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Waking Up to the Real Work of Justice with Michelle MiJung Kim

by Danielle Coke | Jul 26, 2022

Throughout the past few years, many have awakened to the external forces of injustice. But what if the key to making a lasting impact involved waking up to your own capacity to transform? In this conversation with Michelle MiJung Kim (she/her), a longtime activist...

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**NOTE: Numbers in slide 1 include both challenges **NOTE: Numbers in slide 1 include both challenges AND bans! 📚**

Book bans & challenges in schools are growing at a pace not seen in decades, and a lot of them are happening on the low 🤫 what are your thoughts on this? Comment below! 

I did some research on book bans and WOW, it’s getting really wild out here. Of the books banned the most during the 2021-2022 school year, topics range from race & racism (🤦🏾‍♀️), history books/biographies (???), rights & activism, gender, and sexuality. Over 41% of the books banned featured people of color as main/secondary characters.

A diverse society should read diverse books, and we won’t raise a generation of empathetic humans by completely shielding them from the perspectives & histories of others, no matter how challenging they might be to receive. 🌎 

Does that mean that books aren’t ever allowed to be challenged? No, you have that right- but through transparent, unbiased, ESTABLISHED procedures that have been designed to protect the integrity of the art and respect the librarians, teachers, families, and ALL community members. 

What do you think about all of this? 💭 

SOURCES: 

📕 Pen America Index of School Book Bans
📗 State of America’s Libraries Special Report: Pandemic Year Two by the American Library Association 
📘 Washington Post- “More books are banned than ever before”
Culture cancels. Love calls in. 💛 Hi!! I’ve Culture cancels. Love calls in. 💛

Hi!! I’ve been moving and getting settled in but I love this piece of wisdom from the last episode of the podcast (new episode tomorrow!!) and I wanted to take a second to share about it. 🤗

There will be times where it’s not the healthiest or safest option to hold those who harm us closely, but this thought refers to those who have come alongside us on the journey to becoming more just, empathetic, and compassionate humans, and may have had a few missteps along the way. 

On this journey, mistakes shouldn’t be the triggers that cause us to completely launch others out of our lives, but an opportunity to practice that love, hope, & empathy we always talk about. Community helps us persevere through adversity!! Grace upon grace for each and every one of us 🌱
The more you pay attention to the issues of the da The more you pay attention to the issues of the day, the more you notice how connected they all are. And when you can’t decipher an easy solution to each of them, you can still “consciously focus to move against [all of] them.” 🧶 

This quote (and so much other goodness) came up in my most recent podcast conversation with @michellekimkim, a longtime activist & author. We discuss the real work of justice (how it involves going beyond just recognizing what's wrong), Anti-Asian hate, solidarity between Asian and Black communities, and the importance of the collective in the pursuit of justice.

You can listen to @fortheultimategood at the link in my bio 🤗 I’d also check out the “Learning from the 60s” address by Audre Lorde. Good stuff in there.
THE EASIEST YES!!!! 💍 Cody, you love me so wel THE EASIEST YES!!!! 💍

Cody, you love me so well. Forever with you will be the biggest adventure yet!! I love you 💛 let’s get MARRIED WOW
The shop is officially closed ☻ a journey I’l The shop is officially closed ☻  a journey I’ll never forget. Thanks for the memories.

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