Book Discussions: Not Just a #Hashtag: August 2020: When They Call You a Terrorist

Some suggested questions to facilitate the group discussion. If there are other topics you are interested in exploring, please do not hesitate to articulate your questions.

• How similar or different were your experience with law enforcement in comparison to what is described by Patrisse? ​
• How has Patrisse’s commentary about the prison system impacted your understanding of the experiences of people who have been incarcerated. ​
• What examples of white privilege resonate with you and why? ​
• What are some institutional changes we could help implement to increase equitable access to people in need? (example: education, medical or mental health care, housing, nutritious food) ​
• Did this book make you think differently of Black Lives Matter? Why do some people call members of Black Lives Matter terrorists?​
• Have any events in your life or in the world at large made you take actions in any form (i.e. researching, learning, being vocal on social media, having dialogues, protesting, calling politicians, voting)?​​
• How can we expand the capacity to empathize with others and take action to reach a society where we value humanity over materialism? 

“Imprisonment has become the response of first resort to far too many of the social problems that burden people who are ensconced in poverty. These problems often are veiled by being conveniently grouped together under the category “crime” and by the automatic attribution of criminal behavior to people of color. Homelessness, unemployment, drug addiction, mental illness, and illiteracy are only a few of the problems that disappear from public view when the human beings contending with them are relegated to cages.”

Angela Davis Masked Racism: Reflections on the Prison Industrial Complex on September 10, 1998