Fall Book Study
Join us for a group engaging in a book study this fall! Karie Firoozmand of Stony Run Friends Meeting will lead us in a Zoom group open to all members of Baltimore Yearly Meeting in a discussion of The Quaking of America by Resmaa Menakem. This book was recommended to us by Vanessa Julye, the Carey Memorial Lecturer at this summer’s Annual Session.
In The Quaking of America, therapist and trauma specialist Resmaa Menakem takes readers through somatic processes addressing the growing threat of white-supremacist political violence.
Through the coordinated repetition of lies, anti-democratic elements in American society are working to incite mass radicalization, widespread chaos, and a collective trauma response in tens of millions of American bodies. Currently, most of us are utterly unprepared for this potential mayhem. This book can help prepare us—and possibly prevent further destruction.
This preparation focuses not on strategy or politics, but on practices that can help us:
- Build presence and discernment in our bodies
- Settle our bodies during the heat of conflict
- Maintain our safety, sanity, and stability in dangerous situations
- Heal our personal and collective racialized trauma
- Practice embodied social action
- Turn toward instead of on one another
The Quaking of America is a unique and perfectly timed guide to help us navigate our widespread upheaval and build an antiracist culture.
We will gather at 7pm every Wednesday for 4 weeks, October 15-November 5 on Zoom. The book is available as a paperback from the publisher, Central Recovery Press and in hardback, paperback, and Kindle editions on Amazon.
Resmaa Menakem, MSW, LICSW, SEP, is a leading voice in today’s conversation on racialized trauma. He created Cultural Somatics, which utilizes the body and resilience as mechanisms for growth. As a therapist, trauma specialist, and the founder of Justice Leadership Solutions, a leadership consulting firm, Resmaa dedicates his expertise to coaching leaders through civil unrest, organizational change, and community building.