Common Reading. Book Guide. Baratunde. Thurston. of Jack & Jill Politics and The Onion. jsc.edu

Transcription

1 Common Reading Book Guide 2017 Baratunde Thurston of Jack & Jill Politics and The Onion jsc.edu

2 Dear First-Year Students: Welcome to Johnson State College and the College s Common Reading Initiative, an interdisciplinary endeavor that creates opportunities for engagement through a carefully chosen reading selection that inspires thinking about one s own and other cultures. This year s choice, How to Be Black, asks us to consider the social and individual construction of race. It is my hope that How to Be Black will invite you to take what you have learned from your reading and accompanying experiences and to think about the implications for our campus and local communities, bringing your energy and wisdom to bear on an important societal issue facing us today. This may mean engaging in lively debate, asking challenging questions, learning from others experiences, and finding ways to narrow the gap between oneself and another. In the fall, you will have many opportunities to discuss this provocative text with your peers, faculty and staff. Additionally, Johnson State College will be hosting the book s author, Baratunde Thurston, on September 18th. This will be a very special event that you will not want to miss! Please make it a point to review the background material presented in this guide, so that you will be well prepared. In closing, I look forward to getting to know each of you and sharing this very special learning community. I challenge you to do your best and we will be there to support you every step of the way. Be sure to take advantage of the array of services we provide to help you as you adjust to a new learning environment. Again, welcome to Johnson State College! Best wishes for a great start, Elaine C. Collins, Ph.D. President We are immensely grateful to Kim Kaufman and Jimmy Goldsmith for underwriting this year s Common Reading Initiative. Selection of this book would not have been possible without the generous support of Jimmy Goldsmith, Kim Kaufman, and Jane White (JSC Class of 71). JSC s Common Reading Initiative is a program of the Office of First-Year Experience Dewey Hall

3 CONTENTS About the Author and the Book Events... 2 Working with Satire Read, Reflect, Experience Getting Started This guide is intended to help us open the door to positive and productive conversations about race, diversity, and inclusion at Johnson State College and beyond. By reading this book, engaging in discussions, and attending events in a shared experience, we hope to: Cultivate open, honest, and respectful conversations Raise and increase awareness and understanding of how racism, bias, and prejudice impacts our lives Promote and increase empathy both a shared commitment to the basic core values of the community and the individual member s sense of responsibility. An educationally purposeful community where faculty and students share academic goals and work together to strengthen teaching and learning on campus. An open community where freedom of expression is uncompromisingly protected and where civility is positively affirmed. A just community where the sacredness of the person is honored and diversity is pursued. Inspire and sustain action and activism toward creating a better campus climate and society Discussing race is complex and multi-layered. To bring many voices to the conversation, we chose a book that uses satire, specifically the component of humor, as a tool. The author is clear about his approach. In an interview with Tabula, an opensource news platform, Baratunde Thurston states, Satire as a form, I think, holds a special place because it often uses humor. Humor is vulnerable; humor touches the soul; humor allows you to hear opposing viewpoints without getting as offended. With this reasoning in mind, the book delivers a serious conversation in an accessible and memorable manner. We intend to bring our best selves to create a space for dialogue that is constructive and unifying. Whether it be race, gender, or politics, we look to our core values for guidance. At Johnson State College, we believe the success of a community is based on A disciplined community where individuals accept their obligations to the group. A caring community where the well-being of each member is sensitively supported and service to others is encouraged. A celebrative community where the heritage of the institution is remembered and where rituals affirming tradition are widely shared. We are grateful to JSC community members for honoring these principles and reflecting them through actions. Through the sharing of our unique life stories we create connection. In conversation, we can shed light on concerns in our society. Social change cannot take place until we become acutely aware of the issues we face. For this reason, we respectfully ask that you join us in these conversations and explorations.

4 ABOUT THE AUTHOR and the book My version of being black adheres as much to the stereotypes as it dramatically breaks from them, and that s probably true for most of you reading this if not about blackness itself, then about something else related to your identity. - Baratunde Thurston New York Times best-selling author, activist, comedian, and entrepreneur, Baratunde Thurston has A an uncanny ability to crack the shell of any uncomfortable topic through a personal, accessible, and intelligent point of view. As former Supervising Producer for Digital Content on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Director of Digital and Political Editor for The Onion, and founder of Cultivated Wit, Baratunde uses his creative and inquisitive mind to question authority and forge his own path in creating a better world. He is often found gracing the screens of HBO, Comedy Central, CNN, MSNBC, BBC, the sound waves of NPR and roughly one bajillion podcasts, including Our National Conversation About Conversations About Race. The ACLU of Michigan honored Baratunde for changing the political and social landscape one laugh at a time. The Root named him to its list of 100 Most Influential African Americans, and Fast Company listed him as one of the 100 Most Creative People In Business. He has advised the Obama White House and serves on the National Board of BUILD, an organization that uses entrepreneurship-based experiential learning to propel underserved youth through high school on to college and career success. His book, How To Be Black, reached the top 25 on the New York Times Bestseller list for This comedic memoir explores the fractured relationship between who we are and how we may be defined by others. Baratunde employs the use of his razor-sharp wit to offer the reader an accessible and memorable manner to grapple with important issues about race and identity in America. Through humor and story, Baratunde offers a glimpse into his life and satirical lessons learned from childhood experiences through adulthood. 1 Common Reading Guide 2017

