Join our book club!
Since 2021, book club has been an excellent way for students and employees alike to engage in meaningful educational opportunities and discussions by taking part in our supportive and safe book club setting. We commit to reading, reflecting and discussing books together on such topics and areas of unlearning as race and racism, disability and accessibility, gender diversity and class. In partnership with the Residence Life Office, we have started to grow our small equity library on campus and encourage folks to inquire about these important reads below.
Book club happens every semester and is usually divided into 4-5 weekly discussions to allow for ease of reading and absorption of the information. To join or stay up to date on book club information, send Polly an email by contacting equity@acadiau.ca with your expressed interest.
Books for the 2024/25 Academic term discussions
More information on the books we will be reading for book club will be updated once we confirm the titles of each semester鈥檚 books.
The Berry Pickers 鈥� Amanda Peters
A four-year-old girl goes missing from the blueberry fields of Maine, sparking a tragic mystery that remains unsolved for nearly fifty years
July 1962. A Mi鈥檏maq family from Nova Scotia arrives in Maine to pick blueberries for the summer. Weeks later, four-year-old Ruthie, the family鈥檚 youngest child, is seen sitting on her favourite rock at the edge of a field before mysteriously vanishing. Her six-year-old brother, Joe, who was the last person to see Ruthie, is devastated by his sister鈥檚 disappearance, and her loss ripples through his life for years to come.
In Maine, a young girl named Norma grows up as an only child in an affluent family. Her father is emotionally distant, while her mother is overprotective of Norma, who is often troubled by recurring dreams and visions that seem to be too real to be her imagination. As she grows older, Norma senses there is something her parents aren鈥檛 telling her. Unwilling to abandon her intuition, she pursues her family鈥檚 secret for decades.
A stunning debut novel, is a riveting story about the search for truth, the shadow of trauma, and the persistence of love across time.
INTERESTED IN JOINING THE BOOK CLUB?
We will be hosting three virtual discussions on Wednesdays from June 5th to 19th from 12-1PM as we discuss and engage in meaningful conversation around the themes written about in the book.
MEET THE AUTHOR EVENT
In addition to the three virtual sessions outlined above, there is an opportunity to join the Acadia Alumni department on June 24th from 7-8PM as part of their Acadia Alumni Book Club series to meet with Amanda Peters! This opportunity is open for everyone to attend, but you need to register ahead of time! More information on registering for this event can be found on their website.
Books We've Read
Read this to get smarter about race, class, gender, disability & more 鈥� Blair Imani
Accessible to learners of all levels鈥攆rom those just getting started on the journey to those already versed in social justice鈥� covers a range of topics, including race, gender, class, disability, relationships, family, power dynamics, oppression, and beyond. This essential guide is a radical but warm and non-judgmental call to arms, structured in such a way that you can read it cover to cover or start with any topic you want to learn more about.
鈥淏lair answers the questions that so many of us are asking.鈥� 鈥� Layla F. Saad, author of Me and White Supremacy
me and white supremacy, Combat Racism, Change the World and Become a Good Ancestor 鈥� Layla F. Saad
leads readers through a journey of understanding their white privilege and participation in white supremacy, so that they can stop (often unconsciously) inflicting damage on Black, Indigenous and people of colour, and in turn, help other white people do better, too. The book goes beyond the original workbook by adding more historical and cultural contexts, sharing moving stories and anecdotes, and includes expanded definitions, examples, and further resources.
#BlackInSchool 鈥� Habiba Cooper Diallo
is Habiba Cooper Diallo鈥檚 high school journal, in which she documents, processes, and resists the systemic racism, microaggressions, stereotypes, and outright racism she experienced while being Black in school in Canada, in Halifax.
Powerful and eye-opening, Cooper Diallo illustrates how our schools reinforce rather than erode racism: the handcuffing and frisking of students of colour by police at school; one-dimensional, tokenistic curricula portraying Black people; and the constant barrage of overt racism from students and staff alike. She shows how systemic racism works, how it alienates and seeks to destroys a child鈥檚 sense of self. She shows how our institutions work to erase the lived experiences of Black youth and try to erase Black youth themselves.
Cooper Diallo鈥檚 words will resonate with some, but should shock, appall, and animate a great many more into action towards a society that is truly equitable for all.
Trans Like Me, Conversations for all of us 鈥� CN Lester
Starting on Thursday November 9th, join us for our 4-week virtual book club on Trans Like Me, written by CN Lester, happening every Thursday from 12:00PM 鈥� 1:30PM AST.
Trans Like Me, Conversations for all of us is breaking down myths, uncovering our histories, and building our futures through a collection of essays exploring trans lives and possibilities. Combining academic research with a conversational approach, Trans Like Me has been recommended as one of three essential reads on trans rights by The New York Times, and is available worldwide in paperback, e-book, and audio. You can read more about the author by ! Book club will be taking place over Microsoft Teams. Reach out if you have questions about the book or about our discussions!
We want to hear from you!
We are always looking for books to read for book club and more ways we can support the campus community鈥檚 growth and unlearning journey. If you have any suggestions on what we should be reading, watching, or discussing we want to hear from you! Send Polly an email by contacting equity@acadiau.ca with suggestions you have or let us know if you are interested in hearing about book club, we would be happy to add you to our email list.
Polly Leonard - Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Officer
Show Up, Your Guide to Bystander Intervention (PDF)
Join our book club!
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Contact
Polly Leonard, MSW RSW (she/her/hers)
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Officer
, Room 103
香港六合彩开奖资料
Wolfville, NS, B4P 2R6
equity@acadiau.ca
t. 902.585.1298
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