Articles and news stories are constantly pushing me to consider something new, broaden my perspective, or change the way I look at an issue. My husband likes to joke that my brain explodes with something new on a daily basis. These articles – and the brain explosions that result from them – are so beneficial for me that I wanted to create a place where I could share them, in case you might want to read them, too. Learn more about Things that Made My Brain Explode – and see past posts – here. 

Here’s a recent batch of Things that Made my Brain Explode:

• This week’s news was a reminder for me to practice what I preach and research the context of a news story before forming an opinion. I reacted emotionally to the photos and videos of the clash between crowds at the Lincoln Memorial last weekend, instead of taking the time to learn more. My emotions got the best of me this time, and I know I’ll use that information to be more careful with the next news story. Here’s some context and background: AllSides (this one was the most informative for me, with a timeline that includes events and media coverage day by day), Associated Press, The Washington Post, The New York Times, Vox.
• “And what if we saw ourselves in Dr. King’s legacy—considering honestly where we would have been as Dr. King marched from Selma to Montgomery in a demonstration for the rights of black and brown people in America? Would we have been marching? Watching from across the street? Calling for him to protest in a way more comfortable for us to watch? Would we have been turning the television channel because we’re tired of politics? Arguing with family members, asking why we have to make everything about race?”  Dr. King Was Not A Superhero.
• This is your brain on picture books: The Secret Power of a Children’s Picture Book. The real secret here? It’s not just great for small children. You’re never too old to benefit from a read aloud.
• Stereotype-Free Kids Stories Celebrating the Lunar New Year. Snagged some great additions to our next library order!
• “Even if you are raising wealthy, non-disabled, white sons to attend private school and inherit the family business – your life depends on equitable public education for all. […] But even though your life (and your child’s) depends on accessible education and a competent, healthy, and knowledgeable workforce to rely on – we are facing an education crisis. Fight this. Teach your kids that education is a right. […] Read stories to your kids that show how everyone has a right to an equitable education, inclusive classrooms, and opportunities.” Absolutely fabulous resources from Raising Luminaries – Our Future Depends On It: Kids Books About Education Rights.
• “Empires like Amazon and Apple are not created by a single man in a vacuum; they are the product of a mix of luck and contributions from an entire team—including from a founder’s spouse.” Why are we so attracted to the lone mad genius behind successful companies, when the truth is almost always that it took a village to get them there? MacKenzie Bezos and the Myth of the Lone Genius Founder.
• Too furious for comment. Just read this. The Doctor Doesn’t Listen to Her. But the Media Is Starting To.
• “There has long been a poisonous fallacy that if a lady likes lipstick, she must be a frivolous human; that if clothes matter to her, then she cannot be an intellectual. (Never mind that if a female politician ever showed up to work as disheveled as Sen. Bernie Sanders, she would be labeled a witch, not a 2020 front-runner.)” Fashion and feminism are not mutually exclusive (and I say this happily as an avid fan of both). Style and substance can coincide; it’s all about the ways we discuss it. Talking about Pelosi’s pink dress isn’t sexist. It means you’re paying attention.
• Digital hoarding is a thing: Why it pays to declutter your digital life.
• “Recently, I heard a person say the work we do inside our families is the ultimate grassroots organizing. Yes! The choices I make as a parent matters. The anti-racist work I do within the context of my family can affect powerful change.” Preserving my children’s innocence is an act of preserving white supremacy.
• I can’t WAIT for this book!
• Strip Search Of Four Black Girls By Middle School Officials Draws Outrage From Parents, Community Members In Upstate New York. Strip searching Black young women on a hunch? Slamming a Black young man into the ground for using the wrong doors? What year is it?!
• “How would you design a school if you wanted to put relationship quality at the core?” Students Learn From People They Love. Just imagine how far we could go if teachers – who are, as a reminder, specialists in child development – were given the time, space, and autonomy to truly base their classroom around this idea.
• All hail the inimitable Jason Reynolds. A great peek into that brilliant brain of his: Jason Reynolds is the star that literature needs right now.