5 AUTHOR TALK & BOOK SIGNING Baratunde Thurston Monday, September 18 Dibden Center for the Arts 8pm Join us for an evening with Baratunde Thurston, the author of this year s common book. The best-selling author, activist, comedian, and entrepreneur will bring his voice to support action around racial justice issues and awareness as we welcome our new students into the community. Muslim Girls Making Change Wednesday, September 13 Stearns Performance 6pm South Burlington based slam poetry team dedicated to breaking down stereotypes in their fight for social justice. Composed of Hawa Adam, Kiran Waqar, Lena Ginawi, and Balkisa Abdikadir, these teen activists earned a place on the Huffington Post s list of 17 Muslim American Women Who Made America Great In James Mills & An American Descent Tuesday, October 3 Bentley 207 7pm James Edward Mills journalist and media producer specializes in investigating and telling stories that broaden our understanding of our relationship to our environment, through outdoor recreation and conservation practices that balance a sustainable living. James will adress the often overlooked issues of race and the outdoors, the film captures the team s challenges in climbing and building a legacy of inclusion in the outdoor/adventure community. 13TH Monday, October 23 Bentley 207 6pm AvaDuVernay s award winning documentary about how the Thirteenth Amendment led to mass incarceration in the United States, but it s also a gorgeous, evocative, and maddening exploration of words: of their power, their roots, their permanence. The Opulence of Integrity Thursday, November 30 Dibden Center for the Arts 8pm The Opulence of Integrity celebrates the life and legacy of Muhammad Ali. Through the life and the legacy of Ali, the performance explores the inner struggle for identity as it pertains to men of color in the United States, providing an intimate look at the trappings that continually prohibit freedom. Common Reading Guide

6 Working with Satire: THE WHAT AND THE WHY LOL! Fighting + = Wait. What did you just call me? ComEDY + SOCIAL= ACTIVISM SATIRE absurdity intolerance SATIRE stimulates critical thinking and encourages positive change. Huh. I never Saw it like that before. Satire is a tool that is used to explore actions, practices, and ideas within society through the use of humor, ridicule, sarcasm or exaggeration. It can generate laughter, cause discomfort, or even anger and outrage because it can be cutting in nature. Why is it useful, you ask? The use of satire can create a disarming effect around difficult topics of discussion. Satire seeks to reveal absurdity, hypocrisy, or intolerance as it stimulates critical thinking by encouraging people to examine not only their beliefs but also those who are around them. 3 Common Reading Guide 2017

7 The first step in helping to create change is bringing light to an issue. Consider top trending and headline-inducing skits of Saturday Night Live and the use of political cartoons and memes in analyzing human behavior. THINK ABOUT the following examples What is being revealed in these satirical cartoons? A B C Q: What do you call a Muslim who flies an Airplane? A: A Pilot, Duh. Satire is not pointlessly or randomly making fun of something or someone; THE GOAL OF SATIRE IS TO POINT TOWARD AND ENCOURAGE POSITIVE CHANGE. A B C Absurdity Intolerance A B C Absurdity Intolerance A B C Absurdity Intolerance Common Reading Guide

8 Read Reflect Experience Connect with Your New Community You are not alone in this assignment quite the opposite! Over 400 people in the JSC Community are reading How To Be Black this summer We all have this book as a shared experience. Designate a Time for Reading. Make it happen. Create a relaxed and focused pace. Get your book out and get going one page at a time! Mix It Up You don t always have to read in the same place. If it s a nice day, try reading outside on the beach, in a hammock, or in the shade of a tree. Rainy day perfect for reading inside the house, inside a tent, or on a porch. Bring How to Be Black With You You never know when an opportunity to read might arise. Make Notes IN Your Book Go ahead! Write or diagram your thoughts and questions on the pages of How To Be Black. Make this book yours. As a resource for your reading and access to the audiobook, please visit: guides.jsc.edu/howtobeblack We look forward to your return in August and our continued discussions. Questions? Feedback? Don t hesitate to contact us! Margo Warden, Director: margo.warden@jsc.edu Matthew Hayes, Coordinator of First-Year Events: matthew.hayes2@jsc.edu Jennifer Stefanski, Coordinator of First-Year Support: jennifer.stefanski@jsc.edu