Diversity Interest Group Resources – Books, Movies/Videos, Lectures,

Performances, and Education

These come from BH residents who submitted suggestions along with the steering committee

Books
Americanah: A novel – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie – the story of two Nigerians making their way in
the U.S. and the UK, raising universal questions of race, belonging, the overseas experience for the
African diaspora, and the search for identity and a home.
Birth of a White Nation: The Invention of White People and its Relevance Today – Jacqueline
Battalora – book on race in America, exploring the moment in time when "white people," as a
separate and distinct group of humanity, were invented through legislation and enactment of laws
and how that divided laborers and ultimately served the interests of the elite. The book
demonstrates how the social construction and legal enactment of "white people" has ultimately
compromised the humanity of those so labeled.
Blind Spot: Hidden Biases of Good People – Mahzarin R. Banaji and Anthony G. Greenwald – they
explore the hidden biases we all carry from a lifetime of exposure to cultural attitudes about age,
gender, race, ethnicity, religion, social class, sexuality, disability status, and nationality. The authors
reveal hidden biases based on their experience with the Harvard Implicit Association Test (IAT), a
method that has revolutionized the way scientists learn about the human mind and that gives us a
glimpse into what lies within the metaphoric blindspot.
Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking – Malcolm Gladwell – about how we think without
thinking, about choices that seem to be made in an instant-in the blink of an eye-that actually aren't
as simple as they seem. Blink reveals that great decision makers aren't those who process the most
information or spend the most time deliberating, but those who have perfected the art of "thin-
slicing" – filtering the very few factors that matter from an overwhelming number of variables.
Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood – Trevor Noah – Trevor Noah’s unlikely path
from apartheid South Africa to the desk of The Daily Show began with a criminal act: his birth.
Fiction – including, works of James Baldwin, Colson Whitehead and others
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. – books, e.g. Stony the Road: Reconstruction, White Supremacy; The Rise of
Jim Crow; and The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song
How to Be an Antiracist – Ibram X. Kendi – Kendi weaves an electrifying combination of ethics,
history, law, and science with his own personal story of awakening to antiracism. This is an essential
work for anyone who wants to go beyond the awareness of racism to the next step: contributing to
the formation of a just and equitable society.
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption – Bryan Stevenson –A powerful true story about the
potential for mercy to redeem us and a clarion call to fix our broken system of justice—from one of
the most brilliant and influential lawyers of our time.
Our America: A Photographic History – Ken Burns – Burns assembled images that, for him, best
embody nearly 200 years of the American experiment, taken by some of our most renowned
photographers. The photos talk to one another across boundaries and decades and capture the
impossibly rich and diverse perspectives and places that comprise the American experience.
Personal Librarian – Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray – J. P. Morgan’s personal
librarian, Belle da Costa Greene, Black American woman forced to hide her true identity and pass as
white in order to leave a lasting legacy that enriched our nation
So You Want to Talk About Race? – Ijeoma Oluo – Oluo guides readers of all races through subjects
ranging from police brutality and cultural appropriation to the model minority myth in an attempt to
make the seemingly impossible possible: honest conversations about race and about how racism
infects every aspect of American life.
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 Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America – Ibram X. Kendi –
history of how racist ideas were created, spread, and deeply rooted in American society. Kendi
shows racist ideas did not arise from ignorance or hatred. They were created to justify and
rationalize deeply entrenched discriminatory policies and the nation's racial inequities. Stamped
from the Beginning offers us tools we need to expose racist thinking and gives us reason to hope.
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness – Michelle Alexander – account
of the rebirth of a caste-like system in the United States, one that has resulted in millions of African
Americans locked behind bars and then relegated to a permanent second-class status—denied the
very rights supposedly won in the Civil Rights Movement.
The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration – Isabel Wilkerson –
chronicles one of the great untold stories of American history: the decades-long migration of black
citizens who fled the South for northern and western cities, in search of a better life.
Waking Up White: And Finding Myself in the Story of Race – Debbie Irving – from Winchester, MA,
a personal account of growing up with white privilege, being an American white woman and coming
to terms with the complexity of race in the United States.
