The Warmth of Other Suns and MLK Day Seminar

Next week, we will have two well-known authors speaking at New Trier High School: Isabel Wilkerson about The Warmth of Other Suns and Ilyasah Shabazz about X, the new novel relating aspects of her father’s life.  These appearances are part of the MLK Seminar Day focusing on race to be held January 18, 2016.

Our book club discussion of The Warmth of Other Suns will focus on the story of Ida Mae Gladney who joined the great migration in the late 1930’s, moving from Mississippi to Chicago. Wilkerson’s non-fiction work is subtitled “an epic story of America’s Great Migration” and is filled with numerous small anecdotes (for example, how did Jesse Owens’ name get changed?) and startling statistics. The Warmth of Other Suns received the National Book Award for Nonfiction and was named to numerous best book lists.  Also receiving multiple starred reviews although written for young people, X was co-authored by Ilyasah Shabazz and the very talented Kekla Magoon; this novel explores key events and influences in the early life of Malcolm X.

In preparation for the seminar day, I have also been reading several other titles related to race. BlackBalled: The Black and White Politics of Race on America’s Campuses by Lawrence Ross (author of The Divine Nine and several other texts) relates stories of racial hostility primarily involving fraternity and sorority membership at prestigious colleges; it is to be released in early February.  While I found this non-fiction work to be a bit patronizing and angry in tone, Kirkus called it " a biting critique [that] may fuel much-needed conversation" and Library Journal described it as “highly recommended.” A broader view is presented in Ebony and Ivy by Craig Steven Wilder which received starred reviews when published in 2013 and I am looking forward to hearing student reaction next week to some additional statistics on college acceptances and graduation rates across race and ethnicities as we look at the first generation experience.

I have also begun to read Tavis Smiley’s A Covenant with Black America: Ten Years Later, the updated version of a New York Times bestseller. There has been so much negativity on the news about race relations that it was encouraging to see someone trying to layout several positive efforts for change.  About a decade ago, Smiley (an award-winning radio and television commentator) had compiled essays on key issues including voting rights, health care, criminal justice, education, and so forth, each written by a prominent voice in the field. Here, in A Covenant with Black America: Ten Years Later, he provides an update with new data and describes some further action steps for each area. Unfortunately, the formatting of the eBook advance copy available to me made it difficult for any reader to easily distinguish between the various sections and therefore Smiley’s points seemed diluted.  However, the print paperback was just released January 5th.

Finally, I also wanted to mention Negroland, especially because of its ties to South Side Chicago.  Written by Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Margo Jefferson and published in 2015, this memoir shares the story of growing up in “upper-crust black Chicago” during the 1960s and 70s.  I am certainly looking forward to hearing Isabel Wilkerson and Ilyasah Shabazz speak.  Their presentations will be available for others to watch after the seminar day. Check back here or on the main New Trier page. 

Added January 23rd: Jim Wallis, president of Sojourners and author of the recently published America's Original Sin: Racism, White Privilege and the Bridge to a New America, will be speaking at Harold Washington Library on February 1st.  His non-fiction work is considered an appeal to evangelical Christians and its Foreword was written by Bryan Stevenson (author of Just Mercy) who will be speaking at an upcoming local Family Action Network event on April 7th. According to the MacArthur Foundation, the February talk will be moderated by The Chicago Tribune's Manya Brachear and Wallis will be joined by several local religious leaders.