WHAT WE’RE READING
At We Raise Foundation, our name speaks to an emphasis on raising consciousness of issues, community leadership, and the capital required to create communities free from poverty, violence, and inequality. We seek to be part of the solution by educating ourselves about these issues within our own communities and connecting with thought leaders who bring about change. Our board of directors and staff continue to read a variety of articles and books and we invite you to learn more about the issues with us.
Have a resource you think we should check out? Email it to us!
The We Raise Book Club regularly hosts giveaways of books relevant to our mission and issues impacting our communities. Giveaway is free to enter.
Issue Articles
“Evangelicals Support Prison Reform in Theory, But Less in Practice,” by Megan Fowler. Christianity Today. Posted on January 15, 2020.
“Bryan Stevenson Wants to Liberate People from the Lie That Their Life Doesn’t Matter,” by Dominique DuBois Gilliard. Christianity Today. Posted on January 10, 2020.
“Scrubbing The Past To Give Those With A Criminal Record A Second Chance,” by Eric Westervelt and Barbara Brosher. NPR. Posted on February 19, 2019.
“America’s Massive Misdemeanor System Deepens Inequality.” Equal Justice Initiative. Posted on January 9, 2019.
“Charity in the Age of Trump: How to Minimize Taxes and Maximize Impact,” by Ashlea Ebeling. Forbes. Posted on April 10, 2018.
“Gates Focuses on Schools While Examining US Poverty Issues,” by The Associated Press. Washington’s Top News. Posted on February 13, 2018.
“Philanthropy — The Forgotten Investment Asset,” by Kris Putnam-Walkerly. Forbes. Posted on February 7, 2018.
“The U.S. Can No Longer Hide From Its Deep Poverty Problem,” by Angus Deaton. The New York Times. Posted on January 24, 2018.
“From generation to generation: The challenge facing Milwaukee and similar high-poverty cities goes beyond education, crime and jobs,” by John Schmid. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Posted on March 23, 2017.
Books
Church Forsaken: Practicing Presence in Neglected Neighborhoods by Jonathan Brooks
Decarcerating America: From Mass Punishment to Public Health by Ernest Drucker
The Forgotten Luther by Carter Lindberg and Paul Wee
A Framework for Understanding Poverty: A Cognitive Approach by Ruby K. Payne, Ph.D.
Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
Ministries of Mercy by Rev. Timothy Keller
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander
Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America by Barbara Ehrenreich
The Power of Proximity: Moving Beyond Awareness to Action by Michelle Ferrigno Warren. Click here for the accompanying study guide.
Rethinking Incarceration by Dominique DuBois Gilliard
$2 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America by Kathryn Edin and H. Luke Shaefer
NOTE: This page includes affiliate links to the online book retailer Bookshop! When you purchase a book through our Bookshop links, We Raise receives a portion of the cost. Plus, by purchasing through Bookshop, you’re also supporting local bookstores! Thanks in advance!
Podcasts
“On The Knife’s Edge: Using Therapy To Address Violence Among Teens,” Hidden Brain Podcast hosted by Shankar Vedantam. NPR. Posted on January 6, 2020.
Film/Video
13th – a Netflix Original documentary. This film looks at the progression from slavery to reconstruction to Jim Crow to segregation to the war on drugs and mass incarceration of people of color and the prison-industrial complex
Milwaukee 53206 – This film chronicles the lives of those living in the ZIP code that incarcerates the highest percentage of black men in America, up to 62%. The film examines Milwaukee’s ZIP code 53206 to illuminate the story of people from across the United States who live with the daily affects of mass incarceration.
