For our November 18th Book Club, we will be reading Our Hidden Conversations: What Americans Really Think About Race and Identity by Michelle Norris.

Here is the Goodreads Summary:

Peabody Award–winning journalist Michele Norris offers a transformative dialogue on race and identity in America, one that is unearthed through her decade-long work at The Race Card Project.

The prompt seemed simple: Race. Your Story. Six Words. Please Send.

The answers, though, have been challenging and complicated. In the twelve years since award-winning journalist Michele Norris first posed that question, over half a million people have submitted their stories to The Race Card Project inbox. The stories are shocking in their depth and candor, spanning the full spectrum of race, ethnicity, identity, and class. Even at just six words, the micro-essays can pack quite a punch, revealing fear, pain, triumph, and sometimes humor. Responses such as:

"You’re pretty for a Black girl."
"White privilege, enjoy it, earned it."
"Lady, I don’t want your purse."
"My ancestors massacred Indians near here."
"Urban living has made me racist."
"I’m only Asian when it’s convenient."

Many go even further than just six words, submitting backstories, photos, and a collection much like a scrapbook of American candor you rarely get to see. Our Hidden Conversations is a unique compilation of stories, richly reported essays, and photographs providing a window into America during a tumultuous era. This powerful book offers an honest, if sometimes uncomfortable, conversation about race and identity, permitting us to eavesdrop on deep-seated thoughts, private discussions, and long-submerged memories.

The breadth of this work came as a surprise to Norris. For most of the twelve years she has collected these stories, white respondents submitted many. This unexpected panorama provides a rare 360-degree view of how Americans see themselves and one another.

Our Hidden Conversations reminds us that even during times of great division, honesty, grace, and a willing ear can provide a bridge toward empathy and maybe even understanding.

Contact Anne Melia at anne@theresilientactivist.org if you have any questions.