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Whether you want to get woke, or stay woke, we’ve got you covered with these audiobook suggestions.
Let’s face it; this year has been a rough one and the new year isn’t shaping up to be any better. For many who are already woke to the world of social inequality and injustice, that’s nothing new. While it could be argued that not much has changed in the United States regarding race, it could also be argued that much has, in fact, changed.
Regardless of where you stand on the issues, there is certainly room for conversation(s) about race and social injustice. And the fact that the Oxford Dictionary shortlisted “woke” as the “Word of the Year” means something. While it may seem like appropriation in a way, the reality is that where there is wokeness, there is a way forward.
For those who want to get woke (and let’s face it, we can all get more woke), but who may be short on time, audiobooks are the way to go. Whether you use a subscription service or the library, listening to audiobooks has really never been easier.
3 Must Listen to Audiobooks for Getting Woke
1. “Between the World and Me” by Ta-Nehisi Coates
In “Between the World and Me,” Coates shares a letter to his adolescent son–and his readers–looking at our nation’s past, present, and future and calling out the false construction of race we have created and continue to live by. It’s a compelling book which Toni Morrison calls “required reading”.
2. “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness” by Michelle Alexander
Author Michelle Alexander takes dead aim on the racial inequalities of our modern criminal justice system and illustrates just how broken that system is. It’s been called the “secular Bible of a new social movement” by some, including activist Cornel West. There are also companion study and organizational guides available on the book’s website for those who want to share their wokeness.
3. “Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption” by Bryan Stevenson
Bryan Stevenson, the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, through the story of a man falsely accused of a crime, shares the corruption, inequality, and racial disparity that is a cornerstone of our criminal justice system. You will find yourself getting lost in this sad but true tale that explores justice and mercy, or the lack thereof of both.
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