UWSP Libraries

Join us on March 14th to celebrate women's voices with Prof. Jill Stukenberg and her reading from her recently published book, News of the Air. We also invite you to share an excerpt from one of your favorite women authors in celebration of Women's History Month and "telling our stories." We look forward to seeing you!

American Sirens: The Incredible Story of the Black Men Who Became America's First Paramedics By Kevin Hazzard Call Number:  RA645.6.P4 H39 2022    "Journalist and former paramedic Hazzard ( A Thousand Naked Strangers ) paints a riveting portrait of Freedom House EMS, a pioneering group of Black paramedics in 1970s Pittsburgh. Expertly contextualizing the group’s achievements within the contentious racial climate and archaic medical practices of the era, Hazzard spotlights medic John Moon, who “loved Angela Davis and the afro but [was] polite to the point (almost) of deference”; Peter Safar, an émigré Austrian anesthesiologist inspired by his 11-year-old daughter’s death from an asthma attack to reimagine ambulance services and paramedic training; and Freedom House medical director Nancy Caroline, who was tapped by Safar to revamp his training program. Hazzard explains how the 1966 death of former Pittsburgh mayor David Lawrence highlighted the inadequacy of ambulance care prov

I am Ruby Bridges by Ruby Bridges   F379.N59 N4328 2022    Autobiographies for young elementary students are a rare find. This jewel of a book, written by a Civil Rights icon and engagingly illustrated by Smith, transports young audiences to Bridges’s own thinking and experience as she recalls her six-year-old self. As a child, Bridges was curious about so much and had a sense of what world events were going on around her. As narrator, Bridges does not break a child’s perspective and keeps her voice true as she notices but doesn’t explain the momentous change she was a part of. What mattered to her was going to school and making new friends. While there are many titles available that celebrate Bridges, this title soars with the voice of a hero recalling her own childhood and honoring the children who will read this story. Full review here from School Library Journal 

  Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto By Tricia Hersey Call Number:  BJ1499.R4 H47 2022    “All of culture is collaborating for us not to rest,” contends Hersey, the founder of the Nap Ministry, in this empathetic treatise. Arguing that rest is a political act, she suggests that capitalism and white supremacy have corrupted Americans’ relationship with relaxation, especially for Black Americans, whose “bodies have been a constant source of exploitation.” She critiques “grind culture” for equating productivity with self-worth and reducing “our divine bodies” to the level of machinery. Hersey describes how her belief in the liberatory power of rest stemmed from her exhaustion while in seminary school, as well as her church’s message that her body is a “deep reflection of God” worthy of cherishing. Plumbing her family’s history to highlight the painful consequences of constant work, the author describes how the stress of working two full-time jobs contributed to her father’s death at age 55.

We're Not Okay: Black Faculty Experiences and Higher Education Strategies   Edited by Antija Allen and Justin Stewart  Call Number:  LC2781.5 .W47 2022   (Seasonal Book Shelf - CCC 130) Editorial Reviews ‘This book spoke to me on a personal level. This excerpt so pointedly references the challenge: ‘...a handful of People of Color amongst hundreds of White employees is not racial diversity.’ True racial diversity should also embrace inclusion. The book addresses the consequences and impact when a minimalist approach to diversity occurs in higher education. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are deliberate, strategic choices implemented when you value others.’ Karen Armstrong, The Pennsylvania State University, USA ‘We’re Not OK is an extremely necessary and foundational work by the authors which illuminates practical strategies for supporting and retaining Black faculty successfully in academia. At a time where institutions are reimagining their diversity strategic plans a