by Katelyn Videto, Previous AAACF Philanthropic Services Manager

Nearly every surface in my home is stacked with books. I’ve always loved settling down with something to read and getting lost in a story, both fiction and non-fiction. And my curiosity makes it difficult to stop mid-story, resulting in many late nights (“just one more page…”).

My AAACF colleagues are also innately curious and passionate people, which makes it fascinating to learn together. This fits nicely with one of AAACF’s core values: “Leveraging Knowledge”, a charge to be a data-driven organization that uses high-quality information to make decisions and continue learning.

One of the many ways that our team lives into the Leveraging Knowledge value is the AAACF Book Club. My fabulous colleague Amina Iqbal organized it last year as an opportunity to learn, understand and share perspectives on books we read together. We rotate who picks the next read and leads the discussion, providing an opportunity to explore different perspectives. For example, my selection was The Sum of Us, by Heather McGhee – which uses data-driven research and interviews to illustrate the cost of racism and how we can prosper together.

As the AAACF team continues on its learning journey, I’d like to share our book club list for your own not-so-light summer reading!

• So You Want to Talk About Race, by Ijeoma Olou
• Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, by Ibram X. Kendi
• Just Mercy, by Bryan Stevenson
• Decolonizing Wealth, by Edgar Villanueva
• The Sum of Us, by Heather McGhee
• You Are Your Best Thing: Vulnerability, Shame Resilience, and the Black Experience, edited by Tanara Burke and Brene Brown
• Better, Not Bitter: Living on Purpose in the Pursuit of Racial Justice, by Yusef Salaam