The Grace of Silence is a deeply personal memoir by Michele Norris, where she delves into her family's past to uncover secrets and understand the power of silence in shaping their experiences. The book explores themes of racial legacy and identity, set against the backdrop of post-World War II America and the subtler forms of racism in Minnesota. Through her journey, Norris examines what it means to be an American and confronts the complexities of her own family's history.
This book summarizes Claude M. Steele's groundbreaking research on stereotype threat, which occurs when individuals are aware of negative stereotypes about their group and fear confirming them. Steele illustrates this concept through various studies and personal stories, including the story of Brent Staples, who whistled Vivaldi to counteract the stereotype of African-American males as violent. The book delves into how stereotype threat affects performance, particularly in academic and professional contexts, and suggests small interventions that can reduce these threats and narrow achievement gaps.
Freakonomics is a collaboration between economist Steven D. Levitt and journalist Stephen J. Dubner that delves into the riddles of everyday life, from cheating and crime to parenting and sports. The book argues that economics is fundamentally the study of incentives and how people get what they want or need, especially when others want or need the same thing. It covers various topics such as the inner workings of a crack gang, the truth about real estate agents, and the secrets of the Ku Klux Klan, using forceful storytelling and wry insight to challenge conventional wisdom.
“I wanted to create a vehicle that allowed people to talk about this allegedly toxic topic on their own terms.”- Michele Norris.
Could you describe your experience of race in America in just 6 words? That’s the very thing Journalist Michele Norris asked 200 strangers to do back in 2015, when she printed a stack of postcards with these simple directions: Race, your story, 6 words, please send. What began as an exercise to spark conversation became The Race Card Project, a growing online archive comprising over 750,000 answers from Americans of every ethnicity and corner of the country. The responses are at once tender and confronting, and they hold a mirror up to a part of American life that is often felt, but rarely openly discussed.
Show Notes
Resources:
"The Grace of Silence: A Family Memoir"
"Our Hidden Conversations: What Americans Really Think About Race and Identity"
The Race Card Project
NPR's The Race Card Project: Six Word Essays
Your Mamma’s Kitchen Podcast
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Transcript
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