Say Their Names

An incisive, gripping exploration of the forces that pushed our unjust system to its breaking point after the death of George Floyd and a definitive guide to America's present-day racial reckoning. For many, the story of the weeks of protests in the summer of 2020 began with the horrific eight minutes and 46 seconds when Police Officer Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd on camera, and it ended with the sweeping federal, state, and intrapersonal changes that followed. It is a simple story, wherein white America finally witnessed enough brutality to move their collective consciousness. The only problem is that it isn't true. George Floyd was not the first Black man to be murdered by police--he wasn't even the first to inspire nation-wide protests--yet his death came at a time when America was already at a tipping point. In SAY THEIR NAMES, five seasoned journalists probe this critical shift. With a piercing examination of how inequality has been propagated throughout history, from Black imprisonment and the Convict Leasing program to long-standing predatory medical practices to over-policing, the authors highlight the disparities that have long characterized the dangers of being Black in America. They examine the many moderate attempts to counteract these inequalities, from the Civil Rights movement to Ferguson, and how the murders of George Floyd and others pushed compliance with an unjust system to its breaking point. Finally, they outline the momentous changes that have resulted from this movement, while at the same time proposing necessary next steps to move forward. With a combination of penetrating, focused journalism and affecting personal insight, the authors bring together their collective years of reporting, creating a cohesive and comprehensive understanding of racial inequality in America.

An extraordinary work of fiction, inspired by historical events--an exquisitely crafted double portrait of a Nazi war criminal and a family savaged by World War II, conjoined by an actual house of horrors they both called home On a street in modern-day Norway, a writer kneels with his son and tells him that according to Jewish tradition, a person dies twice: first when their heart stops beating, and then again the last time their name is read or thought or said. Before them is a stone engraved with the name Hirsch Komissar, the boy's great-great-grandfather who was murdered by Nazis. The man who sent Komissar to his death was one of Norway's vilest traitors, Henry Oliver Rinnan, a Nazi double agent who set up headquarters in an unspectacular suburban house and transformed the cellar into a torture chamber for resisters, a place to be avoided and feared. That is until Komissar's own son, Gerson, and his young wife, Ellen, take up residence in the house after the war. While their daughters spend a happy childhood playing in the same rooms where some of the most heinous acts of the occupation occurred, the weight of history threatens to pull the couple apart. In Keep Saying Their Names, Simon Stranger uses this unusual twist of fate to probe five generations of intimate and global history, seamlessly melding fact and fiction, creating a brilliant lexicon of light and dark. The resulting novel reveals how evil is born in some and courage in others--and seeks to keep alive the names of those lost.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH SPECIAL - $12.99 -> $0.99 until February 13 only. Black. Lives. Matter. Not more, and definitely not less. Why is a statement about lives having value, controversial? As SNL's Michael Che stated, "Black Lives Matter. Just Matter." George Floyd's murder was as shocking as it was common. In fact, there is an entire museum in Montgomery, Alabama, dedicated to 4,400 lynching victims. But, the sad truth is, 4,400 were only the reported ones. And, if you look into the statistics, many of the lynchings were perpetrated by, or sanctioned by law enforcement. This compilation of lost lives is more of an encyclopedia and serves as a record for the 101 deaths of unarmed people of color attributed to law enforcement. From Tamir Rice to Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Aubrey to James Earl Chaney; many you have heard about, and many you have not. We document who they were as people, the details surrounding their deaths, as well as if there were any arrests or convictions of officers involved. Unfortunately, this is an incomplete record, but an important reminder just the same. We owe them that much.

Portland, OR October 30, 2020-The writings of a diverse team of eight accomplished authors amplify and relay the messages of protest board-up art and photography as tools for systemic change to achieve racial equality. This fall's release of ENOUGH "Say Their Names ?" Messages from Ground Zero to the World, captures the elevated tone and urgency of expanding struggles for equal justice. The writings offer fresh, compelling and diverse perspectives for readers of all levels of awareness.The remarkable Board-up artwork and photography in ENOUGH "Say Their Names ?" comes directly from the protests around the United States. On these pages, incisive poetry and prose expand on the protest messages of the decade-alive, multiplied and amplified in 2020. Combined with images, they sledge-hammer on freedom's bell, while simultaneously peeling away layers of complacency, indecision, callous disregard, and satisfaction with the status quo plaguing our country. This masterful work is an instrument for initiating nationwide collaborations, discussions and conversations that bring deeper understanding of one another.ENOUGH "Say Their Names ?" connects directly to protest messages and provides historical perspective. For this reason, it is well suited for collaborative discourse in culturally diverse settings to stimulate cross-cultural learning and has the potential to become a catalyst for reinvigorating stalled and failed attempts at concrete change in America. These forceful messages shout a mandate for change as "we the people" refuse to yield to power and authority that maintains and perpetuates racism.

