Sponsored by Decolonizing Wealth Project.
The accumulation of wealth is steeped in trauma. So, how can we shift industries like media, finance, and philanthropy toward reconciliation and healing if their cornerstones are exploitation, extraction, and control?
“The path to healing that he offers in these pages is welcoming to all, and…can unite people from all walks of life…”
—Bishop William J. Barber II, President & Sr. Lecturer, Repairers of the Breach; Co-Chair, Poor People’s Campaign
“The relationship between economic injustice and systemic racism must be understood. Edgar boldly and accessibly illuminates the connections while offering a way forward.”
—Robin DiAngelo, author of White Fragility
Welcome to your new release Wednesday for the week! Are you loving Kim’s Friday edition of the newsletter? I am. She talked about Mare of East Town last week, and it made me glad that someone I respect so much is also behind on popular HBO dramas.
Get into the new books! They all look great.
Dovey Undaunted: A Black Woman Breaks Barriers in the Law, the Military, and the Ministry by Tonya Bolden
Children’s author Bolden tells the story of Dovey Johnson Roundtree, famous for her “successful defense of an indigent Black man accused of the murder of Mary Pinchot Meyer, a prominent white Washington, DC, socialite, in 1965.” Roundtree also was the first lawyer to bring a bus desegregation case before the Interstate Commerce Commission, “the first Black women to enter the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps, and was one of the first ordained female ministers in the African Methodist Episcopal Church.” Dovey Undaunted indeed!
The Real Valkyrie: The Hidden History of Viking Warrior Women by Nancy Marie Brown
Know that I pick this having the Funko Pop of Lagertha from Vikings on my bookshelf. In this history, Brown “lays to rest the hoary myth that Viking society was ruled by men and celebrates the dramatic lives of female Viking warriors.” Take that, hoary myth! It combines archaeology, history, and literature (amazing) to tell the story of a female Viking warrior found in a grave in Sweden. You also learn about medieval women like Queen Gunnhild Mother-of-Kings, the Viking leader known as The Red Girl, and Queen Olga of Kyiv. So cool.
Fear of a Black Universe: An Outsider’s Guide to the Future of Physics by Stephon Alexander
Alexander’s website describes himself as “a theoretical physicist specializing in cosmology, particle physics and quantum gravity.” Which is fancy. He emphasizes the importance of intuition and thinking outside the box (four dimensions! forget the three dimensional box) for great physics. Also how much we need diversity in science, which, as someone who regularly covers science/nature books in her newsletter/podcast, YES PLEASE. Give diverse scientists book deals!
For more nonfiction reads, check out the For Real podcast which I co-host with the excellent Kim here at Book Riot. If you have any questions/comments/book suggestions, you can find me on social media @itsalicetime. Until next time, enjoy those facts, fellow nerds.