BHM: A Deeper Dive

 "History is not the past. It is the present. We carry our history with us. We are our history." James Baldwin, Black English: A Dishonest Argument, 1980.

History is made up of big events and small ones, of the lives of the famous and of the not so famous. The lives and stories of ordinary people make history just as surely as lives and stories of powerful leaders and great wars. The YWCA can better fulfill our mission of advancing racial justice if we have a good understanding of the way past events and current perspectives  have affected and shaped the lives of people of color. With that in mind, here are some resources that dig a little deeper into stories that provide a richer understanding of what our shared history means. Some of these stories are of actual events and people, others are visionary and fictional, but all are, in their own way, true.

500 Years of Black Resistance - This is a succinct but meaningful snapshot of history, outlining key moments of African and African-American resistance, including connections with indigenous people in North America.  

Unsung Heroes of the Civil Rights Movement are Black Women - This USA Today article features an impactful 1 minute video featuring Donna Brazile. This list has a mixture of historical films as well as fairytales and fictional plots that showcase black creators:

https://www.womenshealthmag.com/life/g35279964/best-black-movies/

Websites to check out and compile a truly awesome reading list

1)https://www.booklistqueen.com/books-by-contemporary-black-female-authors/

2)https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/g26075869/best-books-by-black-authors/

3)https://www.bestcolleges.com/blog/black-women-authors/

4)https://www.oprahdaily.com/entertainment/books/g31082514/best-books-by-black-women/