These are the titles that rocked my world in 2008
Lost Prophet
The Life and Times of Bayard Rustin A spontaneous visit to my local lesbigaytrans community center led me to an encounter with this book. It tells the story of a legendary organizer who shaped the Civil Rights movement. Bayard Rustin would probably be better known had he not been a gay leader during the viciously heterosexist 1950’s. We can thank him for an impressive record of mentoring younger organizers, bringing Ghandian principles to American activism and the pulling together the 1963 March on Washington. For bringing his legacy out of the shadows, we can thank John D’Emilio.
Homophobia: A History by Byrne Fone An excellent follow-up to Lost Prophet. For a better understanding of the scourge of Homophobia, read Byrne Fone. For some ideas about what to do about it, read Virtual Equality by Urvashi Vaid.
Alice Walker: A Life, author Evelyn C. White Having just read Zinn, I find the recollections of Walker’s interactions with him to be particularly endearing. He was her college professor during the 1960’s. Learning that fact motivated me to revisit his People’s History of the United States, a story I recount more fully in another post.
Thanks to Judy for giving me a copy of All the Way to Heaven: A Theological Reflection on Dorothy Day, Peter Maurin and The Catholic Worker. I had no idea how much it would reshape my understanding of the once and future movement of my life. Another activist recommended I read The Transition Handbook, so I did. I have a feeling this book will shape my work for years to come.
