August East Shore Reads: One Person, No Vote by Carol Anderson
Marcy Langrock will facilitate a book discussion about One Person, No Vote: How Voter Suppression Is Destroying Our Democracy on Wednesday, August 26 at 7:00 p.m. If you need to buy One Person, No Vote, consider supporting Seattle’s only black-owned bookstore: Estelita’s Library at https://estelitaslibrary.com/ Register here.
September East Shore Reads: The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein
Mark Norelius will lead four book discussions on Thursdays in September from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. (Sept. 3, 10, 17 & 24) Limit to 15 participants and pre-registration is required and we will meet via Zoom.
In The Color of Law (published by Liveright in May 2017), Richard Rothstein argues with exacting precision and fascinating insight how segregation in America—the incessant kind that continues to dog our major cities and has contributed to so much recent social strife—is the byproduct of explicit government policies at the local, state, and federal levels.
Click here to hear from the author.
“I found myself amazed to learn that our government’s laws and policies have played a huge role in the segregation that exists to this day in our communities. This segregation has lead to many of the discriminatory practices that are woven into the fabric of our country. It is important for me to know how we got here. How did the race issues we are experiencing and learning about in the media come to be? I hope we can deepen our understanding together of this important issue.” Mark Norelius
October East Shore Reads: The End of Policing by Alex S. Vitale
Jeanne Lamont will lead four discussions on Thursdays in October from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. (Oct. 8, 15, 22 & 29). Limit to 15 participants and pre-registration is required and we will meet via Zoom.
In the wake of high-profile cases of police brutality, the same ideas for reform are trotted out — implicit bias training, body cameras, police-community dialogues. But Vitale argues that this fails to get to the root of the problem — policing itself. While calls to abolish the police are often met with skepticism, academics and activists have long-discussed alternatives to addressing homelessness, domestic disputes and substance abuse.
Click here to hear from the author.
Supplemental Readings for Discussion
- President Barack Obama Task Force on 21st Century Policing
- King County Equity Now List of Demands
- Seattle Police Department Reform