By 2045, a majority of the US population will be people of color. This will change the electoral makeup and enable people of color to have a transformative political impact.

In Zerlina Maxwell’s, The End of White Politics - How to Heal Our Liberal Divide, the former staffer for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign explains this is not a movement, it’s not a theory, it’s a demographic fact. To take advantage of this shift, the Democratic Party has to listen to the people of color and diverse groups, promote them to positions of power within the party, and let them lead the way.

According to Maxwell, when you’re accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression, and that applies to all white males including those in the Democratic Party. Maxwell takes aim at the Bernie Bros, calling them “a manifestation of white male privilege”, and the “same as Trump supporters responding to the same perceived loss of privileges.” She claims whitelash increased racial solidarity among white people with the shared perception that they were losing status, rights, and privileges they had traditionally enjoyed was the reason for the Trump win.

She endorses identity-based politics explaining, in reality, it is politics saying there is more than one experience to consider. That means embracing identities other than those that are white, male, and heteronormative and accordingly running political campaigns based on the needs and experiences of those African Americans, Latinx, and the LGBTQ+ communities and women. Though women currently are a majority of the US population, their numbers don’t reflect that in elected officials.

Critical of Democratic presidential nominee, Joe Biden, she suggests he has a “long history of telling the black constituency he can be trusted, while simultaneously authoring and implementing policies that would hurt them.” This includes supporting Bill Clinton’s 1994 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act that has resulted in the current crisis of mass incarceration.

Maxwell identifies with The Squad, four young women of color recently elected to Congress saying, “there is no group more representative of how the next generation of leadership will look than The Squad.” She’s a supporter of their outspoken candor on public policy saying that lived experiences make better-informed policymaking. To Maxwell, the impulse of most Democrats to be moderate “feels like a manifestation of the white privilege that has plagued us for so long. Being a moderate is not a virtue. Moderation does not pull us toward progress.”

The book is dense with facts and then some since Maxwell has a tendency to repeat the same arguments in different context. She’s also fond of political jargon and memes, ostensibly to enhance her insider credibility, but which frequently sent me on an internet search to understand.

As an analysis of the current state of America’s political system, The End of White Politics reads like the future, like an awakening, like common sense.

Written with passion and commitment, Zerlina Maxwell presents her argument persuasively and unapologetically, and with enough anecdotes to lift it above the political thesis. She reminds us when she quotes feminist Laura Duca, “At any given moment, you’re either actively fighting for equality, or you’re complicit in the system of oppression that prevents it.”

So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo is the kind of book that will have you really thinking about your actions and the way that they affect others. When I finished this book, I immediately passed it onto my manager to read because I wanted to continue the conversation. Oluo uses her own experiences as a person of color navigating our (you have to admit) white supremacist society here in the United States. So this is not only extremely relevant but also a necessary book about an incendiary topic. We (I speak as a collective here with a definite side-eye at my fellow white folks of privilege) need to do better and that starts with educating ourselves. Oluo uses this book like an instruction manual with vocabulary lessons on things like microaggressions, the school to prison pipeline, tone policing, intersectionality, cultural appropriation, and the model minority myth. It's full of talking points about how to successfully navigate uncomfortable talks about race, racism, and racial inequality. This isn't an easy book to read because the truth about our society and the way that we have been conditioned to act is a hard pill to swallow BUT it's important to face this head-on so that we can move on to all (hopefully) be better people. Lest you think this is directed solely at white people, Oluo also stresses the importance of people of color having affirmation that their feelings and hurt are valid. Basically, this is a great book that all people wanting to do better should read. 10/10

What I'm Currently Reading: The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold

http://indiesage.com/

Hello, Readers! Today, I am sharing a contemporary romance – Harbor – the 2nd book in the Renzo + Lucia series by Bethany-Kris! Enjoy & don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

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ABOUT THE BOOK

HARBOR
by Bethany-Kris
Renzo + Lucia, #2
Publication Date: February 4, 2019
Genres: Adult, Romantic Suspense, Organized Crime. Erotic Romance

SYNOPSIS

Lucia Marcello is the good girl—or she used to be. The youngest mafia principessa of her family, she's not the one who falls for the man from the wrong side of the tracks, and she certainly shouldn't have run across the country with him.

