When I married Roger, I was determined to learn more about his Jewish heritage and increase my understanding of Jewish holidays so that we would be able to pass that along to our hoped-for children.  Soon after our wedding we went to a pre-Hanukah festival at a synagogue where we bought a menorah and several children’s books.  I immersed myself in the stories, figuring that I might as well start at the very beginning and establish a foundation to build upon.

Now I am doing something similar as I explore Black history in our country. I am discovering that there are vast quantities that I have not heard before. Fortunately, I have discovered a fabulous resource – The Black Lives Matter Instructional Library .

This interactive website offers dozens of children’s books – just click on a title and the story will be read aloud to you. For someone who likes to learn and who loves a good story, this is a perfect fit and an ideal way to learn.  During my lunch hours, I have been swept away by stories of people and events in our country that are all new to me. So far I have traveled to New York to discover the National African Bookstore in Harlem (The Book Itch), tapped my toes with jazz musician John Coltrane (Before John was a Jazz Giant), and discovered new horizons with Mae Jamison, the first Black woman to travel into space (Mae Among the Stars).

The news reports of disturbing violence, racial tensions, and ongoing protests and demonstrations remind me of the many complex issues we face as a nation. There is great need for change. I don’t have solutions. It is hard to imagine that my efforts will have an impact on nationwide, centuries-old, ingrained biases. But giving up is also not an option. So I will listen and I will learn. I am amazed (and a little embarrassed) at how much I don’t know.  But it is never too late to learn. I rely on the wisdom of the Talmud that reminds me

Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief.

Do justly now.

Love mercy now.

Walk humbly now.

You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.

Let’s share information and resources – Tell me what you are listening to, what you are reading, and what you are learning. Listening and learning together are vital steps on the path toward change.