What We Do Now
What We Do Now: Standing Up for Your Values in Trump's America
edited by Dennis Johnson & Valerie Merians
Published January 17th 2017 by Melville House
My rating: 5 stars
Book source: I purchased this book.
A few days before the inauguration I spotted this book on Instagram. One of my fellow bookstagrammers posted a photo of her current read and the title immediately spoke to me. I was feeling helpless and angry and confused about where to put my efforts in the coming weeks and months. I immediately ordered the book and it arrived on inauguration day: January 20, 2017.
At its heart, What We Do Now is a collection of actionable essays written by some of America's greatest progressive voices. The book is divided by topic, including civil liberties, climate change, immigration, racial justice, LGBTQ rights, economics, and women's rights.
Because each essay is written by a different author, I hold in my hands a diverse collection of voices, writing styles, and perspectives. I didn't agree with everything that was said, and at one point the material contradicts itself--but that's to be expected with a collection.
I read word and paragraph and page describing my thoughts exactly on so many different topics, even those I thought weren't as important. Guess what? It's all important. Even if, say, schools don't affect me now because I don't have children yet, changes in education impact all of society, with ripples that will be felt for generations. I did a lot of growing up while reading this book, and a fair amount of contemplation and self-reflection was key.
This book also has a heaping dose of perspective, which leads to empathy. And empathy can lead to support, action, and eventually: change. This was absolutely the book I needed at the time and though I read it cover-to-cover in just a few hours I have already went back and re-read a couple of essays. I know this will be an ongoing thing for me, so I keep it on my nightstand, ready to go after a particularly long day.
A side-effect of reading this book was I started following some amazing voices on Instagram and Twitter. Planned Parenthood and the ACLU aside, my feed is filling up with inspiration from individual voices, too. Activist Brittany Packett, for instance, posts about everything from pop culture to protest. Her posts remind me that actions speak louder than words, but sometimes words work, too, like when calling my representatives. Her essay in the book was also my favorite because it's full of real talk about not needing allies but partners, aka people who actually do something, not just offer passive support.
If you want a book to help you find a direction, a place to start, this is the book. Pick it up, read the essays about the topics that matter most to you, and come back to the rest of the book when you need it. As for me I've already recommended this book to several people and managed to get a library copy on hold for a friend who I'm pretty sure will end up buying her own copy after she reads the library's. It's that powerful. I'm so glad I took a chance on buying this book before reading.
