2021-2022: Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist

Judith Heumann’s memoir, Being Heumann, gives a first-hand account of the feeling of invisibility marginalized people experience. We chose this book because it illustrates one person’s journey as an advocate for equal rights for disabled people, it is an invigorating read, and it provides a road map for attorneys who want to make a difference. We were incredibly excited to welcome Ms. Heumann as a virtual speaker to Mizzou as part of the One Read progamming. View the interview:

2020-2021: So You Want to Talk About Race

Ijeoma Oluo’s best-seller, So You Want to Talk about Race explores how to have hard conversations about race. Oluo conveys experiences from her own life to raise a wide array of conversations about race and racism that are “necessary and urgent . . . for people to have in good faith.” As one review states, her empathetic yet blunt writing provides all of us with “language to engage in clear, constructive, and confident dialogue with each other about how to deal with racial prejudices and biases.”

2019-2020: Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis

Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis is a memoir by J.D. Vance, a graduate of Yale Law School. This book is about Vance’s tumultuous childhood in Appalachia, “surviving his mother’s drug addiction and a long series of hapless stepfathers” in a family where poverty “is the … tradition.” According to a New York Times book review, Vance offers “a compassionate, discerning sociological analysis of the white underclass that has helped drive the politics of rebellion.” The book also is controversial and provocative, assigning significant responsibility to his ‘hillbilly kin’ and their culture for their misfortunes.

2018-2019: The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness

The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander, presents pages of statistics and legal citations on American criminal justice policies, comes at a time when “declining crime rates and exploding prison budgets have made conservatives and liberals alike more ready to question the wisdom of keeping nearly 1 in 100 Americans behind bars.” It also is controversial and provocative, arguing that the war on drugs and unequal enforcement of criminal laws have legalized old forms of discrimination regarding employment, housing, voting rights, educational opportunities, and other public benefits.

2017-18: Infamy: The Shocking Story of the Japanese American Internment in World War II

Infamy: The Shocking Story of the Japanese American Internment in World War II by Richard Reeves provides a powerful narrative about the 120,000 Japanese-Americans and aliens forced from their homes and into prison camps following the attack on Pearl Harbor. Reeves’ book passionately describes the experiences of individuals and families and invites reflection on the fragility of fundamental legal rights.

2016-17: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebeca Skloot is a fascinating exploration of issues touching medicine, healthcare policy and ethics, genetics and identity, property rights, race, and class. Skloot’s in-depth reporting on the experience of a marginalized family with the health care system, and their deeply felt distrust for it, gives modern insight into the issues public health employees have in gaining the trust of many members of American society.

2015-16: Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption