Diverse Reads
LGBTQ+
‘Two Boys Kissing‘ by David Levitham
the story of two 17-year-olds, Harry, and Craig, who go out to break the Guinness world record for locking lips – a 35-hour marathon – to make a statement about homophobia.
‘Annie On My Mind‘ by Nancy Garden
Liza and Annie, two girls who meet at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Both 17, the two duo help each other navigate both the struggles of high school and the difficulty in coming to terms with their sexual identities.
Queer: A Graphic History by Dr. Meg-John Barker and Julia Schele
Equality
‘Bleak House’ by Charles Dickens
The complex story of a notorious law-suit in which love and inheritance are set against the classic urban background of 19th-century London, where fog on the river, seeping into the very bones of the characters, symbolizes the corruption of the legal system and the society which supports it.
‘All the days past, all the days gone’ by Mildred D. Taylor
Cassie Logan, now a lawyer, witnesses first hand how the Great Migration and the ensuing fight for civil rights transform the very fabric of American life, before returning to Mississippi to participate in voter registration.
Gender
‘We should all be feminists’ by Chimimanda Ngozi Adichie
Shines a light not only on blatant discrimination, but also the more insidious, institutional behaviours that marginalize women around the world, in order to help readers of all walks of life better understand the often-masked realities of sexual politics.
‘Yes she can’ by Mollie Dillan
Women are making political waves in many, many other ways. This collection of 10 inspiring stories of 20-something women in the Obama Administration shows that politics (and policy) are no longer just a boys’ club.
‘For the love of men’ by Liz Plank
In 2019, traditional masculinity is both rewarded and sanctioned. Men grow up being told that boys don’t cry, and dolls are for girls (a newer phenomenon than you might realize–gendered toys came back in vogue as recently as the 80s). They learn they must hide their feelings and anxieties, that their masculinity must constantly be proven. They must be the breadwinners; they must be the romantic pursuers.
Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado
From government policy and medical research, to technology, workplaces, and the media. Invisible Women reveals how in a world built for and by men we are systematically ignoring half of the population, often with disastrous consequences. Caroline Criado Perez brings together for the first time an impressive range of case studies, stories, and new research from across the world that illustrate the hidden ways in which women are forgotten, and the profound impact this has on us all.
Race & Racism
‘Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race’ by Renni Eddo-Lodge
The book that sparked a national conversation. Exploring everything from eradicated black history to the inextricable link between class and race, Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race is the essential handbook for anyone who wants to understand race relations in Britain today.
‘This Will Be My Undoing: Living at the Intersection of Black, Female, and Feminist in (White) America’ by Morgan Jenkins
Honest recollection of what it was like for her being a black female growing up in America; from not being successful in Cheerleader trials, and wondering if it was because she was black, to accepting her natural hairstyle and how liberating that was.
‘Brit(ish)’ by Afua Hirsch
The personal parts of her story are interwoven skilfully with the historical and political analyses of race and racism and are made deeper and subtler by considering issues of gender and class. Her writing is clear, powerful and at times ironic and humorous.
Unconscious Bias
‘Messengers: Who We Listen To, Who We Don’t, and Why’ by Stephen Martin
In this ground-breaking new book behavioural experts Stephen Martin and Joseph Marks pinpoint the eight powerful traits that determine who get heard and who gets ignored. They show how such apparently irrelevant details as a person’s appearance or their financial status influence our response to what they have to say, regardless of its wisdom or foolishness.
‘The Person You Mean To Be: How Good People Fight Bias’ by Dolly Chugh
how to battle biases, champion diversity and inclusion, and advocate for those who lack power and privilege. Dolly Chugh makes a convincing case that being an ally isn’t about being a good person—it’s about constantly striving to be a better person.
‘Four Days to Change: 12 Radical Habits to Overcome Bias and Thrive in a Diverse World’ by Michael Welp
Props tremendous benefits that ripple across the company culture and eventually lead to an indisputable impact on the bottom line. But robust, resilient diversity in the workplace thrives only when members of the majority group actively educate and challenge each other.
Share:
