When reading a book with my kids, I tend to read ahead. I did it with the Harry Potter books when they were
little, as well as other books. Right now, my family is reading Dune out loud, a science fiction book about a
futuristic society on a desert planet, struggling with the same things that we are facing here – racism, the
impacts of colonization on native and marginalized people, environmental degradation, and a serious health
crisis around access to water and the distribution of resources. The other night I was holding the book in my
hand, flipping the pages a little like I was shuffling a deck of cards, when my oldest kid, in his twenties, looked
at me and said – don’t do it, don’t you read ahead.
I realized this morning that in the least developed and most fearful part of my heart and soul that what I
want right now is to read ahead. I want to read about how we solved these epic pandemics – the novel
coronavirus – which is horrible and scary and is exacerbating inequities – and also the pandemic of racism
and discrimination in this country. But I do know that truthfully, we cannot wait and read about it. We have
to be part of the solution. Part of the narrative that gets us from where we are as a society to where we want
to be. We all need to find a way to be leaders in this work.
The staff at CPAH desire to be a part of the solution to the problems we have directly in front of us. Over the
next period of time we will be posting resources that share about the intersection of housing, health and race
and the ways that systematic racism in this country has created housing and health instability for people of
color. If you want us to post something that you have read, let us know – send us the link.
Our first installment is…
A ‘Forgotten History’ Of How The U.S. Government Segregated America
Black Lives Matter.
Thank you,
Rachael Duke
Executive Director
Community Partners for Affordable Housing
