Cover Art copyright 2020 by Chuck Styles, used under Fair Use for Educational Purposes
"Every week, seventeen-year-old Tracy Beaumont writes letters to Innocence X, asking them to help her father, an innocent Black man on death row. After seven years, Tracy is running out of time—her dad has 267 days left.
Then one night changes everything. The police arrive, pounding on the door, and Tracy’s older brother, Jamal, goes from being a bright, promising track star to a 'thug' on the run, accused of killing a white girl. Determined to save her brother, Tracy investigates what really happened between Jamal and Angela down at the Pike. And as Tracy discovers the racist history that still haunts her small town’s present, she begins to wonder if she’s lighting the torch that will illuminate her family’s innocence...or lighting the fuse that will cause her world to explode.
Kim Johnson’s gripping debut is a revelation—an incendiary, crucial look at the American justice system delivered as an uplifting read where love conquers hate and justice is delivered in the face of injustice."
-Book synopsis from the author's website
The 2020-2021 Common Reading theme is Listen. Learn. Act. The Fall Term featured the 1619 Project Podcast. With the announcement of the novel, This is My America by Kim Johnson, for Winter Term, new sections of this guide have been added to explore further themes and topics presented in the novel. Explore the subpages using the side navigation or these links:
If you have comments, suggestions, or questions, please visit the Acknowledging Challenging Content section of this guide. Please also see the Additional Resources & FAQs page for some further information about how this guide was developed.
If you are a First-Year Student at UO, you will receive a copy of Kimberly Johnson's book through the Common Reading Program.
The UO Libraries also has several print copies and a 1-user licensed eBook available. If these aren't available, you might check out your local public library on the Libby App for an eBook or audio book!
This Is My America by
"Incredible and searing." --Nic Stone, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dear Martin The Hate U Give meets Just Mercy in this unflinching yet uplifting first novel that explores the racist injustices in the American justice system. Every week, seventeen-year-old Tracy Beaumont writes letters to Innocence X, asking the organization to help her father, an innocent Black man on death row. After seven years, Tracy is running out of time--her dad has only 267 days left. Then the unthinkable happens. The police arrive in the night, and Tracy's older brother, Jamal, goes from being a bright, promising track star to a "thug" on the run, accused of killing a white girl. Determined to save her brother, Tracy investigates what really happened between Jamal and Angela down at the Pike. But will Tracy and her family survive the uncovering of the skeletons of their Texas town's racist history that still haunt the present? Fans of Nic Stone, Tiffany D. Jackson, and Jason Reynolds won't want to miss this provocative and gripping debut.
This is My America by Each page of the guide features titles that relate to the page themes. The links below take you to some special sections with recommended works that we have highlighted for you:
Tracy's Corner for JusticeIn the novel, Tracy Beaumont's tireless efforts on behalf of her father bring a lawyer from Innocence X to help with their case. She doesn't stop there, Tracy decides to launch a Corner for Justice podcast to highlight issues of injustice. According to the Author's Note, Kimberly Johnson envisions "Tracy's Corner" as a way she would call other students to action.
How I Resist: Activism and Hope for a New Generation by
"Now, more than ever, young people are motivated to make a difference in a world they're bound to inherit. They're ready to stand up and be heard - but with much to shout about, where they do they begin? What can I do? How can I help? How I Resist is the response, and a way to start the conversation. To show readers that they are not helpless, and that anyone can be the change. A collection of essays, songs, illustrations, and interviews about activism and hope, How I Resist features an all-star group of contributors, including, John Paul Brammer, Libba Bray, Lauren Duca, Modern Family's Jesse Tyler Ferguson and his husband Justin Mikita, Alex Gino, Hebh Jamal, Malinda Lo, Dylan Marron, Hamilton star Javier Muñoz, Rosie O'Donnell, Junauda Petrus, Jodi Picoult, Jason Reynolds, Karuna Riazi, Maya Rupert, Dana Schwartz, Dan Sinker, Ali Stroker, Jonny Sun (aka @jonnysun), Sabaa Tahir, Shaina Taub, Daniel Watts, Jennifer Weiner, Jacqueline Woodson, and more, all edited and compiled by New York Times bestselling author Maureen Johnson and Lambda-winning novelist Tim Federle. In How I Resist, readers will find hope and support through voices that are at turns personal, funny, irreverent, and instructive. Not just for a young adult audience, this incredibly impactful collection will appeal to readers of all ages who are feeling adrift and looking for guidance. How I Resist is the kind of book people will be discussing for years to come and a staple on bookshelves for generations."
