Reading is Resistance

Reading Is Resistance is a small, local, grassroots organization started by North Portland educators and parents Farnell Newton and Zapoura Newton-Calvert in 2016. This project, inspired by the national Teaching for Change Social Justice Books Project, is rooted in a deep love for teaching, curiosity about how to learn together as a multi-racial family, and commitment to anti-racist parenting and education.  

​

Our mission is to create opportunities for Portland parents and teachers to start or expand diverse, inclusive home or classroom libraries for youth and children and for those libraries to seed deeper conversations and opportunities for action around racial equity in our community.​

• Promote reading as an act of resistance against white supremacist culture​

• Create book collection lists for parents and teachers to start or expand their diverse, inclusive library offerings.​

• Partner with Portland State University students to fund and procure diverse and inclusive books for partner classrooms and Little Free Libraries in Portland.​

• Encourage and start conversations among parenting and teaching folks about decolonizing our bookshelves and minds.​

• Explore the way our imaginations can help us create alternative possibilities for the world we’re in today. 

​