Developed by Duopress in collaboration with LGBTQ+ advocate and antibias, anti-racist educator Ryse Tottingham, this helpful reference guide offers simple definitions of terms related to many aspects of social justice, including LGBTQ equality, racial justice, climate change, gender equality, income disparity, voter engagement, immigration, and more. Occasional sidebars dig further into some topics, such as “Appreciation vs. Appropriation,” or offer short profiles of social justice activists.
While a book such as this can’t go deep into any one topic, the short definitions seem generally accurate, although they sometimes omit certain nuances. “Come Out,” for example, is defined as “to make your sexual orientation or gender identity public knowledge.” That’s not wrong, exactly, but doesn’t capture the idea of first coming out to oneself, or to a limited group of trusted people rather than the public at large. And while a “Migrant” is indeed “someone who moves to another country to live there temporarily,” not all people who make such a temporary move are migrants. (I lived overseas temporarily for graduate school, for example, but would not have been considered a “migrant.”)
Nevertheless, the book feels like a good starting point for further discussion on any or all of the topics covered. Backmatter includes ways to take action and suggestions for further reading, while cheery illustrations from Andy Passchier help illustrate the concepts and add interest.
