Do the Work!

For all the people who find themselves overwhelmed by racial injustice, outraged by the news, shocked by the ugly parts of American history, and who keep asking  “What  can  I  DOOOO?”  comes the answer:  Do the Work! Created by the sociopolitical comedian W. Kamau Bell and bestselling author Kate Schatz,  Do the Work!  is a humorous, thought-provoking, highly illustrated interactive workbook designed to give readers a hands-on understanding of systemic racism, white privilege, and Black disenfranchisement. In a fun way! Readers will experience the effects of voter suppression through a Connect-the-Dots gerrymandering activity of Pennsylvania’s 7th district. Learn about redlining through a Color-byNumbers map based on the infamous examples used by the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation in the late 1930s. Take a “Nope or Nice” quiz that tests their knowledge of which commonly used words have racist roots or are offensive to some groups. And try their hands at questions from the state of Alabama’s 1965 Literacy Test (miss more than 7 of 68 questions and no voting  for  you!). Neither a deep dive into critical race theory nor a scholarly tome on antiracism,  Do the Work!  is something  more: an enormously clever and enlightening guide meant to be picked up, read, played with, shared, and absorbed.