Walking with the Wind: A Memoir of the Movement – John Lewis – offers rare insight into the
movement and the personalities of all the civil rights leaders– what was happening behind the
scenes, the infighting, struggles, and triumphs. Lewis takes us from the Nashville lunch counter sit-ins
to the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, where he led more than 500 marchers on what
became known as "Bloody Sunday." 
We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy – Ta-Nehisi Coates – the lament of
Reconstruction-era black politicians as the American experiment in multiracial democracy ended
with the return of white supremacist rule in the South. Coates explores the echoes of that history in
our own time: the unprecedented election of a black president followed by a vicious backlash that
fueled the election of the man Coates argues is America’s “first white president.”
Whistling Vivaldi: How Stereotypes Affect Us and What We Can Do (Issues of Our Time) – Claude
Steele – a vivid first-person account of research that supports his groundbreaking conclusions on
stereotypes and identity. He sheds new light on American social phenomena from racial and gender
gaps in test scores to the belief in the superior athletic prowess of black men, and lays out a plan for
mitigating these “stereotype threats” and reshaping American identities.
White Fragility – Robin DiAngelo – explores the counterproductive reactions white people have
when their assumptions about race are challenged, and how these reactions maintain racial
inequality. DiAngelo examines how white fragility develops, how it protects racial inequality, and
what we can do to engage more constructively.
White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son – Tim Wise – Tim examines what it means
to be white in a nation created to benefit people who are “white like him.” This inherent racism is
not only real, but disproportionately burdens people of color and makes progressive social change
less likely to occur. He offers ways in which white people can challenge these unjust privileges, resist
white supremacy and racism, and help to ensure the country’s personal and collective well-being.
Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?: And Other Conversations About Race
– Beverly Daniel Tatum – the psychology of racism that shows us how to talk about race in America.
Walk into any racially mixed high school and you will see Black, White, and Latino youth clustered in
their own groups. Is this self-segregation a problem to address or a coping strategy? How can we get
past our reluctance to discuss racial issues?

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 Videos/Movies/Things to Watch
BlacKkKlansman – directed by Spike Lee – An African American police officer from Colorado Springs,
CO, successfully manages to infiltrate the local Ku Klux Klan branch with the help of a Jewish
surrogate who eventually becomes its leader. Based on actual events.
Changing the Game – on Hulu – takes us into the lives of 3 high school athletes—all at different
stages of their athletic seasons, personal lives, and unique paths as transgender teens.
Coda – CODA (Child of Deaf Adults) Ruby is the only hearing person in her deaf family. When the
family's fishing business is threatened, Ruby finds herself torn between pursuing her passion at
Berklee College of Music and her fear of abandoning her parents.
Conscience and the Constitution –story of the draft resisters during WWII from the Japanese
American concentration camps to the largest draft resistance trial in U.S. history, to incarceration in a
federal penitentiary, to present day struggles to uncover this history.
Do the Right Thing – a 1989 American comedy-drama produced, written, and directed by Spike Lee.
The story explores a Brooklyn neighborhood's simmering racial tension between its African American
residents and the Italian American owners of a local pizzeria, culminating in tragedy and violence.
Front of the Class – Refusing to be beaten by his affliction, Tourette's syndrome sufferer Brad Cohen
vows to become a teacher, overcoming prejudice, ignorance and fear as he struggles to make his dream
come true.
Harriet – From her escape from slavery through the dangerous missions she led to liberate hundreds
of slaves through the Underground Railroad, the story of heroic abolitionist Harriet Tubman is told.
How to Be an Antiracist – Ibram X. Kendi – the essence of antiracism: the action that must follow
both emotional and intellectual awareness of racism. Kendi explores what an antiracist society might
look like, how we can play an active role in building it, and what being an antiracist in your own
context might mean.
I Am Not Your Negro – In 1979, James Baldwin wrote a letter to his literary agent describing his next
project, "Remember This House." The book was to be a revolutionary, personal account of the lives
and assassinations of three of his close friends: Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr.
At the time of Baldwin's death in 1987, he left behind only 30 completed pages of this manuscript.
Filmmaker Raoul Peck envisions the book James Baldwin never finished.
