Read. Resist. Vote.

Week Three

(Week One is here. Week Two is here.)

Welcome to week three of Read. Resist. Vote! A reminder as voting continues in many states – we need to do more than just hope our candidates win. We need to read about these candidates; resist any attempt to block our voices, and; vote them into office. Because our lives depend on it, especially with women like Amy Coney Barrett poised to get elevated to the United States Supreme Court.

The Candidates

Kansas – Christina Haswood

About the Candidate: Christina is a proud registered member of the Navajo nation and at 26 (!!) may very well be the youngest person to win an election in the Kansas House of Representatives. She is a public health professional (#GoScience!) and is currently balancing a whole campaign with her day job at university as part of their COVID-19 response team. You love to see it.

What are you reading? Dog Medicine: How My Dog Saved Me from Myself  by Julie Barton (reader, do yourself a favor and check out the cover of this book, it’s the cutest pup!)

Why does this book speak to you? This book was gifted to me by my parents because my dog is my best friend and has seen me at my lowest points. From getting my heartbroken to failing a class in school, he has always been there to lick my tears away and offer his love and support. In the book, the author shares a similar story of her in her younger 20’s and struggling with her mental health and depression. Her dog is teaching her to love life and giving her a reason to improving her mental health. My dog has been my number one supporter throughout the campaign as he would lay by my feet in every forum I did and reminded me to get some fresh air and take a break as he needed his daily walk.

Where can we donate? My donation page!

California – Senator Holly J. Mitchell

About the Candidate: Holly is a current senator in the California senate and is running for Los Angeles County Supervisor. Los Angeles is the largest local government in the nation and it serves 10 million people. (What does a County Supervisor do? Don’t worry, we wondered to and found the answer here.) One of my favorite facts about Senator Mitchell is that she was instrumental in passing the CROWN Act in 2019 – which made it illegal to discriminate on the basis of someone wearing their natural hair.

What are you reading? Vanguard by Martha S. Jones

Why does this book speak to you? There is a line that goes: “…Black women never limited their work to a single issue. Winning the vote was one goal, but it was a companion to securing civil rights, prison reform, juvenile justice, and international human rights.” For me, this book is a powerful reminder of why I do what I do everyday…clearly it’s in my DNA.

Where can we donate? Our eFund Website

Georgia – Connie Di Cicco

About the Candidate: Connie is running for Georgia’s House District 44 and is the only participant who posed with their books and gave us options. But this makes sense when you learn that her background is documentary filmmaking. Her motivation for running is based in her upbringing and the thing that brought her to our attention was this part on her bio:

This is about leaving things better than we found them – accessible, affordable healthcare, protecting our environment, and providing quality education to all our students.

This is about you.

What are you reading? Hope Never Dies by Andrew Shaffer

What’s it about? It’s an Obama-Biden mystery book! Vice President Joe Biden and President Barack Obama team up in a thriller. I’m going to copy directly from Bookshop here because I can’t do it justice:

“Vice President Joe Biden is fresh out of the Obama White House and feeling adrift when his favorite railroad conductor dies in a suspicious accident, leaving behind an ailing wife and a trail of clues. To unravel the mystery, “Amtrak Joe” re-teams with the only man he’s ever fully trusted: the 44th president of the United States. Together they’ll plumb the darkest corners of Delaware, traveling from cheap motels to biker bars and beyond, as they uncover the sinister forces advancing America’s opioid epidemic.”

Where can we donate? My ActBlue Page

Massachusetts – Meg Wheeler

About the Candidate: Meg Wheeler is running for Massachusetts State Senate who also sent an image that looks like she’s dropping a fire album. I didn’t use that particular picture because it was too hot for the blog. When she’s not running for state office she’s getting her pilot’s license because she’s amazing. Full disclosure – she’s also a Feminist Book Club member and I think that is even MORE reason why you should vote for her tbh.

What are you reading? Kiss the Ground: How the Food You Eat Can Reverse Climate Change, Heal Your Body & Ultimately Save Our World by Josh Tickell (it’s also an awesome documentary!)

What’s compelling about it? Bold climate action is critical if we are going to save our planet. And it’s not just about reversing the effects of the climate crisis; a cleaner, greener world will lead to environmental justice which is a key component in achieving racial and social equity.

Where can we donate? Via my ActBlue page.

Renee Powers

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Renee Powers founded Feminist Book Club in 2018 to provide a space for intersectional feminists to learn, grow, and connect. When not reading or running the biz, you can find her drinking coffee and trying unsuccessfully to teach her retired racing greyhound how to fetch. Favorite genres: feminist thrillers, contemporary literary fiction, short stories, and anything that might be described as "irreverent"