This definitive guide to America's present-day racial reckoning examines the forces that pushed our unjust system to its breaking point after the death of George Floyd. For many, the story of the weeks of protests in the summer of 2020 began with the horrific nine minutes and twenty-nine seconds when Police Officer Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd on camera, and it ended with the sweeping federal, state, and intrapersonal changes that followed. It is a simple story, wherein white America finally witnessed enough brutality to move their collective consciousness. The only problem is that it isn't true. George Floyd was not the first Black man to be killed by police—he wasn’t even the first to inspire nation-wide protests—yet his death came at a time when America was already at a tipping point. In Say Their Names, five seasoned journalists probe this critical shift. With a piercing examination of how inequality has been propagated throughout history, from Black imprisonment and the Convict Leasing program to long-standing predatory medical practices to over-policing, the authors highlight the disparities that have long characterized the dangers of being Black in America. They examine the many moderate attempts to counteract these inequalities, from the modern Civil Rights movement to Ferguson, and how the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others pushed compliance with an unjust system to its breaking point. Finally, they outline the momentous changes that have resulted from this movement, while at the same time proposing necessary next steps to move forward. With a combination of penetrating, focused journalism and affecting personal insight, the authors bring together their collective years of reporting, creating a cohesive and comprehensive understanding of racial inequality in America.

Be encouraged and blessed by this book of poetry highlighting the path of a grieving mother. Be encouraged and blessed by this book of poetry highlighting the path of a grieving mother.Be encouraged and blessed by this book of poetry highlighting the path of a grieving mother. Be encouraged and blessed by this book of poetry highlighting the path of a grieving mother.Be encouraged and blessed by this book of poetry highlighting the path of a grieving mother. Be encouraged and blessed by this book of poetry highlighting the path of a grieving mother.Be encouraged and blessed by this book of poetry highlighting the path of a grieving mother. Be encouraged and blessed by this book of poetry highlighting the path of a grieving mother.

For centuries, African American women have been remaking the world, giving testament to the power of hope, courage, and resilience. But it took the inspired generosity of Oprah Winfrey to honor fully the many gifts of sisterhood. For three amazing days–from May 13 to 15, 2005–a distinguished group of women was invited to celebrate the enduring achievements of twenty-five of their mentors and role models–and in the process pay tribute to the long, glorious tradition of African American accomplishment. The brilliant centerpiece of the weekend was the reading aloud of Pearl Cleage’s poem “We Speak Your Names,” written especially for the occasion and appearing here for the first time in this beautiful keepsake book. As deeply moving in print as it was during that weekend of love and praise, the poem names each of the women honored: Dr. Maya Angelou, Coretta Scott King, Diahann Carroll, Toni Morrison, Nikki Giovanni, Rosa Parks, Katherine Dunham, and other legends of the brightest magnitude. With heartfelt eloquence, Pearl Cleage (herself a luminary of the younger generation) celebrates her distinguished elders’ strength, their magic, their sensuality, their loving kindness, their faith in themselves, and the priceless example of their lives. In her introduction, the poet shares: “My sisters, here, there, and everywhere, this poem is for you. Use it, adapt it, pass it on. . . .” Destined to become a classic, We Speak Your Names is a treasure to keep forever and a precious, inspiring gift for the ones you love.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A coming-of-age classic about a young girl growing up in Chicago • Acclaimed by critics, beloved by readers of all ages, taught in schools and universities alike, and translated around the world—from the winner of the 2019 PEN/Nabokov Award for Achievement in International Literature. “Cisneros draws on her rich [Latino] heritage...and seduces with precise, spare prose, creat[ing] unforgettable characters we want to lift off the page. She is not only a gifted writer, but an absolutely essential one.” —The New York Times Book Review The House on Mango Street is one of the most cherished novels of the last fifty years. Readers from all walks of life have fallen for the voice of Esperanza Cordero, growing up in Chicago and inventing for herself who and what she will become. “In English my name means hope,” she says. “In Spanish it means too many letters. It means sadness, it means waiting." Told in a series of vignettes—sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes joyous—Cisneros’s masterpiece is a classic story of childhood and self-discovery and one of the greatest neighborhood novels of all time. Like Sinclair Lewis’s Main Street or Toni Morrison’s Sula, it makes a world through people and their voices, and it does so in language that is poetic and direct. This gorgeous coming-of-age novel is a celebration of the power of telling one’s story and of being proud of where you're from.