October marks Black History Month. For that reason, we’ve dedicated this month’s recommendations to ways that we can learn more about black stories and achievements through the things we’ve been reading and watching, and with books, TV shows and more, we've found some amazing things to share with the Innermost community. So without further ado here’s what we got up to in October.
Reading
Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire by Akala
“Covering everything from the police, education and identity to politics, sexual objectification and the far right, Akala speaks directly to that British squeamishness we have when it comes to confronting issues of race and class. It's well worth a read.” - Catherine
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
“The subject - a black woman brought up in the Deep South surrounded by bigotry and poverty - touches themes that may be familiar to many but it’s the way the material has been written; thoughtful, measured and often amusing, communicated through an engaging style of writing, which captures the imagination and leaves a much deeper understanding.” - Allison
Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black by Vashti Harrison
“I bought these Little Leader books for my 4 year old niece. They feature trailblazing women from history whose inspiring stories don't often get told in history classes. They're bold, they're bright and they're different. Just like my niece!" - Shiv
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
“This is a very heavy read, with hard hitting topics that may leave you feeling uncomfortable. However, it’s also about strong badass women, who stand up for themselves through the hard times they are put through.” - Caitlin
Watching
13th on Netflix
“This documentary is up there in terms of something that's thought-provoking and relevant, now more than ever. An urgent and emotionally devastating exploration of racial inequality in the USA and the corruption of its justice system. It turns everything you think you know about crime and punishment on it's head.” - Shiv
Hidden Figures
“An incredible true story you don't hear about in history classes. It's about a group of amazing black women in America and the obstacles they had to overcome not only working as women at NASA, playing critical roles behind the scenes in the early successes of NASA's space missions in the 1960s, but, also segregation as they fought for equality. Truly inspiring." - Caitlin
Selma on Netflix
“A gripping historical drama outlining the events surrounding the historic voting rights march taken by Martin Luther King Jr and his followers from Selma to Montgomery in the face of violent opposition." - Allison
Doing
Barre classes
“As someone who used to be a dancer, I often find myself missing the routine and familiarity of doing classes three or four times a week. However, I’ve recently tried to get back into the swing of things with a mixture of barre and dance-inspired workout classes. Not only are they great for you physically, but they’re also just really good fun. Most gyms provide some sort of class like this these days, but if yours doesn’t just search on YouTube.” – Robyn
Stretching and meditation
“I’ve been making an active effort to spend time stretching morning and evening to help get my body in gear and to help wind down at the end of the day. A great way to clear an anxious mind. Madfit has some great videos to follow from home, and Mimi Bouchard has an excellent library of mindfulness/meditation techniques to choose from.” – Grace
Bullet journaling
“I've recently become obsessed with bullet journaling because I feel like it helps with my productivity SO much, while also giving me a bit of a creative outlet. It makes me feel so put together and artistic at the same time.” - Allison
That's all for October. But if you can't wait until November and want to see what we got up to last month in September, check it out here.
