Many myths, misconceptions, & motivations have kept the USA mired in racism for centuries. Margaret L. Andersen helps move us in productive directions with her new book, Getting Smart About Race: An American Conversation.

Two powerful, and badly neglected, forces in our national history around race are featured in Educated for Freedom: The Incredible Story of Two Fugitive Schoolboys Who Grew Up To Change a Nation by author & educator Anna Mae Duane. The 1800's debate between two students of the NY African Free School, James McCune Smith & Henry Highland Garnet, echoes to current issues.

Hellen Lunkuse Waiswa Tanyinga is a women's (and human) rights pioneer in Uganda and the founder of the Rape Hurts Foundation. At the age of 11 she was raped while doing the tradtionally female job of hauling water, and she transformed that pain into healing & power for herself, women, and all abused people.

We need a vision of the better world in order to energize our drive to it, and Martin Schoenhals does an amazing job of providing a scientifically-based vision in Work, Love, & Learning in Utopia - Equality Reimagined. He is a cultural anthropologist who has taught at several universities, including Johns Hopkins, Columbia, and, currently, Appalachian State University, in Boone, North Carolina.

Born on Third Base: A One Percenter Makes the Case for Tackling Inequality, Bringing Wealth Home, and Committing to the Common Good, by Chuck Collins, is an excellent and persuasive look at wealth inequality by a man who gave away his inherited wealth when he was 26, and finds common ground and allies across the income spectrum. Chuck is a senior scholar with the Institute for Policy Studies.

Paula Palmer is leading an effort to tackle one part of America's dismal past with respect to Native Americans.

Judith Plaskow and Carol P. Christ helped to found the study of women & religion, starting in Yale University.

A visit with a student participant of, the UW-EC staff founder of, and a Selma, AL, presenter of the Civil Rights Pilgrimage.

In Mumbet's Declaration of Independence, Gretchen Woelfle, brings to life the true story of Elizabeth Freeman (Mumbet), whose efforts & determination led slavery to be declared unconstitutional in Massachusetts in 1783. Gretchen writes books for youth on a variety of social justice & environmental topics.

Not All Poor People Are Black (and other things we need to think more about) is a collection of essays by Janet Cheatham Bell, treating the reader to the insights and experiences of a strong African American woman from Indiana. Janet speaks movingly, honestly, and inspirationally of racism, spirituality, politics, and much more. With astonishing candor and humble brilliance, Janet opens eyes and minds.