糖心Vlog

Meredith鈥檚 Summer Reading book for 2021 is Tell Me Who You Are: Sharing our Stories of Race, Culture and Identity, by Winona Gua and Priya Vulcht.

This year鈥檚 book selection was guided by the College鈥檚 emphasis on anti-racism work.

鈥淭he committee accepted and embraced the challenge of finding a book to engage incoming students and the Meredith community in a time of increased awareness of systemic racism and social injustice,鈥� said Rebecca Duncan, co-chair of the Summer Reading Committee and Mary Lynch Johnson professor of English. 鈥淲e considered more than 15 titles and sought to understand a range of perspectives and disciplinary approaches.鈥澛�

The book鈥檚 subtitle is 鈥淎 Road Map for Cultivating Racial Literacy.鈥� After realizing they had nearly completed high school without having substantive discussions about racism, the authors deferred college admission for a year to travel the country and interview a wide range of Americans on matters related to race. Interview subjects represent multiple races, cultures, and identities.聽

The committee felt that the authors鈥� youthful perspective and unique approach to discussing a difficult topic would appeal to incoming first-year students, as well as the entire Meredith community.

Committee member and Recruitment Assistant Bianca Diaz said she thinks Meredith readers will find it compelling.聽

鈥淚t鈥檚 an engaging, thought-provoking read that will foster rich, necessary conversations on our campus. It is a great combination of information and compelling narratives of real people all over the U.S.,鈥� said Diaz. 鈥淚t is accessible, visually appealing, includes historical context and statistics, and is remarkable in that two 18-year-olds collaborated to create it.鈥�

Machaela Murrell, 鈥�24, a student member of the Committee, agrees.

“I was hoping that this book would be chosen,鈥� said Murrell. 鈥淚t was written by two intelligent and passionate young people and it includes the personal stories of a diverse group of people. I can’t wait to discuss it with the students in my Student Advisor Group.鈥�

About Summer Reading
Meredith鈥檚 Summer Reading Program enhances the academic climate on campus by engaging incoming first-year students in a shared intellectual endeavor with the entire campus community, including students, faculty, staff, and alumnae.

Incoming first-year students are given questions to guide their reading and then engage in facilitated conversations with faculty, staff, and upper-level students during the fall semester. Students also participate in experiential learning activities related to the book, and frequently attend lectures by or about the books鈥� authors. Previous summer reading selections include The Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Callings, Dimestore, and A Mighty Long Way: My Journey to Justice at Little Rock Central High School.