Roots and Rebellion
Personal Stories of Resisting Racism and Reclaiming Identity
- Author
- Foreword
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- Published: Feb 21 2024
- 196 x 126mm
- ISBN: 9781839972836
Despite the UK's long history of racial injustice, people from minoritised groups have fought back, engaging in advocacy, activism, and every-day acts of resistance to create positive change.
This anthology is a prize-winning collection of these stories, spanning generations, cultures, and communities. They tell of subtle everyday acts of resistance like cooking traditional dishes from recipes passed down from grandparents displaced from their homelands, challenging microaggressions in the workplace, and sending care packages to relatives in occupied states. They also highlight bold and defiant rebellions such as building a successful business from scratch and against the odds, making perilous journeys, and fighting unlawful deportation.
The fabric of these stories is made up of resistance, but also of belonging. They explore the complexities of feeling caught between identities as well as the joyful freedom found in reclaiming and rediscovering who you are.
Full of humanity and bravery, this inspiring and unique kaleidoscope of journeys speaks to how nuanced and personal resistance against racism can be.
This anthology is a prize-winning collection of these stories, spanning generations, cultures, and communities. They tell of subtle everyday acts of resistance like cooking traditional dishes from recipes passed down from grandparents displaced from their homelands, challenging microaggressions in the workplace, and sending care packages to relatives in occupied states. They also highlight bold and defiant rebellions such as building a successful business from scratch and against the odds, making perilous journeys, and fighting unlawful deportation.
The fabric of these stories is made up of resistance, but also of belonging. They explore the complexities of feeling caught between identities as well as the joyful freedom found in reclaiming and rediscovering who you are.
Full of humanity and bravery, this inspiring and unique kaleidoscope of journeys speaks to how nuanced and personal resistance against racism can be.
Press Reviews
NetGalley reviewer
Focusing on "everyday" people and the oppression they face and deal with in different areas of their lives, rather than just a general populace, was refreshing and allowed you to feel deeply connected with the writers. This is filled with personal stories written by a variety of people, showcasing profound vulnerability, courage, and strength. Many valuable perspectives were given, and multiple hard topics were broached, including ones that I had very little knowledge of, like the UK deportation schemes and transracial adoption. Even with the stories mainly being sad and frustrating, the authors managed to infuse a sense of hope and encouragement to stand proud of yourself no matter your background, as well as stressing the importance of helping others.
Dr Arun Verma, Inclusion, Intersectionality and Impact Specialist, Editor of Anti-Racism in Higher Education: An Action Guide for Change
It is these everyday individual stories that make up the fabric of society which do not get read by most and often fall through the cracks. In a society and time where change is not enough, inclusion is not enough, and diversity is not enough, we need to see, hear, and feel a transformational change. The stories presented here are just the tip of the embedded problem, but I am hopeful that their impact will contribute towards bringing about a collective resistance to social injustice and racism.
Jeanine Connor MBACP, psychodynamic psychotherapist, from Therapy Today magazine
this collection is certainly rich and varied, describing each person's experience of being displaced or misplaced, standing out yet not really seen... The foreword says this book will 'disrupt what you think you know about racism' and states 'resistance is an act of kindness [and] the loving thing to do to be better allies and advocates'. Let's all try to disrupt, resist and be kind.