She'll leave everything behind for him …
Renzo Zulla is the bad guy—society and life labeled him that way. The only person left to take care of his siblings, he couldn't afford the distraction of falling in love with a rich girl far beyond his league, and he definitely shouldn't have her riding shotgun as he runs for his life.
He doesn't want her anywhere else …
Love keeps them together. 

Fear keeps them running. 
Chaos follows them everywhere they go.
How long can they keep moving before someone finally catches up?
The cost of love is always high. 
Never harbor it blindly.

Note: Harbor is book two in a three-book trilogy following the same couple.

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Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42614889-harbor

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AVAILABLE in print or ebook

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2WCmeuH

Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/2G2A2JA

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2SfkfwX

Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/2D4cpML

B&N: http://bit.ly/2GfZbQr

iBooks: https://apple.co/2WyM8iJ

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ADDITIONAL BOOK IN THE SERIES

PRIVILEGE

SYNOPSIS

They didn’t come from the same world …
Born rich to a family of mafia royalty, Lucia Marcello was already destined to succeed. She wanted for absolutely nothing, until she met him.

Born poor to parents who never cared, Renzo Zulla was already destined to fail. He has struggled for absolutely everything, but she’ll prove to be his biggest fight yet.

She’s high society from the upscale suburbs.
He’s a drug dealer from New York’s slums.
They just weren’t meant to be … until they were.
What would it take to change a life—an entire perspective? All the things you thought you knew and wanted?
For them, it took thirty-six days.
And the privilege of meeting each other.
They shouldn’t be.
They don’t fit.
Love doesn’t care.

Note: Privilege is book one in a three-book trilogy following the same couple.

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Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42614879-privilege

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DON'T MISS PRIVILEGE, BOOK #1 IN THE RENZO + LUCIA TRILOGY!

BUY NOW! #FREE WITH #KINDLEUNLIMITED!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2VsgjaI

Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/2CMHQwa

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2AthoX7

Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/2R6aJfK

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EXCERPT #3

“Are you almost done?” she asked.

“Almost. Diego just about finished?”

Lucia gave the boy a look, and found he was still working on his cheeseburger and had half of his fries left. “Almost, but not really.”

Renzo chuckled as he stood up, and came around the back of their SUV. He moved to the side of Lucia where he could bend down to the ground, put the license plate on, and still keep out of view with her mostly blocking what he was doing. Diego moved to the edge of the hatch, and watched his older brother with a curious eye.

“What are you doing, Ren?” Diego asked.

“Making us harder to find again, that’s all.”

“Oh, okay. Like Hide and Seek?”

Renzo glanced up, and smiled at his brother. “Sure, just like that.”

Seemingly satisfied with his brother’s answer, Diego scooted back inside the hatch and bit into his burger again while scribbling on the notepad with a red pencil crayon. He wasn’t paying Lucia and Renzo any attention, now. Renzo quickly finished up his work of switching the license plates on the vehicles—well, he didn’t put their original stolen plates on the white car. Instead, he tossed it inside the SUV to keep it before coming to stand next to Lucia. That left the white car with no plate but it was unlikely the owner would even notice that until they got off their shift later in the day.

“You sure you don’t want some food?” he asked.

She shook her head. “Not really.”

“We’re not going to stop for a while.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“If you’re—”

“Why did you switch the license plates again?” she asked. “No, sorry … took the license plate from that car and also kept ours.”

“I told Diego why.”

Turning her back to the hatch, Renzo did the same. Lucia lowered her voice as she replied, “Yeah, but maybe I don’t believe that’s why.”

Renzo snuck an arm around her waist, pulled her in close, and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. Murmuring, he admitted, “You’re right. I was thinking it’d be better to switch the plates back to the old one after we cross over into Nebraska.”

“But why—”

“We need more money.”

Lucia stilled. “We have money, Ren.”

“Not enough. Not enough for Vegas.” His hand tightened on her waist, squeezing just hard enough to take her breath away but ground her all over again. Without a word, he tugged her around the SUV where Diego couldn’t see them. Renzo backed Lucia against the SUV, and came close enough that his nose brushed against hers. All she could see was him clouding her vision, and for a moment, the rest of the world just disappeared. She sucked in a quick breath a second before his lips grazed hers. “Vegas is the most expensive place to live—and we have to stay underground, so that’s going to make it worse. We’re gonna need shit, Lucia.”

