Critical Race Theory

and I want to be a hot topic. So my episode it's called critical Race Theory, and I'm gonna be talking about a book that has a Ford written by Cortnerial West, Critical Race Theory. I'm also on this episode gonna be talking to an author named Leah Johnson. They walked into my Leak Books and the opportunity to talk to her about her young adult book out which she's written to this publishing, the third to come out later on within the year or early next year. And lastly,

I'm doing a book review. I've gotten away for a couple of weeks now because I've been putting events on Guard sail Um Terry Crews Independent Bookstore to day, so I'm back at it. My book review is by none of the Viola Davis, who just came out with a book called Feeding the Soul. You know the Viola Davis that's an author of Pilanthros and producer as well as the Triple Crown winner an Oscar, an Emmy and A Tony So enjoyed this episode as I dive into a

hot topic today, critical race theory. You never know who's gonna walk in Milik Books. I'm blessed with an author and we happen to have her book in the store. And I love when we do because it's a million books out here and we always don't have that book.

We might have sold out, but in this case, at least we got her second book, which is Rise to the Sun. But the first one, the first book she wrote, was You Should See Me in a Crown and the author name is Leah Johnson, and I happen to have it right here at Malik Books and Malik's bookshelf bringing the world together with books, culture and community. Wants to get a few minutes for her just to talk about her book. Welcome, Thank you so much for having me.

This is a delightful surprise. I was just going to Old Navy and I was like, you know what, this is where we were supposed to be absolutely, And why walk by a bookstore not come in exactly exactly? That's that's probably my most toxic trade is that I can't see a bookstore without jumping in and walking out the armful of books usually, and we're excited the fact that we have your book in the store. Now we sold out of your first one, well, will reorder that. But

I want you to tell us about your first book. Yeah. So my first book, You Should See Me in the Crown, is about a girl named Liz Lighty whose only dream is to get out of her small and small minded hometown. But when her scholarship falls through, she realizes she's going to have to run for prom queen for the scholarship that's attached to the crown, which would be difficult enough for a wallflower like Liz, but it's made even more difficult when she begins to fall for her competition. So

this book is more of a teen younger dog book. Yeah, yeah, so the target audiences between like thirteen and seventeen ish um, that is the target for most of my y a. But my middle grade book, which is called Elie Ingle Saves Herself, which is due out the next spring from Disney hyperiod is for much younger readers, so between like nine and thirteen, and that book is about That book is about a girl named Elie Ingle who believes herself to be really, really ordinary, and her biggest problem is

that she thinks she has a crush on her best friend until an earthquakes hits her small hometown and she wakes up the next morning with the ability to bring things back to life of their touch. Well, I know that the book we have um Rise to the Sun right now in stock sign autograph here at Malik Books

book right right right. Okay, So Rise to the Sun. If you are a fan of music festivals, if you're a fan of summer love stories, if you're a fan of black girls getting to be free and foolish and flawed and brilliant and all those things, then Rise to the Sun is a book for you. It's about two girls named Tony and Olivia who both go to a music festival to have one big adventure before their next

chapter in their lives. And when they get there, they find each other and realize that they meet each other and the music more than they thought they ever could, that that bonded new and and why did they need each other more than the music, because they're each hole on their own right. Like I, I don't subscribe to the ideology that a person is incomplete and you need

like a puzzle piece to fulfill you. But both of them are hiding things about themselves, are afraid of parts of themselves, and so the other is able to bring out those pieces of them and make them more confident and make the other feel more safe for make them feel more free. And so I think that's the goal of any love story. Really, it's like, let's find people who make us better and fuller. Friendship is important, companionship important. So I like a great book, a good read, page turner. Um,

what ages is? This is a young adult as well? Yeah, yeah, so if you are a teenager, young adult, even if you're in your early twenties. I think all these stories sort of deal with the same idea, is of like coming of age, trying to figure out who you are and what you want out of your life. I think it'll be a good book for what you draw your inspiration for to write these types of books. Um, A

lot of it's from my own life. I mean, you know, when I was growing up, I didn't have access to stories where black girls got to be main characters, got to be heroes, got to have big, exciting adventures and love stories. And so I'm really just trying to write the kinds of books that I would have wanted to be able to read when I was fifteen and sixteen years old. I'm glad you said that, because, um, the

voice of women matters. We just came off the Mother's Day and that's one day a year we celebrate Mother's civilization. So I'm glad you mentioned that you write strong stories about you know, young women and and and gifted women, because that is important. Um, just a male dominated world and in the voice of our women are very important, and I want you to continue to do what you've been doing is writing these wonderful books for young adults. Um, if you had to leave us with one thing and

to tell a young adult, what would it be. Oh, Oh, that is the question. That's a million dollar question. I think if I could leave young people with anything, it's that. Um. You know, even if you don't necessarily feel at home in your body and your community and your family, hold on because there is a community, there is family, there is a life that's possible for you out there. You just have to stick around long enough to get to it.