If Beale Street Could Talk – In early 1970s Harlem, daughter and wife-to-be Tish vividly recalls the
passion, respect and trust that have connected her and her artist fiancé Alonzo Hunt, who goes by
the nickname Fonny. Friends since childhood, the devoted couple dream of a future together, but
their plans are derailed when Fonny is arrested for a crime he did not commit.
In the Light of Reverence – story of 3 indigenous communities and the lands they struggle to protect:
the Lakota of the Great Plains, the Hopi of the Four Corners area, and the Wintu of northern
California.
Invictus – after his 27-year imprisonment and subsequent election as President of South Africa,
Nelson Mandela faces the task of unifying a country divided by race. Only months since the end of
Apartheid, divisions still exist between the country's whites and blacks, something Mandela notices
during an international rugby match. Realising black supporters cheer on the opposing side when
their white Springboks take to the field.
Just Mercy – true story behind a black man who was sentenced to death for the murder of a white
teenage girl in Monroeville, Alabama whose trial lasted less than two days.
Netflix Series – When They See Us – Based on the true story of the “Central Park Five.” Five boys
were wrongfully accused and convicted of raping and beating a white woman in 1989.
Pass Over – 2018 American drama film directed by Spike Lee. Two young men pass the time
dreaming of the promised land.
Pather Panchali – a 1955 Indian Bengali-language drama film written and directed by Satyajit Ray and
produced by the Government of West Bengal.
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 Race: The Power of an Illusion – a 3-part documentary series that investigates the idea of race in
society, science and history. The educational documentary originally screened on American public
television and was primarily funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Ford Foundation
and PBS
The Danger of a Single Story – (A TED talk) Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie – Our lives, our cultures, are
composed of many overlapping stories. Adichie tells her story of how she found her authentic
cultural voice -- and warns that if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we
risk a critical misunderstanding
White Like Me – how white privilege continues to shape individual attitudes, electoral politics, and
government policy in ways too many white people never stop to think about. 

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 Lectures/Presentations
Colette Phillips – initiative designed to celebrate, document, and encourage a diverse workforce in
Greater Boston’s west suburban communities.
Dain and Constance Perry – (We are in planning phase with them) show film Traces of the Trade,
and lead a facilitated conversation on race, reconciliation, and healing – story told by living family
members of Dain’s prominent R.I. family who ran the biggest slave trade operation in the U.S. The
film follows a journey of 9 cousins who travel to Bristol, Rhode Island, Ghana, and Cuba unearthing
a hidden legacy of slavery in America. It is a geographical and psychological re-tracing of the largest
slave-trading family in America and an exploration into racism in America, a legacy of slavery that
continues to impact the country today.
Debbie Irving – from her journey away from racial ignorance, she educates other white people
confused/frustrated by racism by transforming anxiety and inaction into agency and action.
Ekua Holmes – possible video & speaker – an artist and community activist whose work explores
themes of childhood, family bonds, memory, and resilience. Commissioner and Vice-Chair of the
Boston Art Commission (oversees the placement and maintenance of public works of art in City of
Boston) and Associate Director at the Center for Art and Community Partnerships at MassArt
(manages sparc! the ArtMobile, an art-inspiring vehicle that contributes to community-based,
multidisciplinary arts programming in Mission Hill, Roxbury, and Dorchester, MA.)
Gish Jen – Chinese American, author of several novels and articles in New Yorker, Atlantic, and
dozens of other periodicals, anthologies, and textbooks – chosen for The Best American Short
Stories 5 times, including The Best American Short Stories of the Century, edited by John Updike. A
key theme in her work is the Asian immigrant's coming to terms with American society.
Ibram X. Kendi – one of America’s foremost historians and leading antiracist scholars. A
National Book Award-winning and #1 New York Times bestselling author of 6 books for adults
and 5 for children.
Mahzarin R. Banaji – (BLC Lecture 3/29/23) –An American psychologist of Indian origin and Harvard
professor, known for her work popularizing the concept of implicit bias in regard to race, gender,
sexual orientation, and other factors.
Martha Wright – (Scheduled for 10/3/23) founder of the MFA’s Gallery Instructor program and
current Adjunct Lecturer in Asian Art. Schedule a talk and conversation on Chinese art, including a
piece of Asian art in the BH collection, along with a facilitated conversation.
