M.J. Fievre - Black and Resilient: 52 Weeks of Anti-Racist Activities for Black Joy and Empowerment

Praise for Black and Resilient

We need more books like thisbooks that speak directly to our Black youth and teach them the critical skills they need to survive being Black in America. In Black and Resilient: 52 Weeks of Anti-Racist Activities for Black Joy and Empowerment , educator M.J. Fievre has built a toolkit for survival that will help Black boys learn crucial lessons, like how to channel their frustrations in a positive direction and how to reflect upon their lives for greater clarity. This book should be in every public library and every school in America. It is an essential part of an education our Black boys need and often dont get.

Geoffrey Philp, author of My Name Is Marcus , a graphic novel for children

If you have a Black boy in your life who struggles with self-esteem or with fitting in, buy this book! In Black and Resilient M.J. Fievre breaks down the notions that keep our Black boys from reaching their fullest potential and does so with candor and wit. The exercises she has designed will help your child see the hypocrisy and futility of racism and encourage your boys to reach their highest potential without becoming jaded and dissatisfied with their lot in life. She clearly explains the challenges facing Black youth and does so in a way that is not defeatist but encourages them to rise above all the stereotypical nonsense they face on a day-to day basis and emerge triumphant.

Just Mike the Poet, author of Dear Woman

In her latest book, Black and Resilient: 52 Weeks of Anti-Racist Activities for Black Joy and Empowerment , bestselling author M.J. Fievre has written a book that will be appreciated by Black boys everywhere. In the book, she encourages Black boys to learn about racism and gives them the means to build resilience and joy: two qualities that every child needs. By working through them, those boys actually gain the experience of dealing with their own emotions, and with an often-hostile world, preparing themselves without the damage of actual confrontation. This is a direct, no-fluff approach to combating racism and building self-esteem. Fievre gives great advice, and the activities she has written for them will help them find solid footing and become strong, loving, capable adults.

Steven Barnes, author of Lions Blood and Afrofuturist

Black

and

Resilient

52 Weeks of Anti-Racist Activities for Black Joy
and Empowerment

M.J. Fievre

Coral Gables

Copyright 2021 by M.J. Fievre.
Published by Mango Publishing, a division of Mango Publishing Group, Inc.

Cover Design: Morgane Leoni
Cover Illustration: berdsigns
Art Direction: Morgane Leoni

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Black and Resilient: 52 Weeks of Anti-Racist Activities for Black Joy and Empowerment

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication number: Has been requested
ISBN: (print) 978-1-64250-746-1, (ebook) 978-1-64250-747-8
BISAC category code YAN051180, YOUNG ADULT NONFICTION / Social Topics / Prejudice & Racism

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Racial Profiling and Police E ncounters/
Childhood Dreams a nd Heroes

Your Rights During a Police Encounter/
Remembering Wh o You Are

How to Encourage Confidence in Others/
Reframe Your Pe rspective

Welcome to fifty-two weeks of living with intention. Black and Resilient: 52 Weeks of Anti-Racist Activities for Black Joy and Empowerment was designed to help you get motivated to make real changes to your life and your way of thinking.

I grew up in Haiti, a Black nation led by Black people. The people of Haiti do not experience racism as it exists in the United States; what presents itself mostly there is colorism (prejudice against individuals with a darker skin tone, among people of the same ethnic or racial group). Imagine my shock and surprise when I immigrated to the United States and, on top of having to deal with a new language and culture, discovered that I was often singled out for the color of my skin, whether it was a group of kids who threw a milkshake at me, or a college professor who assumed I was lazy because I fell behind in my work trying to keep up with the language. Then, as I worked on assimilating, I began to witness the reality of being Black and living in Black skin. While Black women like me deal with racist attitudes daily, Black boys and Black men specifically seem to live in perpetual danger. In a white world, they are seen as a threat and are easily targeted and often murdered by the authorities that should be serving and protecting all co mmunities.

Throughout my years working as an educator, Ive seen firsthand the kind of damage that racism can do to a young persons spirit. The effects of racism are real and damaging. Ive seen many promising students become disengaged and withdrawn because of racist incidents. I know the perils of the school to prison pipeline which disproportionately affects Black and Brown boys. Ive also seen the real beauty of students who overcame the struggles of racism and became strong, confident, and comfortable in their own power, and were able to become successful in their classes and th eir lives.

Black and Resilient is a book about the realities of being Black. It leads Black boys and young Black men to a better understanding of the effects of racism and teaches them how to navigate various spaces. This book is a guide filled with activities and prompts that encourage empowerment and self-reliance, providing you with tools for combating racism in your daily life. There is no doubt you are powerful, but, unfortunately, youll face microaggressions and outright racism in your daily life, be it while jogging down the road like Ahmaud Arbery or walking down the street with a bag of Skittles like Trayvon Martin, or during a traffic stop while driving like Philando Castile. Black and Resilient will help empower you to be brave, face the challenges of oppression, and rely on yourself.

Learn to:

Understand and combat racism and microaggressions in your daily life. Once you identify how racism affects your physical and mental health, you can love and take care of yourself.

Become a leader in your community. To become a well-rounded Black boy is to become an important member of your society. This journal and activity workbook guides you through achieving your personal and pub lic goals.

Be brave, empowered, and self-reliant. Being a Black boy comes with many gifts, one being resiliency. While you are strong and can overcome anything, be kind to yourself.

Ive paired twenty-six lessons in anti-racism with fifty-two writing exercises. These exercises will open your mind to the world around you, and the world within you. As you go through these activities, keep in mind that you are developing a practice, a foundation of mindful activity you can build on for the future. These activities dont have to stop after the year is over. I hope journaling and anti-racist awareness will become part of your daily rituals for life.