Well said, well said. Thank you Leah Johnson for signing the books, for visiting Mileage Books and sharing with us on Melik's Bookshelf information about what you're doing in types of books you're writing, and your contribution because our voice matters. Thank you a lite of course, thank you Melik's Bookshelf. Want to talk about a subject matter that is sweeping across America. All over this country people are talking about critical race theory. There was a major election in Virginia

where that was the number one topic. How a Republican defeated a Democrat governor, which no one anticipated that happening. It shook up the political world because this topic, critical race theory, is a hot topic amongst family, amongst parents, amongst children. And why why Because we had a crossroads in America. We're race is a sensitive subject and it's the elephant in the room. And oftentimes people, rather than not discuss what it's real, we want to live a

life a perception. What we must deal with their elephant in the room. We must deal with these issues that are sensitive but are very important to discuss and talk about. Now, I have a book in Malak books I have served on critical race theory, but this particular one, Critical Race Theory The Key Writings that formed the Movement Forward by Cordinerial West, edited by kimbro Crinshaw, Gary Pillar, Kendall Thomas. These are some uh of the editors in this book

called Critical Race Theory, the key writings that formed a movement. Now, why this book, why this subject be? Because it has to be addressed and we're not gonna get anywhere if we don't deal with the truth in reality. We have to face the elephant in the room. We have to deal with the trauma, we have to deal with the oppression, we have to deal with There's two nations in America, one black and one white. Or I could have said one white or one black, but the reality is there's

two nations. There's two nations, and there is a divide in this country on race, on politics, on religion. But here's the thing, this critical race theory, it's is one group wants to teach. Listen, I got to talk straight now because I went to school, I graduated from college and to the victor right is the history. So everything I was taught was based upon those in power who wrote the books and wanted a certain narrative and a certain ideology and belief and Stottus quote. But the reality is,

how do you teach a child? How do you teach your child? In two? Did George Washington never told a lot? George Washington owned slaves? George Washington the first president of the United States, although he's historically the founding father, the first president, and considered in most circles and academic a great general and a great president. He is a hero to America. But do you tell a child today in all the accomplishments of George Watty say character, Say, oh,

we're living in a different time. Character don't change is because you in two You either had character two hundred years ago or you got character today. It don't matter the time frame or the error. You're either you know what I'm saying, You're either a person who is has character or doesn't. Because it's not a subject matter or question. If black people were human, if you really think that someone that brilliant, intelligent like George Watson didn't know black

people human beings, Let's come on, let's be real. He was amazing. He knew that he knew certain things. But the reality is this, he wasn't a slaver. He owns slaves, he done horrendous things to black people. But yet his character, it's without which is taught in schools and academia, is that he never told a lie, and that he was a great general, he was a founding father, and that

he was a decent and upright man. Now, I don't know how you could be decent and right man and be that brutal to a grace of people, that savage to a group of people. I don't, I don't, I don't know. How do how do you square that? How do you teach? Why you want me to teach my children that George Washson never told a lie and that he was all that and then something and it watered down the fact that he owned slaves, that he sold slaves, did he advocated slavery? Really? So that's an example of

this critical race theory. It's like, are we to put down one race and lift on another? No, you tell the truth. That's what this book is all about. Critical race theory. Tell the truth. The truth doesn't change the fact George Washington was the first president one of the founding fathers, a great general. The truth doesn't change that

at all. It also doesn't have changed the fact that he was in his slaver, that he would can be considered a white supremacists, that he would be considered oppressive to a group of people, racist to a group of people. Black people is the group of people. None of that changes the truth. That is the truth. And you have to decide which how you see his character. You have to decide where he lines up in your mind and your heart. O person, don't think that White America we're

see him any different. They will see him as a great general, as a founding father, as the first president. That's how they're gonna see him. But his character is his character, and that's taught to his humanity. And you want to teach a group of people that his character it is sound and good and upright, because I ain't never met an enslaver or oppressor. They got good character. They might do good things, but you can't judge their character.

