Our Commitment to Action in Support of Black Lives Matter

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  • As a foundational step in our commitment to action, Raise the Roof board members are reading the book So You Want to Talk About Race, by Ijeoma Oluo. We invite you to join us, and you can purchase or order the book locally at Breakwater Books and RJ Julia Booksellers.

    We also invite you to share what you’re reading, resources you’re finding, and work that you’re doing. Let’s do the work together. Please email us to share. Raise the Roof’s community of support and volunteers has a strong tradition of building together to help families construct and own homes. Let’s expand our strength and commitment to build an inclusive community and world.

    Raise the Roof will share ongoing invitations to join us as we make our way in action.

  • Books and Resources Shared by our Community

  • A book group from St. Andrew’s Church, Madison is reading So You Want to Talk about Race by Ijeoma Oluo.

    Tina Silidker, a build volunteer and member of Temple Beth Tikvah recommends the book White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo.

    Maureen Lopes, former Madison Cares board president, shares information about the Madison Diversity and Inclusion Committee, a group that can be joined via Facebook at this link.

    The book Caste by Isabel Wilkerson is suggested with information here.

    The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein has been recommended as valuable reading.

    An idea shared as a way to invest in black owned businesses is through ETF for such businesses: Impact Shares NAACP Minority Empowerment ETF.

    From the United Church of Christ tradition, here is the link to racial justice work and resources from the UCC.

    Additional book ideas include Stamped, a book by Jason Reynolds, which is a redux of the longer book Stamped from the Beginning, by Ibram X. Kendi. Reynolds’s book is written mostly for early teens in a readable and helpful style for sharing the history of racism.

    The Hate U Give as a book option is a sobering story about gun violence against young Black children.