District 5080 DEI Book Club

The DEI Book Club had its first meeting in January of 2021 via zoom with a discussion of Ijeoma Oluo’s book “So You Want to Talk About Race.”

Facilitated by Leslie Waters from Colville Rotary club and Maddy Harlamovs from the e-club of Waneta Sunshine, our goal is to educate ourselves and our club members about issues around diversity, equity and inclusion.

We have read a variety of books; some on history, a couple of novels and some more focused on solutions. Meetings have been on the third Wednesdays of each month with a break over the summer and in December.

Although 30 members signed up, we have about a dozen regular members who attend monthly to discuss the reading selections. There have been some great discussions! We never fail to see our selections with new eyes after hearing what stood out for other group members.

Some people join us just to listen, while others get the book lists and recommended readings for independent study. You can also join us on our Facebook page, where we post some thoughts on the books, along with videos that are relevant to DEI.

A District 5080 DEI Book Club Participants Guide is also available for review.

 Since that first meeting, we have read and shared:

“Born A Crime,” by Trevor Noah

“The Color of Law,” by Richard Rothstein

“Americanah,” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

"Braiding Sweetgrass" by Robin Wall Kimmerer

"The History of White People," by Nell Irving Painter

“The Inconvenient Indian,” by Thomas King

“Caste,” by Isabel Wilkerson

“See No Stranger,” by Valerie Kaur

"deep diversity," by shakil choudhury

"Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston

"We Have Always Been Here," by Samria Habib

"Five Little Indians," by Michelle Good

"Mankiller, by Wilma Mankiller

"Factfulness." by Hans Rosling

"From the Ashes," by Jesse Thistle

"The Book of Pride," by Mason Funk

"The Warmth of Other Suns," by Isabel Wilkerson

"Washington Black," by Esi Edugyan

"The Cross and the Lynching Tree," by James H. Cone

"The Bluest Eye," by Toni Morrison

"1493," by Charles C. Mann

"Pageboy, A Memoir," by Elliot Page

"The New Jim Crow," by Michelle Alexander

"Opinions," by M=Roxane Gay

 We meet monthly on the 4th Wednesday of each month.  If you'd like to join us, please email Maddy at [email protected] to be added to our list of members.