1619 Project Books

The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story will be published by One World Books on 11/16/19, offering a profoundly revealing vision of the American past and present and a dramatic expansion of a groundbreaking work of journalism.

In late August 1619, a ship arrived in the British colony of Virginia bearing a cargo of twenty to thirty enslaved people from Africa. Their arrival led to the barbaric and unprecedented system of American chattel slavery that would last for the next 250 years. This is sometimes referred to as the country’s original sin, but it is more than that: It is the source of so much that still defines the United States.

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Native American Heritage Month is November

November is Native American Heritage Month. The month is a time to celebrate rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories and to acknowledge the important contributions of Native people. Heritage Month is also an opportune time to educate the general public about tribes, to raise a general awareness about the unique challenges Native people have faced both historically and in the present, and the ways in which tribal citizens have worked to conquer these challenges. (NCAI.org)

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Mental Illness Awareness Week is October 3 – 9

Millions of people in the U.S. are affected by mental illness each year. It’s important to measure how common mental illness is, so we can understand its physical, social and financial impact — and so we can show that no one is alone. These numbers are also powerful tools for raising public awareness, stigma-busting and advocating for better health care. (National Alliance on Mental Illness)

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Banned Books Week Is 9/26 – 10/2

It’s time for another celebration of the right to read! Join the ongoing and imperative mission by working with booksellers to feature titles whose value has been contested at local and national levels. 

This year’s honorary (and inaugural) chair of Banned Books Week, Jason Reynolds: “To censor a book is to damage the framework in which we live,” adds Reynolds. “Any time we eliminate or wall off certain narratives, we are not getting a whole picture of the world in which we live. And navigating the world in a way that is closed-off, closed-minded, is poisonous. It means that we limit our vocabulary, which complicates how we communicate with one another. We have to celebrate stories and ensure that all books have a space on the shelves and the opportunity to live in the psyches of our children, as they grow into the human beings who will inherit this wonderful place.” 

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Transgender Fiction and Non-fiction

Over the past two decades, Americans have experienced a significant evolution in their understanding and cultural acceptance of transgender people.

Consequently, media coverage of trans issues has moved beyond simplistic political dichotomies and toward more fully realized representations, not only of the diversity of the trans community, but also of trans people’s lives, their families, and their fundamental inclusion in the fabric of American society. Today, transgender people’s stories are more likely to be told in the same way as others — with fairness, integrity, and respect. (glaad.org)

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20 Years Later: September 11th

This year Americans will commemorate the life-changing events of September 11, 2001, twenty years ago. In addition to tributes to those who lost their lives, including the traditional reading of names, and honoring the heroes of that day, many will ruminate about the ongoing war on terror that’s since taken place. The expected complete withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan by 9/11 of this year as ordered by President Biden will have readers refocused on all that has transpired over the past 20 years. 

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End of the War in Afghanistan?

In April, President Joe Biden said the war in Afghanistan was never meant to be multi-generational, as he officially announced the drawdown of all 2,500 U.S. troops in that country beginning May 1 and concluding by Sepember 11, the 20th anniversary of the war. (www.defense.gov)

The Taliban insurgency remains resilient nearly two decades after U.S.-led forces toppled its regime in what led to the United States’ longest war. (Council on Foreign Relations).

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Addiction

The month of July sees more online searches for “addiction” than other times of year, so it may be a good time for booksellers to stock that section more heavily, or even remove books from the section to make them more findable for customers.

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June is LGBTQ Pride Month

Bring on the celebration!

Each June in the USA and around the world, celebrations of LGBTQ Month include parades, picnics, parties, workshops, symposia and concerts, and Pride Month events attract millions of participants. As ever, PRH and its distributed clients have a multitude of books to recognize the impact that LGBTQ individuals have had on history locally, nationally, and internationally, including Fiction and Non-Fiction.

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