Recommended books:
Lies My Teacher Told Me, by Loewe: published in 1994, he looks at 10 commonly used high school US History Texts and reviews the narratives and messages and then contrasts them with what "real" history had been documented. Who knew that Woodrow Wilson set back race relations 50 years or that Helen Keller was an ardent radical socialist?
The Color of Law, by Rothstein: a modern review of how a number of formal policies at the national, state, and local levels led to segregation of blacks out of proportion to other ethnicities AND the current concentration of black citizens in inner cities. Who knew your original deed has a covenant prohibiting you from selling your house to anyone who is not of the caucasian race?
The Tortilla Curtain, by Boyle: a novel contrasting in a Hollywood fashion (this would make a great movie or Netflix series) the lives of illegal immigrants camped out in Topanga Canyon and upper middle class home owners up the hill. Reads like today but was written in 1995
Recommended Podcasts:
Nice White Parents: A New York Times reporter has 5 hours reporting on a Brooklyn School District. She teases out the history since the 1950's of school segregation in the district despite attempts to change that, the perspectives of white and non white parents advocating for their children, the inevitable bureaucracy of a school district with more students than in all of St Louis, and a surprise ending.
Oh Howard, You Idiot: episode of Malcolm Gladwell's Revisionist History. Tells the story of the made up biography of Howard Hughs, something I only sort of remember being a scandal, long ago. He puts great spin on this story.
Musical Recommendations:
Matt Rollings "Mosaic"--I have not heard the whole album but some of these songs are wonderful collaborations of old voices you will recognize if you like Americana/folk
This is a sound track featuring one of my favorites of the last 15 years, Andrew Bird. If you don't know him, these songs will not steer you wrong and they cover a variety of iterations. He is a gifted violinist, whistler, and writes very interesting/very strange lyrics.
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