Take the Mic: Fictional Stories of Everyday Resistance by
"A young adult anthology featuring fictional stories of everyday resistance.You might be the kind of person who stands up to online trolls.Or who marches to protest injustice.Perhaps you are #DisabledAndCute and dancing around your living room, alive and proud.Or perhaps you are the trans mentor that you wish you had when you were younger.Maybe you call out false allies, or stand up to loved ones. Maybe you speak your truth and drop the mic, or maybe you take it with you when you leave.This anthology features fictional stories--in poems, prose, and art--that reflect a slice of the varied and limitless ways that readers like you resist every day. Take the Mic's powerful collection of stories features work by literary luminaries and emerging talent alike, including Newbery-winner Jason Reynolds, New York Times bestseller Samira Ahmed, anthologist and contributor Bethany C. Morrow, Darcie Little Badger, Keah Brown, Laura Silverman, L.D. Lewis, Sofia Quintero, Ray Stoeve, Yamile Mendez, and Connie Sun, with cover and interior art by Richie Pope."
When They Call You a Terrorist (Young Adult Edition) by
Patrisse Khan-Cullors' and asha bandele's instantNew York Times bestseller,When They Call You a Terrorist is now adapted for the YA audience with photos and journal entries! A movement that started with a hashtag--#BlackLivesMatter--on Twitter spread across the nation and then across the world. From one of the co-founders of the Black Lives Matter movement comes a poetic memoir and reflection on humanity. Necessary and timely, Patrisse Khan-Cullors' story asks us to remember that protest in the interest of the most vulnerable comes from love. Leaders of the Black Lives Matter movement have been called terrorists, a threat to America. But in truth, they are loving women whose life experiences have led them to seek justice for those victimized by the powerful. In this meaningful, empowering account of survival, strength, and resilience, Cullors and asha bandele seek to change the culture that declares innocent black life expendable.
"Young people are bringing me joy. They are also giving me hope in the future because they are shaping the conversation to explore things we almost thought were unimaginable to resolve." -Kimberly Johnson, in an interview with Edi Campbell
Kimberly Johnson grew up in Eugene. She developed an interest in social justice early on and got involved with the NAACP youth chapter. We are fortunate in the UO community to know Assistant Vice Provost Kimberly Johnson* through her work in Undergraduate Education and Student Success (UESS) overseeing the development of a cohesive and unified advising system campus wide in and as Director for the Center for Multicultural Academic Excellence (DEI).
According to her author's website, she "held leadership positions in social justice organizations as a teen and in college. She’s now a college administrator who in her personal time continues involvement in service organizations and mentoring Black students. She is also the graduate advisor and member of an historically Black sorority [Alpha Kappa Alpha]. This Is My America is her debut novel and explores racial injustice against innocent Black men who are criminally sentenced and the families left behind to pick up the pieces. She holds degrees from the University of Oregon and the University of Maryland, College Park.
This is My America has received much praise; NPR’s Book Concierge Best Books of 2020; Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2020; Cosmopolitan Best YA Books of 2020; The 2021 Spirit of Texas; 2020 YALSA Nominee; July 2020 Amazon pick, Shortlist for the 2021 Pacific Northwest Book Award, and a Goodreads Choice Awards Semifinalist."
*As of 6/10/2021, Kimberly Johnson is the UO's Vice Provost for the Division of Undergraduate Education and Student Success
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