“I know.”

“Fake IDs. A place to stay. That’s going to eat up a lot of cash all at once right there.”

Would it?

Lucia didn’t know.

“We need to eat, to sleep, to get dressed every day … more. Okay? So let me take care of it. Let me handle getting cash to do something with. You just keep Diego in the car, and keep him down out of sight until I get out of here. Then, we’re on the road again. No looking back, baby, right?”

“No looking back.”

He let her go then only to pull the gun he’d kept tucked in his waistband out of his jeans. Pulling out the mag, he checked the gun, and then quickly tucked it away once more. Passing the fast food restaurant a look, his attention came back to her in a blink. “I’ll hit somewhere as we head out of Nebraska.”

She knew, then.

He was going to rob a place.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Direct Link: https://www.youtube.com/embed/SA7AIQw-7Ms

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Signed print of Deathless & Divided + SWAG

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bethany-Kris is a Canadian author, lover of much, and mother to four young sons, one cat, and two dogs. A small town in Eastern Canada where she was born and raised is where she has always called home. With her boys under her feet, snuggling cat, barking dogs, and a hubby calling over his shoulder, she is nearly always writing something … when she can find the time.

To keep up-to-date with new releases from Bethany-Kris, sign up to her New Release Newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/bf9lzD

Website: http://www.bethanykris.com/

Blog: http://bethanykris.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bethanykriswrites

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bethanykris

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/bethanykris/

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1I6VcSP

Newsletter: http://bit.ly/1TcDSLo

Amazon Author Profile: http://amzn.to/2ay9Gel

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bethany.kris/

Bookbub: https://bit.ly/2JleBSF

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

http://indiesage.com/

http://indiesage.com/

Good Morning, Readers! Today we are joining the tour for Privilege –The 1st book in the Renzo + Lucia series by Bethany-Kris! Enjoy & don’t forget to enter the Giveaway!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ABOUT THE BOOK

★★SYNOPSIS★★

They didn’t come from the same world …
Born rich to a family of mafia royalty, Lucia Marcello was already destined to succeed. She wanted for absolutely nothing, until she met him.

Born poor to parents who never cared, Renzo Zulla was already destined to fail. He has struggled for absolutely everything, but she’ll prove to be his biggest fight yet.

She’s high society from the upscale suburbs.
He’s a drug dealer from New York’s slums.
They just weren’t meant to be … until they were.

What would it take to change a life—an entire perspective? All the things you thought you knew and wanted?

For them, it took thirty-six days.
And the privilege of meeting each other.

They shouldn’t be.
They don’t fit.
Love doesn’t care.

Note: Privilege is book one in a three-book trilogy following the same couple.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Goodreads - http://bit.ly/2Ev63JL

BookBub - https://www.bookbub.com/books/privilege-renzo-lucia-1-by-bethany-kris

Riffle - https://www.rifflebooks.com/books/1033150

Romance.io - https://www.romance.io/books/5c2f05a001dbc864fb974ff6/privilege-bethanykris

 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AVAILABLE in ebook

★Amazon: https://amzn.to/2VsgjaI

★Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/2CMHQwa

★Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2AthoX7

★Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/2R6aJfK

★B&N: http://bit.ly/2C36WW2

★iTunes: https://apple.co/2RpCu2j

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Direct Link: https://www.youtube.com/embed/SA7AIQw-7Ms

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Enter for a chance to win a $25 #Amazon #GiftCard!

Enter: www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/5440a3541654

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bethany-Kris is a Canadian author, lover of much, and mother to four young sons, one cat, and two dogs. A small town in Eastern Canada where she was born and raised is where she has always called home. With her boys under her feet, snuggling cat, barking dogs, and a hubby calling over his shoulder, she is nearly always writing something … when she can find the time.

To keep up-to-date with new releases from Bethany-Kris, sign up to her New Release Newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/bf9lzD

Website: http://www.bethanykris.com/

Blog: http://bethanykris.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bethanykriswrites

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bethanykris

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/bethanykris/

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1I6VcSP

Newsletter: http://bit.ly/1TcDSLo

Amazon Author Profile: http://amzn.to/2ay9Gel

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bethany.kris/

Bookbub: https://bit.ly/2JleBSF

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

http://indiesage.com/