Nashira Baril – black woman who is founder of the Neighborhood Birth Center in Boston, the city’s
first community birth center startup that advances justice and equity, offering comprehensive
midwifery care throughout pregnancy, labor, birth and the postpartum period by integrating an
independent community birth center in Boston’s healthcare and community landscape. (video of
her speaking – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-0ihiB-1wc )
Sarah Willie-LeBreton – (BLC in discussions with her) Newly elected president of Smith College,
speak on Institutional Diversity, a topic central to her scholarship.
Skip Gates – Henry Louis "Skip" Gates Jr., an American literary critic, professor, historian, and
filmmaker who serves as the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and the director of the
Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard.
Sol Gittleman – his lecture on God, Immigration, Race, and the American Voter
Walter Leutz – on the BH Board and a Professor Emeritus from the Heller School (Brandeis). He and
his wife started Waltham Connections program involving improving the life of Waltham’s elderly,
many of whom are connected to various Waltham immigrant communities.
Yoyo Ma – bring him as a Speaker talking about his interest in diverse music forms and cultures.

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 Performance/Events/Music
Planned and Possible Performance/Events/Music Status
CAAL (Chinese American Association of Lexington) – 9/30/23 –Wei Ding
produce a variety show (e.g. acrobat, Kung Fu, dancers, singers...) of 40-50
performers showcasing the Chinese culture along with a Board tour and inviting
Sept. 30
the Chinese senior committee to come. (This will be accompanied by the Art
& Oct. 3
Committee hanging a BH piece of Chinese art at the café, followed by a talk and
conversation on Chinese art by Martha Wright – founder of the MFA’s Gallery
Instructor program and current Adjunct Lecturer in Asian Art.)
Other affinity groups – Kim intends to expand the above to make connections
with other affinity groups, e.g. we have space here; so, we may allow boards to
Kim meet here. Build those relationships and focus on how to get that community
Pratt – to know more about BH so they may be interested in coming to live here.
in her
Temple Isaiah Lexington – students go on a 15 minute social worker tour o f BH
outreach Done
and then speak to residents afterward, helping them think about how they
role
view seniors.
Temple Emunah Lexington – Did a Hanukkah event Done
Pelham Academy Lexington – A therapeutic residential school for females– Kim
Done
does mock interviews with them to help them apply for jobs
Outreach to other groups – Bentley, WATCH (Waltham Alliance for Teaching,
Community Organizing and Housing), More Than Words, Toys for Tots, possibly
In
also Greater Boston Chinese Cultural Association – working with outside groups process
in 2-way exchanges (e.g. giving them space in exchange for their performing,
giving them tour of BH...)
Africano – possible storytelling or drumming session – Ugandan group in Waltham who
use holistic approach to lift African immigrant youth and families to succeed in life through
provision of a safe space, educational and mental health support, visual and performing
arts, and cultural connections.
BH staff presentations on their cultures – Kim Pratt already did this in BH health care units Discus-
of Andover and GardenView which was very successful, including they dressed up in sions in
outfits. We can explore doing something similar with residents. process
Chinese Opera Company in Cambridge
Corie Nichols, chair of BFM (Brookhaven Friends of Music) is totally behind the Diversity
ideas and suggestions.
 There are many communities that BFM involves in putting on our concerts. e.g. (just a
couple examples) –
• Project STEP students played (they come every year). Their mission is to teach black, brown, 3/5/23
South Asian, and Latino students who are not well represented in classical music performances
to study string instruments.
• “A Far Cry” group came for 3rd-4th year; includes Chinese, Korean and Latin members, and they
played music by two black composers. 4/16/23
Dining Committee – Work with Chris Monti to schedule Cultural calendar of events around
different holidays, as Sophia Ho did with the Chinese Lantern Festival and Mickey Khazam
with Passover
Handel and Haydn Society – speak to them about a performance building on their concert
for justice and peace honoring the many voices of Boston and highlighting those of the
Jewish and black communities.
Immigrant stories – Reach out to families of variety of backgrounds in Lexington to share
immigrant stories – Invite parents and high school students
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 Intergenerational dialogues – Host an intergenerational dialogue(s) with teens in town &
grandchildren with breakout groups to learn from each other about experiences with
diversity of all sorts and fostering DEI.
