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by Elizabeth Sammons with love from Neighbor-to-Neighbor
Talking Appalachian, Dream Town: Shaker Heights and the Quest for Racial Equity, and The Word on the Brazos are books of note.  This literature intends to expand our awareness, theology and/or acceptance of diverse viewpoints. We in Neighbor-to-Neighbor hope you’ll discover how these writings from various generations embrace what it means to be human and to walk in spirit… 

 

Talking Appalachian By Hayward, Nancy 

People from Appalachia have long been labeled as ignorant "hillbillies" because of the way they speak. This book includes academic studies, personal essays by Appalachian writers, and examples of Appalachian dialect used in literature. Featured authors include George Ella Lyon, Silas House, Lee Smith, Jane Hicks, Denise Giardina, Ron Rash, Rita Quillen, Crystal Wilkinson, and Anne Shelby. 

 

Dream Town: Shaker Heights and the Quest for Racial Equity By Meckler, Laura

In the late 1950s, Shaker Heights became a national model for housing integration. And beginning in the seventies, the school district built a national reputation for academic excellence and diversity, serving as a model for how white and Black Americans can not just coexist but thrive together. Washington Post journalist Laura Meckler researches both triumphs and problems along the way.The result is a complex portrait of a place that, while never perfect, has achieved more than most, and a road map for communities that seek to do the same. 

 

The Word on the Brazos By Brewer, John Mason 

This collection of "preacher tales" from the Brazos River bottoms of Texas, is collected and related by one of the nation's leading black folklorists. The author lived in their homes and worshipped in their churches. He sought out elderly ministers and other tradition-bearers and recreated them in the distinctive dialect of the region.