Week 2 - My Grandmother's Hands Black History Month Book Club
Week 2 of this year’s Book Club!
As you do your reading throughout the week, feel free to leave your thoughts In the comments!
If you’re answering a specific discussion question, please find it in the comments and respond underneath it.
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Reminders
If you read ahead, please keep your discussion comments to the week's readings.
If you get behind on the readings, that is okay!
The exercises in the book are important to do.
Being uncomfortable while reading this book is to be expected!
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Week 2 Reading Breakdown
February 8th-14th: Chapter 7- Chapter 12
68 Physical Pages.
2 hours and 54 audio minutes.
Week 2 Discussion Questions
What does White Fragility mean to you?
Have you ever experienced or witnessed de-Blackening?
What are some ways you express dirty pain?
Favorite quote from this week's reading?
Anything else you'd like to share?
Some of my favorite quotes from this week.
"Many white Americans need to be confronted - firmly and compassionately - on their white fragility. Yet much of that fragility is trauma-driven, lizard-brain defensiveness that quickly flights, fights, or freezes out all such caring confrontation." -Resmaa Menakem, 2015, p. 104
"These changing (and often contradictory) demands, as well as the chaos and confusion that make up contemporary police culture, are wreaking havoc on police bodies and psyches.
It's no wonder our police have higher rates of domestic violence and alcohol abuse. Police bodies are visibly suffering from their own form of trauma and, in turn, inflicting unnecessary harm on the less powerful, including some of the people they have pledged to protect." -Resmaa Menakem, 2015, p. 117
"What if one of those Black drivers, scared to death, were to shoot the police officer who pulled him over?
Does 'I feared for my life' constitute a valid defense for that dark-skinned man? If it does, then we are in deep trouble.
If it does not - but it becomes one for police - then we are also in deep trouble." -Resmaa Menakem, 2015, p. 124
"We will not end white-body supremacy - or any form of human evil - by trying to tear it to pieces. Instead, we can offer people ways to belong, and better things to belong to." -Resmaa Menakem, 2015, p. 79
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