That's like telling the murderer got character. He murdered the whole family. Come on, now, some of this stuff is common sense. You can't have your cake and eat it too. You can't have your heroes and heroes and not just and look at their character. You can't have the cake and eat it too. You got to call it or what it is. It is what it is. George Washington

is George Washington. But don't sit here and act like that he was more and he had good character just because you love them and because you feel that he did a great contribution to this great country. But at the same time, i'm his character. It's on judgment. Today we are in a different era and we must look at things different and we can no longer continue to keep a blind eye and just walk past and walk on eggshells and access if these things don't matter. It matters.

It matters in critical race theory matters, and that's why it is sweeping across this nation because it is causing the great divide. To look at the real injustice and how we educate our kids. We cannot No one should be trying to put down any race of people. But you got to teach the truth. You got to teach

the truth. You gotta teach blacks and whites the truth, and that will cause a union and the elevation of our society to walk together in the truth, not have one believe one thing and the other believe in it at their own detriment. You want Black people to believe in certain things at their own detriment. That's unfair to us as a group who have been oppressed. We no longer can continue to think inferior like that. We must embrace the truth and accept the reality for what it is.

Critical race theory is on the scene to day, and the question is where you want to line up at what side do you want to be on? My thing is picked the truth. Stop trying to water down the truth. I've never seen White America embrace something that is not in their best interests. I've never seen that. We got a lot of mental health issues and a lot of us tied to self esteem. And you gotta stop the

madness where you trying. No one's trying to put down white is and make them feel inferior because you want to teach the truth in the critical race theory, because that's all this is about. It's saying, hey, we got a voice. We want the truth to be told, We want the truth to be spoken, and we want the truth to go forward. We no longer want to accept the fact that you want to teach certain things at all the detriment. We have to stop that. So get old heads, need to get out the way, because these

new people ain't going forward. Parents, I understand you have an issue with critical race A lot of your mislad a lot of people because the mainstream media or media in general is out here misleading. But the reality is that, um, you know, there is a cross roads and critical race theory has hit a nerve and our voice need to be heard and magnify and not pushed under the pillow, under the bridge, you know, and kept locked up like

it has been in the past. We need to be heard and our and our grievous need to be addressed. We need to stop teaching and inferior education to one group and teaching a superior education to another. We need to both walk into that classroom and come out that classroom. We're loving ourselves but leaving in ourselves doing for ourselves. We gotta stop the madness. So I believe critical race theory is important in this day and time to create a balance going forward. So thank you. That's my book

review Critical Race Theory. It was also how I feel about it, So it's all wrapped up into that one thing, critical race theory, the key, the key writers that form the movement. This book come go out and get forward by Cornell West. It's been a few episodes and I haven't done my own personal book review, simply because I had these major events. I had the independent bookstore to day, I had a signing with Garcel, I had Terry Crews hosted at Malik Books, and we had to do the

Los Angeles Times Festival books. So I didn't necessarily do a book review. But what I did was interview authors on the last two segments. But I got a few books that I want to talk about. Now I'm gonna get back to some of these book reviews. But oftentimes I just want to point out that if you don't see a book review, usually I have at least someone talking about a book if it's not me. So that's

the constellation. So each episode still always has some information about a new book or upcoming book or what have you. But I'm going to do a book review on Violent David's new book called Finding Me, and it's a story about her and her journey of self discovery and how she wrote this book in order to inspire not only you know you should want to find herself, but she also want to give ala branch too people who read

the book so that they can also find themselves. That's why it's called Finding Me, and it's a beautiful book. It's a deep reflection, they promise, and a love letter of sorts to self. My hope that is Viola David's hope, is that the story will inspire you to light up your own life with creative expression and read discover who you are before the world put a label on you.

The book has lots of trauma and self discovery. Viola Davis grew up in privaty and we'll attacked as a young girl by a group of young boys while she was young. She talks about that in the book. Overcoming the stereotypes of being a black woman and finding success in one of the most difficult jobs in the world only the goom and become one of the most internationally known actresses, producer of blanchises, and now a best selling author. First black to win the Triple Crown. That means she

won the Emmy, the Tony, and the Oscar. That's what the career has been for Viola Davis. This book is a page turner, heart field and breathtaking memoir. So pick up your copy of Finding Me by Viola Davis. Thanks for listening to Melik's Bookshelf, where topics on the Shelf, our books, culture and communities. Be sure to subscribe and leave me a review. Check out my instagram at Melik Books. See you next time.