How we're coping: educating ourselves

In response to the 2016 election, one question looms large: what do we do next? For some, the path to progress is clear and many students have already started to get involved in a number of movements, protests, and activist groups. For other students, deciding how to start can be overwhelming, especially for those who have not been victimized by the injustices that have been made painfully blatant by the Trump campaign. Now more than ever, it is the onus of those in places of privilege to understand the struggles of the millions of people whose plight has been confined to the shadows for centuries.To do that, you gotta read. No two ways about it.Since the election, students, professors, and other interest groups have put together reading lists comprised of sources new and old.  These syllabi are intended to shed light on the realities of these issues and to make the endless stream of social media updates more tangible. The following resources provide literature that we, as a publication, believe is worth sharing with all of our readers.1. The first reading list comes from Jacob Koffler '17. It is comprised of a wide range of materials, from fiction books to newspaper articles. Among other things, it contains vital information about structural racism's prevalence in America, white privilege and its manifestations, the rise of Trump, being an ally to people of color, and how to take action to support important social causes.2. The second list comes from N.D.B. Connolly, Assistant Professor of History at the Johns Hopkins Center for Africana Studies, and Keisha N. Blain, Assistant, Professor of History at the University of Iowa.By no means do we claim that every view presented in these resources is infallible, nor do we make the claim that every single staff member shares every single opinion presented in the following information.  We also understand that some of the articles may make readers feel uncomfortable. You may disagree with them, and we welcome your responses as well as any other resources that express views that were not represented in the following.Image via.