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Autobiographies Of An Ex-Colored Man

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3 Favorite Books
If I had to list three books that inspired my way of thinking, it would the Autobiographies of an Ex-Colored Man by James Weldon Johnson, The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander Parker, and The Cosmopolitan Canopy by Elijah Anderson. These books exposed me to the realities of the world we live in. The Autobiographies of an Ex-Colored man displayed the constant struggle of a biracial child navigating through a world of privilege, racism, and oppression while simultaneously, searching for his identity. Although both of my parents are African Americans, the constant confliction of seeking acceptance in places where a person may not belong is a lesson that resonated with me through James Weldon Johnson’s story. According to the Myers-Briggs personality test, I am extroverted, intuitive, thinking, and judgmental(ENTJ). These group of individuals make up 3% of the population, which I believe, explains my struggle in integrating with individuals in certain instances. The …show more content…
Considering the criminal justice arrest rates of African Americans, Michelle Alexander Parker made sustainable claims that correlated arrest rates of people of color to a new form of Jim Crow. With these claims, it reaffirmed my skepticism of the methods of the criminal justice system and motivated me to pursue policies that aided individuals in this unjust system.
The Cosmopolitan Canopy by Elijah Anderson was the most informative book I have ever read. Elijah Anderson is a sociologist that explains the disparities between different cultures. The Cosmopolitan Canopy taught me how to understand different cultures and upbringings in the world to implement that into effective policy. There was an emphasis on compassion, trust, and awareness with dealing with individuals and this book has taught me to respect different communities that differ from my

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