For the first time since leaving office, former commander-in-chief Barack Obama is headed to Kenya and South Africa to visit the Obama ancestral home, convene 200 young leaders across the continent, and deliver a speech to mark the anniversary of Nelson Mandela's 100th birthday.
While his schedule is jam-packed, Obama managed to make a reading list for his followers before leaving.
<p>And it. Is. <em>Good</em>.</p><h2>Barack Obama recommended six books, the majority of which are authored by African writers.</h2><div><div data-card="facebook" data-reactroot=""><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/barackobama/posts/10156007456406749" data-width="552"><blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/barackobama/posts/10156007456406749" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><p>This week, I’m traveling to Africa for the first time since I left office – a continent of wonderful diversity, thriving...</p>Posted by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/barackobama/">Barack Obama</a> on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/barackobama/posts/10156007456406749">Friday, July 13, 2018</a></blockquote></div></div></div><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37781.Things_Fall_Apart" target="_blank">"Things Fall Apart"</a> by Chinua Achebe, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/836746.A_Grain_of_Wheat" target="_blank">"A Grain of Wheat"</a> by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15796700-americanah" target="_blank">"Americanah"</a> by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie are just a few. They tell stories ranging from the pervasive impacts of colonialism to an African nation's story before foreign influence to the Nigerian immigrant experience in America. <strong>In short, they tell the stories of a remarkably diverse continent, all through the words of people that are connected to it in their own unique ways.</strong></p><p>While Obama has released a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/18/books/president-obamas-reading-list.html" target="_blank">recommended reading list</a> many times in the last few years, this year's list is particularly important. In the past, political figures and educators alike have centered the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/18/books/president-obamas-reading-list.html" target="_blank">stories of white, straight men</a>. While these stories have certainly influenced our society, they are by no means the <em>only</em> stories that exists, nor the only stories that should be told.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image"><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTM5ODMwMC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NTU5MDc1N30.kXTJL1mInrmgMsisgisKJ-h02RrHNGAef-LPu-f_OXo/img.jpg?width=980" id="e96e5" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6c5b4fc41c5ab3eb510ff1155279246b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image"><small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">Photo by Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images.</small></p><h2>Obama is increasing exposure to a largely unexplored literary world of African writers and is helping to make space for diverse storytelling.</h2><p>As Adichie — one of the novelists Obama recommends — once said in a <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story" target="_blank">viral TedTalk</a>, there is a danger in telling a single story. When society only supports stories that feature a singular perspective, we fail to recognize the experiences of immigrants, queer folks, people of color, disabled people, and other underrepresented groups.</p><h2>Through his summer reading list, Obama is helping make writers like Thiong'o and Adichie as commonly known as Ernest Hemingway and Harper Lee.</h2><p>Judging by the description of these books, it seems like readers are in for a super fun literary ride.</p><em><strong>Wear your values</strong> with products from <a href="https://psasupply.co/" target="_blank">PSA Supply Co.</a>, an independent site owned by our parent company, GOOD Worldwide Inc. GOOD makes money when you buy these products, and 10% of profits go to <a href="https://psasupply.co/pages/current-nfp-partner" target="_blank">The Center for Community Change Action</a>. Use discount code <a href="https://psasupply.co/discount/UPWORTHY" target="_blank">UPWORTHY</a> to get 15% off your first order!</em><div><div data-card="html" data-reactroot=""></div></div>
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