We speak with comedian, political pundit, and author W. Kamau Bell about the new book he co-authored with NY Times bestseller Kate Shatz called Do the Work! An Antiracist Activity Book. This is an ambitious project which seeks to be an effective tool for those who wish to turn the tide on racism, without being overly preachy or too heady and theoretical.
In our interview, Bell explained that he and Kate wanted to give readers a tool that would help them on a journey that he says is a lifelong commitment. Being an anti-racist is something one must commit to every day. He also explained that while the book is intended for white folks, it goes beyond the traditional Black/ white binary around race. This is a book that includes everyone from Indigenous folks to Asian, LatinX, and Black folks… Both he and Kate recognized that there are key perspectives held by particular groups that could be beneficial to everyone once embraced.
Bell detailed that the book is a workbook filled with exercises, short stories, lots of illustrations and photos, and suggested activities that can be done with a group or solo. Here’s a blurb from Good Reads to further detail what one will find in the book.
For all the people who find themselves overwhelmed by racial injustice, outraged by the news, shocked by the ugly parts of American history, and who keep asking “What can I DOOOO?” comes the answer: Do the Work! Created by the sociopolitical comedian W. Kamau Bell and bestselling author Kate Schatz, Do the Work! is a humorous, thought-provoking, highly illustrated interactive workbook designed to give readers a hands-on understanding of systemic racism, white privilege, and Black disenfranchisement. In a fun way! Readers will experience the effects of voter suppression through a Connect-the-Dots gerrymandering activity of Pennsylvania’s 7th district. Learn about redlining through a Color-byNumbers map based on the infamous examples used by the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation in the late 1930s. Take a “Nope or Nice” quiz that tests their knowledge of which commonly used words have racist roots or are offensive to some groups. And try their hands at questions from the state of Alabama’s 1965 Literacy Test (miss more than 7 of 68 questions and no voting for you!). Neither a deep dive into critical race theory nor a scholarly tome on antiracism, Do the Work! is something more: an enormously clever and enlightening guide meant to be picked up, read, played with, shared, and absorbed. (less)
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