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Continuing in the same vein as _Assata_, now to _John Lewis: A Life_. Author is a white historian, which misses my goal of reading Black voices, but I’m still learning a ton. I’d heard of Freedom Riders, but wouldn’t have been able to say exactly what they did. Nor did I realize the extent of the violence they endured. They were in 1961, a mere 15 years before I was born - 2010 to someone born today.

If you’re scared, it is worth a read. Both for its perspective and for tactics. #books (4/?)

Also, humans are funny about history. The 60s felt absolutely remote and foreign to me as a kid - ancient, unrelated history. (I remember opining as a new voter that I was sick of hearing about candidates’ positions on Vietnam because that was ancient and unrelated.) Because all that was before I was born. But of course events from 2010 still touch today - Deepwater Horizon’s oil spill happened, and it was the year Instagram and the iPad were launched - all things that affect today. (5/?)

I’m struck by what an interesting and complementary pair Assata Shakur and John Lewis make - she appreciates nonviolence but notes that if someone spit on her, she would punch back. She is a part of the Black Liberation Army and Black Panthers. He is a huge proponent of nonviolence, and helps train others in the technique while following (and in some cases, leading) MLK. It’s fascinating to read about two different parts of the movement, back to back. (6/?)