As a Latter-Day Saint, I know that church doctrine was leveraged to justify racism. This book looks at how Christianity was used throughout American history to justify slavery and segregation and is a starting point for evaluating how that still impacts us today.
Book review: “The Greek Revolution: 1821 and the Making of Modern Europe” by Mark Mazower
I took a historical detour this week to Greece in 1821. I honestly had no idea there was a revolution in Greece in 1821-- but then again, I never realized Beethoven and Thomas Jefferson were contemporaries.
Book review: “The Impeachers: The Trial of Andrew Johnson and the Dream of a Just Nation”
Only three presidents have formally been impeached. Andrew Johnson was the first. This week's read is a deep-dive into the impeachment of Andrew Johnson, to hopefully shed some light on current events.
Book review: “Born in Blackness: Africa, Africans, and the Making of the Modern World, 1471 to the Second World War” by Howard W. French
"It is no exaggeration to say that the only thing I learned about slavery during my British education was that we 'ended' it." ~ Zadie Smith French asks us to re-evaluate the centrality Africa and Africans have played in the narrative of modernity in this ambitious book.
Book review: “Dear Barack: The Extraordinary Partnership of Barack Obama and Angela Merkel”
Get ready for some nostalgia for a different political climate in "Dear Barack" recounting the friendship between US president Barack Obama and German chancellor Angela Merkel. Also, I *heart* all things German.