GWE’s book and media club is back for a second year! We call it the The Big IDEA Book Club. (IDEA stands for = Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access). Twice per month, we discuss media to educate ourselves on topics such as anti-Blackness in academia, the history of minority racial groups and conflicts in the United States, international current events, and feminism past and present.
Each month we focus on a few media picks, such as a movie, TV show, or podcast. We also suggest further reading for enrichment, which is not required for our discussions, but meant to further understanding of the month’s topic.
Each month we focus on a different topic area. The first topic of the Fall 2021 semester is:
October – Current Events in Afghanistan
If you have recommendations pertinent to a month’s topic, please submit them by the end of the previous month so they may be considered. You can suggest media picks through our google form.
We coordinate and plan the book club on the GWE Slack’s #book-club channel. Please feel free to join in on the planning and discussion!
Current Picks
TV Show – BBC: Afghanistan – Back to the Future Documentary
We will meet on Wednesday October 13 at 7 PM via Zoom to discuss this 30 minute documentary.
Suggestions
We will be picking upcoming media from suggestions by the community. You can see our running list of suggestions here.
You can add recommended media to this list by filling out this form. We ask that you recommend pieces which will be easily accessible by the community, and are pertinent to upcoming topics. If you would like to suggest a topic, you can add your media picks to the form and/or join our Slack’s #book-club channel where we coordinate the book club.
Obtaining Materials
In general, we will try to keep the materials easily accessible to those who want to participate. Most picks should be available for free through local libraries, but if you have trouble obtaining a material, GWE has funds set aside to help you.
GWE
If you wish to use GWE funding to purchase a book, please contact Nicole Farias or Jaewon Saw. The book must be returned to GWE after the club meeting to be kept in a GWE library.
Previous Picks
April / May 2021 – Native American History and Culture
TV Show – PBS: Asian Americans Documentary
We met on Wednesday May 5th at 7 PM to discuss episodes 1-2. We will meet on Wednesday May 19th at 7 PM to discuss the remaining episodes via zoom.
The TV show is available here for free.
Podcast – Code Switch: The Unlikely Story Behind Japanese Americans’ Campaign For Reparations
We met on Wednesday April 21st at 7 PM to discuss the podcast via Zoom.
The podcast is available here or wherever you can listen to podcasts.
March 2021 – Native American History and Culture
Podcast: Code Switch – A Treaty Right for Cherokee Representation
We met on Wednesday April 7th at 7 PM to discuss the podcast via Zoom.
The podcast is available here or wherever you can listen to podcasts.
TV Show: 500 Nations
We met on Wednesday March 24th at 7 PM to discuss the first episode via Zoom.
Episode 1 is available on Youtube.
February 2021 – Black History
TV Show: When They See Us
We met on February 16th at 7 PM to discuss the first two episodes via Zoom. We met on March 2nd at 7 PM to discuss episodes 3 and 4 via Zoom.
This series is available on Netflix. If you do not have Netflix or need another way to access the media, please let us know in the Slack channel and we will find a way to get you access.
December 2020
Movie: China Undercover
We met on Wednesday December 16th at 6 PM via Zoom to discuss.
Available for free on Youtube.
October 2020
TV Show: Who Killed Malcolm X?
We met on Wednesday October 14th at 6 PM via Zoom to discuss.
Available on Netflix.
Book: Revolutionary Suicide – Huey P. Newton (Part 2)
Available for purchase online, and there are copies at Oakland and Berkeley public libraries.
September 2020
Movie: Tell Them We Are Rising
See the slides from the discussion here.
Available to stream for free from PBS.
Book: Revolutionary Suicide – Huey P. Newton (Part 1)
Resources brought up at meeting:
- “New Exhibit Highlights Richmond’s Connection to Black Panthers” by Richmond Pulse
- “How the Black Panthers’ Breakfast Program Both Inspired and Threatened the Government” by Erin Blakemore for History.com
Available for purchase online, and there are copies at Oakland and Berkeley public libraries.
August 2020
Podcast: NPR Code Switch – “What’s in a Karen?”
See slides from the meeting here.
You can access this podcast on NPR’s website or anywhere you prefer to listen to podcasts (e.g. Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc.)
Book: Are Prisons Obsolete – Angela Davis
See slides from the meeting here.
Available for purchase online, and there are digital copies available at the Berkeley and Oakland public libraries and the UC Berkeley library.
July 2020
Film: 13th
See slides from the meeting here.
You can access 13th on Netflix and Youtube.
Book: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks – Rebecca Skloot
See slides from the meeting here.
Available for purchase online, and there are digital and physical copies available and the Berkeley and Oakland public libraries.
Some History on the Club:
LAGSES and GWE founded the BIG Ideas Book & Media Club in the summer of 2020. GWE carries on the club now but everyone is welcome to participate!