Upcoming Events
Author Event
W. Kamau Bell & Kate Schatz!
Do the Work: An Anti-Racist Activity Book
march 24th | 7-8:30pm (with VIP reception starting at 6pm)
montclair presbyterian church
pre-order tickets here!
Join us for an intimate conversation with local authors W. Kamau Bell and Kate Schatz to discuss Do The Work: An Anti-Racist Activity Book!
This is a fundraiser that will benefit both Montclair Community Play Center and Abundant Beginnings. Books will be provided by A Great Good Place for Books.
Pre-order tickets now! Options to purchase a signed book and attend VIP reception with the authors are available.
DESCRIPTION:
Overwhelmed by racial injustice? Outraged by the news? Find yourself asking, “What can I doooooo?” DO THE WORK!
Revelatory and thought-provoking, this highly illustrated, highly informative interactive workbook gives readers a unique, hands-on understanding of systemic racism—and how we can dismantle it.
Packed with activities, games, illustrations, comics, and eye-opening conversation, Do the Work! challenges readers to think critically and act effectively. Try the “Separate but Not Equal” crossword puzzle. Play “Bootstrapping, the Game” to understand the myth of meritocracy. Test your knowledge of racist laws by playing “Jim Crow or Jim Faux?”
Have hard conversations with your people (scripts and talking points included). Be open to new ideas and diversify your “feed” with a scavenger hunt. Team up with an accountability partner and find hundreds of ideas, resources, and opportunities to DO THE WORK!
Ready to get started?
w. kamau bell
W. KAMAU BELL is a dad, husband, and comedian. He directed and executive-produced the four-part Showtime documentary We Need To Talk About Cosby, which premiered at Sundance. He famously met with the KKK on his Emmy-Award-winning CNN docu-series United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell, where he serves as host and executive producer. He has appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Conan, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, CBS Mornings, MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Comedy Central, HBO, Fresh Air with Terry Gross, WTF with Marc Maron, The Breakfast Club, and This American Life. He has two stand-up comedy specials, Private School Negro (Netflix) and Semi-Prominent Negro (Showtime). Kamau’s writing has been featured in Time, The New York Times, Vanity Fair, The Hollywood Reporter, CNN.com, Salon, and The LA Review of Books. Kamau’s first book has an easy-to-remember title, The Awkward Thoughts of W. Kamau Bell: Tales of a 6' 4", African American, Heterosexual, Cisgender, Left-Leaning, Asthmatic, Black and Proud Blerd, Mama's Boy, Dad, and Stand-Up Comedian. He is the ACLU Artist Ambassador for Racial Justice and serves on the board of directors of Donors Choose and the advisory board of Hollaback!
kate schatz
KATE SCHATZ is an author, activist, educator, and queer feminist mama who's been talking, writing, and teaching about race, gender, social justice, and equity for many years. She's the New York Times-bestselling author of the "Rad Women" book series, (Rad American Women A-Z, Rad Women Worldwide, Rad Girls Can, and Rad American History A-Z) and her book of fiction Rid of Me: A Story is part of the cult-favorite 33 1⁄3 series. Along with W. Kamau Bell, she’s the co-author of Do the Work: An Anti-Racist Activity Book. For more information, please visit: https://www.kateschatz.com/, or follow Kate on Twitter here and Instagram here.
abundant beginnings
Abundant Beginnings was created in 2011 to address a gap in youth services. Specifically identifying the overlapping needs for intersectional curriculum, outdoor or place-based learning, and access to nature for marginalized communities.
Abundant Beginnings has led over the past decade with the radical intention to create safe and joyful spaces for our students who live at intersections of social systems of oppression. Our programming integrates best practices from research on environmental education, centering place-based learning and ancestral practices, radical inclusion, and social justice in the form of learning communities. We believe that children are best nurtured in a community rooted in land-based rhythms, rituals, and practice.
Abundant Beginnings is a Queer, Black-led decolonial community organization that centers socially marginalized youth and their families. Our team of teacher-leaders create nature-based child and family programming that values ancestral practices, radical inclusion, freedom, and social justice.
Abundant Beginnings’ unique approach is rooted in gender, racial, and economic justice, recognizing the intersections of each child’s identities and trusting in their leadership. We blend environmental-education, civic engagement, and leadership development through four key programs: Abundant Summer Camps, Forest Freedom School, Abundant Activism, and the Land Project.