In light of the murder of George Floyd, I wanted to share some young adult books that cover police/race brutality and message behind the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Our justice system in the United States is corrupt and doesn't provide anything to people of color (especially African Americans). If the Minneapolis riots make you uncomfortable... good. They shouldn't. Understand that the protects and riots will not end until innocent black people aren't targets. As always, take what you learn from the media with a grain of salt... but discrimination and racial brutality against black individuals has always been present. Whether in the form of a police officer or a white woman saying she's being "threatened" in Central Park, racism is real and isn't justifiable.
The color of my skin is a privilege, and I want to use that to promote and help others. I am neither a police officer or African American so this fight may not be mine, but I know I can't stand aside and watch. Here are some links you can contribute to and books to read on police brutality against African Americans:
Dear Martin by Nic Stone
"Raw, captivating, and undeniably real, Nic Stone joins industry giants Jason Reynolds and Walter Dean Myers as she boldly tackles American race relations in this stunning debut.
Justyce McAllister is top of his class and set for the Ivy League—but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. And despite leaving his rough neighborhood behind, he can't escape the scorn of his former peers or the ridicule of his new classmates. Justyce looks to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for answers. But do they hold up anymore? He starts a journal to Dr. King to find out.
Then comes the day Justyce goes driving with his best friend, Manny, windows rolled down, music turned up—way up, sparking the fury of a white off-duty cop beside them. Words fly. Shots are fired. Justyce and Manny are caught in the crosshairs. In the media fallout, it's Justyce who is under attack." - Goodreads
All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely
"Rashad is absent again today. That’s the sidewalk graffiti that started it all…
Well, no, actually, a lady tripping over Rashad at the store, making him drop a bag of chips, was what started it all. Because it didn’t matter what Rashad said next—that it was an accident, that he wasn’t stealing—the cop just kept pounding him. Over and over, pummeling him into the pavement. So then Rashad, an ROTC kid with mad art skills, was absent again…and again…stuck in a hospital room. Why? Because it looked like he was stealing. And he was a black kid in baggy clothes. So he must have been stealing.
And that’s how it started.
And that’s what Quinn, a white kid, saw. He saw his best friend’s older brother beating the daylights out of a classmate. At first Quinn doesn’t tell a soul…He’s not even sure he understands it. And does it matter? The whole thing was caught on camera, anyway. But when the school—and nation—start to divide on what happens, blame spreads like wildfire fed by ugly words like “racism” and “police brutality.” Quinn realizes he’s got to understand it, because, bystander or not, he’s a part of history. He just has to figure out what side of history that will be.
Rashad and Quinn—one black, one white, both American—face the unspeakable truth that racism and prejudice didn’t die after the civil rights movement. There’s a future at stake, a future where no one else will have to be absent because of police brutality. They just have to risk everything to change the world. Cuz that’s how it can end". - Goodreads
Tyler Johnson Was Here by Jay Coles
"When Marvin Johnson's twin, Tyler, goes to a party, Marvin decides to tag along to keep an eye on his brother. But what starts as harmless fun turns into a shooting, followed by a police raid.
he next day, Tyler has gone missing, and it's up to Marvin to find him. But when Tyler is found dead, a video leaked online tells an even more chilling story: Tyler has been shot and killed by a police officer. Terrified as his mother unravels and mourning a brother who is now a hashtag, Marvin must learn what justice and freedom really mean." - Goodreads
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
"Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.
Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.
But what Starr does—or does not—say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life." - Goodreads
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you for sharing these recommendations, Anna! I think as white people we often use the excuse that this isn’t our fight, and so there is nothing we can do. But, it is up to us to not stay silent! We need to stand with all Black people admit that white privilege exists. Too many white people are afraid of saying Black Lives Matter.
ReplyDeleteCouldn't have said it better, Emily. Your words reminds me of the classic Angie Thomas quote, "What's the point of having a voice if you're gonna be silent in those moments you shouldn't be?" #BlackLivesMatter
Delete*remind oops typo!
Delete