Jayshree Rajamani – Town of Lexington resident doing classical Indian dance event at BH 5/31
with Art Committee hanging Indian art outside café
Michael Bobbitt – Executive Director, Mass Cultural Council, the highest-ranking cultural
official in Massachusetts who also serves on the New England Foundation for the Arts
(NEFA) Board of Directors. He is a theatre director (including, formerly, the New Repertory
Theatre, Waltham). choreographer, and playwright who has dedicated his professional
career to arts leadership.
Robert Freeman – American artist whose paintings explore/celebrate the beauty,
elegance, and grace of the black middle class through his personal experience, with
commentary on the personal conflict he felt as African Americans settled into middle-class
life following the racial tensions of the 1960s & 1970’s. Shown nationally, including in MFA,
The National Center for African American Artists and many other institutions and galleries.
Museum of African American History Boston – New England’s largest museum dedicated Discus-
to preserving, conserving, and interpreting the contributions of African Americans. sions in
 Chairman of the Board introduce the Museum to BH community through film, Jubilee, process
Juneteenth and the Thirteenth, referencing key moments in African American history,
followed by option for trip to Boston to experience the museum.

Education
Create a calendar of a discussion group series – books, speakers/lecturers, movies/videos
Dismantling Racism in Our Town – 7-week learning journey (April 28 for 7 Fridays on Zoom, 10:00-
12:00) for those who live, work, study &/or worship in Lexington and nearby towns. The goals:
 To strengthen our personal and collective awareness of the history and social structures of anti-Black racism
and their consequences
 To commit together to undo & repair legacies of racism and white supremacy in ourselves and communities.
Exploring Implicit Bias – Implicit bias is a form of bias that occurs automatically and unintentionally,
that affects judgments, decisions, and behaviors and can be mitigated with awareness and effective
bias-reduction strategies. It is a universal phenomenon, not limited by race, gender, or even country
of origin. You can take this test to see how it works for you:
 The Harvard Implicit Association Test (IAT) measures attitudes and beliefs that people may be
unwilling or unable to report. The IAT can be especially interesting if it shows that you have an
implicit attitude about which you were unaware.
https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html
 We could do an educational session(s) on Outsmarting Implicit Bias.
Some Anti-racism resources –
 Scaffolded Anti-racist Resources
This a list with a graduated set of steps, readings, activities for white allies:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PrAq4iBNb4nVIcTsLcNlW8zjaQXBLkWayL8EaPlh0bc/
mobilebasic
 White Ally Suggestions
For our white friends desiring to be Allies https://sojo.net/articles/our-white-friends-desiring-be-
allies?fbclid=IwAR2FimtB8ztrDfbh4NBuUrXOknZtxYB7D8gqEJCa59bTRdkosZzrnIx8unw
 5 Ways White People Can Take Action in Response to White and State-Sanctioned Violence:
https://medium.com/@surj_action/5-ways-white-people-can-take-action-in-response-to-white-
and-state-sanctioned-violence-2bb907ba5277
 Anti-Racism For Kids 101: Starting To Talk About Race: https://booksforlittles.com/racial-diversity/?
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 fbclid=IwAR0f1uKR__Kwtlb0Va3rtMHDMIknyXTsXbS0XZh-nbPNEXATyJzytT9TqUc
 Articles –
 George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and One Journalist’s Painfully Honest Self-Examination on Racism
https://niemanreports.org/articles/george-floyd-ahmaud-arbery-and-one-journalists-painfully-
honest-self-examination-on-racism/?
fbclid=IwAR3rsKV6LyKGdNmS2jXr2agKr_mCEwAuEdmO4LxkM6dLDqZU8kQlGbnEx3Q
 Your Black Colleagues May Look Like They’re Okay — Chances Are They’re Not:
https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2020/05/9841376/black-trauma-george-floyd-dear-white-
people?
utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=facebook_share&fbclid=IwAR1S1Yn1wAXorIn8LeQaBkllXL
ekH_tomoSKGftGnFFVyuXIuWoh67AVZk0
 White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack – Peggy Mcintosh –
https://nationalseedproject.org/Key-SEED-Texts/white-privilege-unpacking-the-invisible-
knapsack

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