Books That Changed My Brain Chemistry
Part 1
A question I get often is what books I read to learn about healing, decolonization, anti-racism, etc. The answer is, a lot! I read (or listen) to a lot of books. Books are an accessible and useful way to learn and get you thinking and reflecting. They help us see things through the lens of the author whether that be a lived experience, education, knowledge, perceptions, etc. It helps you to expand your mind and your awareness and allow us to integrate nervous system work in with it. Below are a few of the books i’ve read that changed my brain chemistry and radicalized me a little more page by page. This will be a series as I have so many other books to include and so many more to read.
I think it’s important to note that no one community, no one type of people are a monolith so it is important that we read more than one book on a topic to get the different perspectives mentioned above.
Each of these book radicalized me in a different way:
Hood Feminism by Nikki Kendall: The very people who created the movement have been removed and are often (if not always) left out of the conversation. It taught me how to decenter ytness, the history of feminism in this country and who truly started and are leading in the movement. It teaches you about the racism origin of many issues that exist in American cultures daily. It will break your heart to learn about all the things you were not taught and it will enrage you to do better and be a part of the collective movement for liberation rather than an isolated one that only means liberation for some.
Me and White Supremacy by Layla Saad: Opened my eyes to how white supremacy is rooted and interwoven into every facet of our lives and the system we live in. It gives you the opportunity to really ask yourself the hard questions and get very honest with your internalized biases and how we cause harm. This one took me some time to get through because each chapter has a practice to help you embody this work.
My Grandmothr’s Hands by Resmaa Menakem: This radicalized me! It transformed the way I look at trauma, it made me look deeper into the ways we respond to discomfort and protect the comfort of ytness. It is a history book, an anti-racIsm book a trauma and recovery book. It has tangible somatic practices to help you deconstruct and dismantle these things within you to create change within yourself that eventually moves to your community. It’s also completely changes the way that I coach.
Fragrance After Rain by Jaya John: A collection of poetry that will whisper softly to your soul, soothe your heart, have you reflecting on deep matters of the spirit. It helped me through the waves of grief and reminded me to keep going.
Sensual Faith by Yvonne Briggs: This was a gift and took me by surprise! Not because I wasn’t interested in the topic, but because I just didn’t know it was a book I needed. It had questioning everything about my perception of femininity, sexuality and my connection to my body. It invited me to look past what society and WS has taught me and look into what my body really wants and desires as a woman. Just read it!
Abolition for the People Edited by Colin Kaepernick: If you want to become an abolitionist, read this book. A collection of stories from political prisoners, grassroots organizers, families of those who lost loved ones to police brutality. Real stories from real people sharing their experiences and why abolitionism is necessary in our fight towards Black (therefore collective) liberation.
Do Better by Rachel Ricketts: I am not finished with this one, but it has already had a deep impact. If you want to integrate your spiritual journey with your decolonIzation and anti-racIsm journey (which I highly suggest), this is the book for you. It will break your heart, get you thinking, get you feeling and provide support for you on your journey to dismantling yt supremacy within yourself.
A great resource to access these books if you do not want to purchase them is through your local library or the Libby App allows you to connect your library card up to the app and barrow ebooks and audio books through the library. It is a great and accessible way to support the others and your local libraries!
Get reading! If reading isn’t your thing, audio books are a great option.
Thank you for the list! I'm leaning towards reading "My Grandmother's Hands." While I know this is an almost impossible question to answer, what are your thoughts on me reading this selection?