Busboys and Poets Books Presents | Courageous Discomfort

Busboys and Poets Books Presents COURAGEOUS DISCOMFORT

Join us to learn how to have candid conversations that address common, yet uncomfortable and critical questions about racism.

Authors Shanterra McBride and Rosalind Wiseman are best friends. The pair of one back and one white women tackle 20 questions many people struggle with when it comes to honest conversations about race. This book is considered to act as an empowering handbook, even for those who identify as allies or anti-racist.

Many people struggle to have honest conversations about race, even those who consider themselves allies or identify as anti-racist. For anyone who wants to have better, more productive discussions about race and racism, COURAGEOUS DISCOMFORT is an empowering handbook that teaches you how to do just that.

In these pages, authors (and best friends), Shanterra McBride, who is Black, and Rosalind Wiseman, who is white, discuss their own friendship and tap into their decades of anti-racism work to answer the 20 uncomfortable-but-critical questions about race they get asked most often, including:

Should I see color?

I’m a good person—how can I be racist?

What if I say something wrong?

What kind of apology makes a difference?

These 20 questions-as-chapters invite you into the conversation without judgment and inspire thoughtful reflection and discussion. There will be moments when you will laugh or cringe at the ridiculous or awkward things you read. But the truth is, there is no perfect solution or script for every maybe-racist, sort-of-racist, or blatantly racist situation. And that’s OK: making mistakes is just an opportunity to do better next time. But doing this work will empower us to have the relationships we really want to have, including the relationship we want to have with ourselves.

Shanterra McBride and Rosalind Wiseman are joining on the Busboys stage for a celebration and discussion on their newly released book. They will be joined in conversation by Josh Edelman.

This event is free and open to all. Our program begins at 6:00 pm, and will be followed by an audience Q&A. Copies of COURAGEOUS DISCOMFORT will be available for purchase before and during the event. Please note that this event will not be livestreamed.

We ask that guests RSVP in order to receive direct updates about the event from Busboys and Poets Books.

Rosalind Wiseman is a Colorado-based speaker and bestselling author, perhaps best known FOR QUEEN BEES AND WANNABES: HELPING YOUR DAUGHTER SURVIVE CLIQUES, GOSSIP, BOYFRIENDS, AND THE NEW REALITIES OF GIRL WORLD, the basis for the hit movie and Broadway musical MEAN GIRLS. She has authored several other parenting books, including MASTERMINDS & WINGMEN: HELPING OUR BOYS COPE WITH SCHOOLYARD POWER, LOCKER-ROOM TESTS, GIRLFRIENDS, AND THE NEW RULES OF BOY WORLD; DISTANCE LEARNING PLAYBOOK FOR PARENTS: HOW TO SUPPORT YOUR CHILD'S ACADEMIC; EMOTIONAL AND SOCIAL LEARNING IN ANY SETTING; and OWNING UP CURRICULUM. Rosalind is a regular contributor to National Public Radio, the NEW YORK TIMES, and other national media.

Shanterra McBride is a Texas-based author, preacher, speaker, and teacher. She is the founder of MARVELOUS UNIVERSITY, a social enterprise that offers life coaching and success planning for young people, specializing in leadership development for girls and young women. Shanterra was awarded the Profiles in Leadership Award from SMU for having made a significant impact on the city of Dallas and on the quality of life of girls and women all over the country. She is the author of LOVE YOUR JIGGLE: THE GIRLS' GUIDE TO BEING MARVELOUS, an inspirational book for girls ages 11 to 17. Shanterra is also an active member of the country's oldest historically Black sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha.

Josh Edelman is a Senior Advisor with the US Program at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation supporting individual portfolios with strategy development while also focusing on division-wide implementation of DEI and talent development to enhance expected investment outcomes. Josh has a bachelor’s degree in American History from Harvard University, a master’s degree in Education from Stanford University, and a second master’s in Educational Administration, also from Stanford University. Josh is or has served on the boards of AVID (current), Breakthrough Collaborative, Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning, City Works DC (current), City Year DC, Education Forward DC (current), EL Haynes Public Charter School (current – board chair), Maya Angelou Public Charter School and The National Alliance of Public Charter Schools.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Busboys and Poets, 2021 14th Street Northwest, Washington, United States