Books to give activists as they prepare for the upcoming election
Moving forward requires focus. Mashable's Social Good Series is dedicated to exploring pathways to a greater good, spotlighting issues that are essential to making the world a better place.
On December 31st, we're not just ringing in a new year. We're ringing in an election year. And it's going to be a big one.
In 2020, there are huge issues on the table: climate change, gun control, health care, the list goes on. Of course, one way everyone should be getting involved in the upcoming election is by voting. But if you have a family member or friend who wants to flex their activist muscle in 2020, these books are a good way to get started.
From aiming to help readers get more involved in the fight against gun control to inspiring action on climate change, these books will help the activist in your life get mentally prepared for 2020 and importantly, actually get shit done.
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1. Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good by Adrienne Maree Brown
Activism doesn't have to be an exhausting, grueling task, and this book shows you how to take pleasure in social justice. Pleasure Activism covers a wide variety of subjects, like race, gender, and climate change to explain how changing the world can feel good. Brown draws on her own experience and also includes insights from prominent thinkers in the space, including Audre Lorde and Octavia Butler.
Price: $14.85 on Amazon
2. Guns Down: How to Defeat the NRA and Build a Safer Future with Fewer Guns by Igor Volsky
Ever wondered how to get rid of the NRA? Consider this book your guide. In Guns Down, Volsky, the co-founder and executive director of Guns Down America, describes his own experiences of using Twitter to combat the NRA and presents different ideas for how to restrict gun ownership in America. The book is both practical but optimistic, providing a feasible path to a safer America.
Price: $11.59 on Amazon
3. Reclaiming Our Space: How Black Feminists Are Changing the World from the Tweets to the Streets by Feminista Jones
Reclaiming Our Space explores how black feminists are using digital platforms and social media to redefine feminism. Jones offers a detailed look into viral hashtags like #BlackLivesMatter and #SayHerName while delving into black feminism as a whole. It's sure to show the feminist in your life how to take their activism to the internet while also introducing them to the work of influential figures in the space including Angela Davies and bell hooks.
Price: $6.92 on Amazon
4. No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference by Greta Thunberg
Youth climate activist Greta Thunberg's speeches about climate change will send a chill down anyone's spine, and now, 11 are available in book format. No One Is Too Small To Make A Difference shows that even if you feel powerless against climate change, every voice matters.
Price: $9.00 on Amazon
5. As Long as Grass Grows: The Indigenous Fight for Environmental Justice, from Colonization to Standing Rock by Dina Gilio-Whitaker
Looking at the history of indigenous resistance in the United States can help shine a light on different approaches to fighting for environmental justice today. In As Long as Grass Grows, indigenous researcher Dina Gilio-Whitaker uses this perspective in order to encourage modern environmentalists to take inspiration from indigenous resistance movements.
Price: $18.35 on Amazon
6. How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
In How To Be Antiracist, author Ibram X. Kendi uses history and philosophy to challenge readers to rethink preconceived notions of racism. In doing so, the book serves as a guide to combat racism and think about ourselves and the people around us differently.
Price: $14.79 on Amazon
7. How We Fight White Supremacy by Akiba Solomon and Kenrya Rankin
By examining different types of black resistance, this book outlines ways to combat racism. How We Fight White Supremacy explores a wide range of examples, from protests, to sermons, to art, and has contributions from notable voices like Ta-Nehisi Coates and Tarana Burke.
Price: $10.63 on Amazon
8. Fight Like a Mother: How a Grassroots Movement Took on the Gun Lobby and Why Women Will Change the World by Shannon Watts
In this book, Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action, doesn't just offer insight into fighting for gun control. She also uses Fight Like A Mother to highlight how women can use their power to change the world. Watts also goes into detail on how anyone can become an activist and make real change in their communities, even if they're initially unsure where to start.
Price: $11.59 on Amazon
9. Be The Change: A Toolkit for the Activist In You by Gina Martin
For any activist in your life that doesn't know how to get their cause off the ground and push for change, this book serves as their blueprint. Be The Change covers everything from ways to start fighting for a cause to how to make sure you have a real impact.
Price: $8.28 on Amazon
10. Parkland: Birth of a Movement by Dave Cullen
Parkland: Birth Of A Movement tells the gripping story of the young activists fighting for increased gun control after the Parkland shooting. It inspires with every page, and by the end, readers will want to make sure that they're part of the #neveragain movement against gun violence.
Price: $16.23 on Amazon
Topics Activism Social Good
