Fall R.A.D.A. Discussions: Immigration & Gentrification

R.A.D.A. Discussions

R.A.D.A. Discussions
The fall series will take a closer look at two very present topics in many communities, immigration and gentrification. Participants are encouraged to read the books in advance.
What is R.A.D.A?
R.A.D.A ~ Read. Awareness. Dialogue. Action. is a book discussion series that provides a safe space to discuss some of the issues and movements of the day with respect and compassion. We read to raise our social consciousness; to exchange ideas, understandings, and experiences; and to discuss actions individuals and communities can take to address problems we are facing. 

Tuesday, September 19, 6 p.m.Ross-University Hills Branch LibraryJust Like Us: The True Story of Four Mexican Girls Coming of Age in America, by Helen Thorpe
Just Like Us is a  powerful account of four young Mexican women coming of age in Denver–two of whom have legal documentation, two of whom who don’t– and the challenges they face as they attempt to pursue the American dream. Exploring  not  only  the women’s personal life stories, this book also delves deep into an American subculture and the complex and controversial politics that surround the issue of immigration. The story opens on the eve of the girls’ senior prom in Denver, Colorado. All four of the girls have grown up in the United States, all four want to make it into college and succeed, but only two have immigration papers. Meanwhile, after a Mexican immigrant shoots and kills a local police officer, Colorado becomes the place where national arguments over immigration rage most fiercely. As the girls’ lives play out against this backdrop of intense debate over whether they have any right to live here, readers will gain remarkable insight into both the power players and the most vulnerable members of society as they grapple with understanding one of the most complicated social issues of our times. More books by Helen Thorpe. Book summary courtesy of ProQuest Syndetics.
Stop by and check out exhibit images from Project Worthmore on display at the branch.
For more information contact R.A.D.A. at rada@denverlibrary.org

Author Helen Thorpe discusses her new book Just Like Us

Video of Author Helen Thorpe discusses her new book Just Like Us

Saturday, November 4, 2 p.m. Blair-Caldwell Branch LibraryHow to Kill A City: Gentrification, Inequality, and the Fight for the Neighborhood, by Peter Moskowitz
​The term gentrification has become a buzzword to describe the changes in urban neighborhoods across the country, but we don’t realize just how threatening it is. It means more than the arrival of trendy shops, much-maligned hipsters, and expensive lattes. The very future of American cities as vibrant, equitable spaces hangs in the balance. Peter Moskowitz’s How to Kill a City takes readers from the kitchen tables of hurting families who can no longer afford their homes to the corporate boardrooms and political backrooms where destructive housing policies are devised. Along the way, Moskowitz uncovers the massive, systemic forces behind gentrification in New Orleans, Detroit, San Francisco, and New York. The deceptively simple question of who can and cannot afford to pay the rent goes to the heart of America’s crises of race and inequality. In the fight for economic opportunity and racial justice, nothing could be more important than housing. Book summary courtesy of ProQuest Syndetics.
For more information contact R.A.D.A. at rada@denverlibrary.org

Peter Moskowitz, “How To Kill a City”

Video of Peter Moskowitz, "How To Kill a City"

Engage programming is adult and family programming located at branch libraries throughout the city of Denver. These programs include crafting; music; history; authors; and more. All of our events can be found on the Denver Public Library events calendar and our programming brochure (which are distributed to all of our branch locations).
For more Engage events, please check out the online Engage calendar or the upcoming programming brochure.

EventsBlair-Caldwell AARL Newsbook discussionsocial conditionssocial issuesDenver Immigrantshousinggentrification

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