“To Honor the Many Gifts We Bring”
Listed
below are some powerful books that contribute to the requirements for the Religious
Education Credentialing program and that we feel would be useful reading in
preparation for the LREDA Fall Conference in 2006. This is the beginning of
what we hope will be an expanding list of books, movies and music from popular
culture that touch on issues of racism, sexism, ableism, heterosexism and
gender stereotypes. Please send additions and comments to LREDA@uua.org.
Most of all, though, we’d like you to engage in a discovery process, expanding and deepening your own skills and understanding so that we may truly “honor the many gifts we bring.”
A Day Without a Mexican (2004) – ethnicity
Crash (2004)
Billy Elliot (2000) - class, gender
Finding Forrester (2000) - Coming of Age, race
Flawless (1999) – disability, gender identity
If These Walls Could Talk (1996) -affectional orientation
If These Walls Could Talk 2 (2000) - affectional orientation
Hotel Rawanda,(2005)
- race,
Laramie Project (2001) - affectional orientation
Ma Vie en Rose (1997) - gender identity
My Left Foot (1989) - disability, class
Normal (2005)-Gender identity
Sagwa cartoons- ethnicity
Smoke Signals (1998) - race, Native American
Stonewall (1996) - affectional orientation
The Full Monty (1997)- class
Torch Song Trilogy (1988) - affectional orientation
West Wing-disability story lines
Wilderness Journey - Black Empowerment Era in
the
UUA- check your district office
Music suggestions
Music of:
Ronnie Gilbert
Chris
Willimason
Holly Near
Mercedes Sosa
Sweet Honey in
the Rock
Ladysmith
Black Mambazo
Allen,
Paula Gunn- several books of poetry by a Native American woman
Bauer,
Marion Dane Am I Blue?: Coming Out from the Silence– affectional
orientation, teens
Boenke,
Mary, Trans Forming Families - gender identity http://www.youth-guard.org/pflag-tnet/reviews/marybook.htm
Canada,
Goeffrey, Fist, Stick, Knife, Gun- race, class, gender
Flagg,
Fanny, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Café (not the
movie!)-race, affectional orientation
Gardner,
John, Grendel- creating myths, stereotypes (Beowulf from the monster’s
viewpoint)
Harjo,
Joy- several books of poetry by a Native American woman
Hooks, Bell,
several books- race, class, gender
Hutchins,
Loraine and Kachumauu, Lani, Bi Any Other Name: Bisexual People Speak Out
Kidd, Sue,
The Secret Life of Bees- race
Kolodny,
Debra R., Blessed Bi Spirit: Bisexual People of Faith
MacBride,
James, The Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to his White Mother
McNatt,
Rosemary Bray, Unafraid of the Dark- class, race
Neely,
Barbara- “Blanche” series: Blanche on the Lam, etc.- race, class
Ochs,
Robin and Rowley, Sara, Getting Bi: Voices of Bisexuals Around the World
Takaki,
Ronald, A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America
Tan, Amy, The
Joy Luck Club-race, ethnicity
Walker,
Alice, Possessing the Secret of Joy- race, gender
Walker,
Alice, The Color Purple- race, class, gender
Zimmerman,
Bonnie- various volumes of collected lesbian fiction, short stories, lesbian
studies