If you haven’t read Caste by Isabel Wilkerson, put it at the top of your list. My body was buzzing with indignation throughout the whole book.
I’m not going to lie. It made me so angry.
One story in particular really stuck with me. Isabel writes about a little league team who won the championship in the 1950’s in Ohio. They decided to celebrate by going to the public swimming pool. Once they were there, they quickly realized the one black boy on the team wouldn’t be allowed to go in. He was made to sit on the outside of the fence looking in at his teammates splashing and playing in the water. The coaches tried to convince the staff to let him in. Finally they compromised by clearing everyone out of the pool and taking the little boy in a raft for a lap around the pool. He was told over and over not to touch the water. After his lap was up, he had to go back to the other side of the fence.
This story horrifies me. This story is the spark that lit a fire in my heart. I will spend my entire life demolishing fences and building bridges.
I am a community builder. More details to come. (Hint: I’m starting a movement. And I hope you join me.)
