Lemon’s book is well worth a read
To the Editor:
Whether or not you are a fan of TV anchor and journalist Don Lemon, his latest book This is the Fire: What I Say to My Friends about Racism is recommended to everyone trying to better understand the racism in our country and what we can do about it. Lemon grew up as a Black and gay man in Louisiana in the 1960s and 1970s. As an adult, Lemon has lived in the South and North and has experienced racism and homophobia much of his 55 years.
Inspired by James Baldwin’s book The Fire Next Time (1963) and George Floyd’s murder in 2020, Lemon shares his personal stories. He challenges us as to what we all need to do to combat racism. Quoting Baldwin, “If we do not now dare everything, the fulfillment of that prophecy, recreated from the Bible in song by a slave, is upon us. ‘God gave Noah the rainbow sign, no more water, the fire next time.’” Lemon writes: “This is the fire. We’re in it. JFK and Obama led us
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SILVER SPRING, Md., April 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ The work of the International Leadership Association (ILA) is made possible by the power of our members curiosity, creativity, and desire to make an impact. Each year, we recognize a select group of expert members who have a desire to give back to the field of leadership as ILA Fellows.
International Leadership Association 2021-2022 Fellows (L-R) John Heiser (Executive in Residence), Gill Robinson Hickman (Scholar in Residence), Scott J. Allen, Keith Grint, Maureen Metcalf, Stella Nkomo, Erwin Schwella, Katherine Tyler Scott.
Fellows engage with ILA s mission across sectors and disciplines to do worthy work at the intersection of leadership research and practice. They contribute to special initiatives that help to drive our mission of advancing leadership knowledge and practice for a better world.
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DUMMERSTON â Lydia Taft Pratt Library will be hosting a book discussion via Zoom of Ijeoma Oluoâs work, âSo You Want to Talk About Race.â
The event will take place Wednesday, April 28, at 6 p.m. via Zoom. Those interested in participating in this event may contact Librarian Dena Marger at the library to receive a copy of the book, and instructions for logging into Zoom.
The Lydia Taft Pratt Libraryâs Racial Justice Book Group officially launched last month with a discussion of James Baldwinâs classic work âThe Fire Next Time.â
21 Apr 2021
Wednesday on CNN’s “New Day,” network anchor Don Lemon recommended white people to read his book, entitled, “This Is the Fire: What I Say to My Friends About Racism,” to learn more about “accountability and grace” following the conviction of Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin in the murder of George Floyd.
Lemon’s recommendation comes in response to Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis having an image saying “I CAN BREATHE 4-20-21” tweeted out from the team’s official Twitter account.
The tweet received backlash online for being offensive, but Lemon said he was not offended by the post.
Print
Don Lemon wasn’t sure readers would have the appetite for the heavy subject matter of his book “This Is the Fire,” published the year after George Floyd’s death. For better and worse, the months that followed reassured him on that front.
“Almost every single thing I write about in the book is playing out right now in real time,” the CNN anchor said during a conversation with Los Angeles Times writer Greg Braxton for the Festival of Books on Tuesday.
It was a prescient remark. When news broke in the early afternoon that a verdict had been reached in the trial of Derek Chauvin, Lemon had to cut the panel short so he could report the news for CNN. Chauvin was found guilty of murder for the death of George Floyd.