Wartburg College students, faculty, staff and alumni will join the University of Northern Iowa and other community partners to read and discuss “How to Be anAntiracist” by Ibram X. Kendi throughout the month of October.

At Wartburg, the Community Book Read is being facilitated by the Wartburg Book Club and Student Life Office. Discussions will begin Thursday, Oct. 1, through the Wartburg Book Club Facebook page, the Cedar Valley Book Read Facebook page and virtual meetings, which will be announced at a later date.

To register and purchase the book, visit https://www.wartburg.edu/book-club/#oct. Community members are welcome to join. Additional resources also can be found on the Cedar Valley Book Read Facebook page.

In the text, Kendi asks readers to think about what an antiracist society might look like and how they can play an active role in building it. According to Kendi’s website, “He (Kendi) begins by helping us rethink our most deeply held, if implicit, beliefs and our most intimate personal relationships and re-examines the policies and larger social arrangements we support.”

“This is a topic that’s very difficult to discuss, but it seems like people are willing to discuss these issues of race and inclusion and ready to have some of those difficult conversations. We will get a better understanding of each other, who we are as people and individuals and confront our biases and racism that we know is alive and well. It’s an opportunity to confront and grow together,” said Krystal Madlock, director of multicultural student services at Wartburg.

Other community partners include Hawkeye Community College, Waterloo Community Schools, YMCA, EMBRACE and others. Contact Madlock at krystal.madlock@wartburg.edu with questions.