaffeeklatsch. I’ve also got my eye on the Perc Decaf Colombian to try, so I’ll let you know how that goes!
According to the Associated Press, the office of Civil Rights saw an extreme cut this past month, and it seems like no one is sure what will happen to the current discrimination cases. My own city is affected by this as our public schools are still under a desegregation order from the DOJ (yes, we’re talking desegregation from Brown v Board of Education in 1954, which overturned the idea of “separate but equal” in Plessy v Ferguson…but that’s another topic for another day).
Education Data Initiative has all 50 states up on their website, including the breakdown of federal, state, and local money for education.
Check out these two studies one from the NIH, and the other from the University of Michigan.
"The secret of freedom lies in educating people, whereas the secret of tyranny is in keeping them ignorant." - Maximilien de Robespierre
Not only is it cutting funding, but this executive order wants to eliminate the IMLS (and other offices) to the fullest extent possible.