Staff Reviews

Facing Race, an annual conference that made its way to Detroit in late 2018, is billed as “the largest multiracial, inter-generational gathering for organizers, educators, creatives and other leaders.” The conference brought more than 70 workshops and 180 presenters to the Detroit area last year. Topics included gentrification, healthcare, comics and advocacy, movement-based journalism, and many more. In the past, the conference has been hosted in Atlanta, Baltimore, Berkeley, Chicago, Dallas, Oakland, and New York.

After attending Facing Race, many JDL staffers went home with several book recommendations. You can check them out below.

Heavy by Kiese Laymon
Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome by Joy Degruy
White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo
Waking up White by Debby Irving

October’s new release movies showcased two great new talents in directors Boots Riley (Sorry to Bother You) and Bo Burnham (Eighth Grade).

Riley, who made a name as a rapper with the group The Coup, has directed one of this year’s most original movies. Titled Sorry to Bother You, the film follows an African-American telemarketer named Cash Green who uses “white voice” to advance his career. The events that follow pits Cash in the middle of a conspiracy that satirizes modern race relations, capitalism, and power itself. The movie is filled with inventive imagery and absurd twists—and is probably unlike anything else you’ve seen this year. The movie received an R rating for language, sexual content, and drug use.

Bo Burnham, who some might recognize from his career as a stand-up comedian, directed a painfully relatable coming-of-age film called Eighth Grade. The film follows Kayla Day, an eighth-grade student who struggles with anxiety and produces video blogs on improving confidence and self-image. The movie shows Kayla navigate recognizable middle school struggles—first crushes, pool parties, and looking cool at the mall—but also explores the effect of social media on teens. The movie received an R rating for language and some sexual references.

You can place them both on hold now.