Another family photo, another book (or two)

Bonnie, Bill, and Ann on East 26th Street in Chattanooga around 1949 — or maybe 1950.  We're all dressed up, so it may be Easter Sunday.  Our baby brother (born in March 1949) would have been too little to pose with us.  Our dad was the meat cutter at Brainerd Grocery, and we rode to church in the back of that delivery van that he drove.

Mine to Do: Journal ~ by Tracy Brown, 2015, journal, 134 pages, 8/10

Donna gave me a journal for Christmas in 2019, and now I have "found" a journal she bought for her Kindle.  I wondered if I should read it, since it's "someone else's" journal.  But as I flipped through it, I discovered she never did "write" anything in it.  She did, however, rate it 4 stars of 5 at the end.  That means she at least read through all the prompts in the book.  I wonder if she bought this book about the time she got me that gift journal in 2019.  Here are a dozen prompts I noticed as I looked through the book, and I decided to read this short book myself:

• "If things go wrong, don't go with them!" ~ Roger Babson
• "Peace treaties never occur until people from all opposing sides begin believing in their common benefit more than their individual success." ~ Tracy Brown
• "Remember, when old patterns are broken new worlds can emerge." ~ Wendy Craig Purcell
• "Forgiveness is giving up the possibility of a better past." ~ Unknown
• "Love one another, and do not strive for another's undoing." ~ Seneca Proverb
• "I was raised in what I consider to be not a melting pot, but a salad bowl." ~ Edward James Olmos
• "The future depends on what we do in the present." ~ Mahatma Gandhi
• "Prejudice is like a hair across your cheek.  You can't see it, you can't find it with your fingers, but you keep brushing at it because the feel of it is irritating." ~ Marian Anderson
• "I cannot do everything, but still I can do something.  I will not refuse to do something I can do." ~ Helen Keller
• "We have flown the air like birds and swum the sea like fishes, but have yet to learn the simple act of walking the earth like brothers." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
• "We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry.  And we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color." ~ Maya Angelou
• "It is good to have an end to journey towards, but it is the journey that matters in the end." ~ Ursula LeGuin

Amazon's description:  Capturing your thoughts in a journal is a great way to explore the complex issue of race-based hatred and violence.  The primary question is:  "In response to race-based hatred and violence, what is mine to do?"  I think it's interesting that Amazon also has this:  "There are 0 customer reviews and 1 customer rating."  That rating is a 4-star rating, so it must be Donna's rating directly from her Kindle!  Wow!

The author's page is WhatIsMineToDo.com.  Visit that page, if you want to be challenged to clarify what actions you might take to end race-based hatred and violence.  Click on the link to hear Tracy Brown's 14-minute TEDx Talk, where she encourages us to "Speak up, and stand up."  I also learned on Amazon that there's a BOOK, not just a journal.  Same name (almost) and same author.  Here's THAT information:

Mine To Do: Responding to Race-Based Hatred and Violence ~ by Tracy Brown, 2015, race relations, 132 pages

This book is a sharing of thoughts and emotions related to the topic of race-based hatred and violence.  Instead of focusing on statistics, demographics or politics, this book reminds us of the many ways racism impacts our daily functioning.  Each of the essays encourages the reader to consider what specific things can be done to build relationships that are based on respect and fairness.  Tracy shares information and ideas to help individuals navigate their personal journey in a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural society.  If we want to see change in our world, each one of us must answer the question, "What is Mine to Do?"

The day after the Charleston murders, Tracy Brown found herself sitting in a jury room considering whether she, a black woman, could be a fair and impartial juror in a case where a young white man killed nine innocent people because of the color of their skin.  What happened as a result of that morning has become an unexpected call to action for all people committed to mutual respect or willing to take a stand for fairness.  In addition to the thought-provoking quotations included throughout the book, there is a helpful collection of inspirational quotes provided at the end.

Deb at Readerbuzz hosts The Sunday Salon.