Marcus Campbell’s Best Reads of 2016

My name is Marcus Campbell.  I am the Assistant Superintendent and Principal at Evanston Township High School.  I have been at ETHS for 15 years and started my career there teaching English.  I love to read and enjoy the food scene.

1)  The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Dubois (1903)

I always read something each year from the list of canonical black texts.  I find these readings informative in that many of these texts written long ago are still applicable today.

 

2)  Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates (2015)

I read this book because I am a black male raising two young black boys.  I have been following Ta-Nehisi since he published “The Case for Reparations” in The Atlantic.

3)  Reasoning from Race by Serena Mayeri (2011)

This book was recommended to me by an ETHS School Board member.  I love reading about race from multiple perspectives.  This one is important because it focuses on feminism and the law.

4)  The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead (2016)

I read this book because it was recommended to me by a friend.  I also saw Chris Matthews talk about it on MSNBC one evening.  I enjoyed it thoroughly.  Colson Whitehead will visit ETHS on February 27th.

5)  Despite the Best Intentions: How Racial Inequality Thrives in Good Schools by Amanda Lewis and John Diamond (2015)

I read this book because it speaks to why it is important to make sure students get a good education regardless of their racial background.  This book challenges us to work hard for all students.