Tuesday February 19, 2013: 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm -- Traverwood Branch: Program Room

Join us for an open discussion of the book that is the focus of this year's Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads - "The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration In The Age Of Colorblindness" by Michelle Alexander.

This discussion, led by Ann Arbor District Library staff, will examine this stunning account of the rebirth of a caste-like system in the United States, one that has resulted in millions of African Americans locked behind bars and then relegated to a permanent second-class status--denied the very rights supposedly won in the Civil Rights Movement.

This event is for adults and teens (grade 9 and up).

Matthew Pillischer, director of this 2012 documentary, will lead a discussion after a screening of the film. Broken On All Sides: Race, Mass Incarceration and New Visions for Criminal Justice in the U.S. focuses on mass incarceration in the U.S. and racial inequalities in the criminal justice system. It discusses the theory that mass incarceration has become "The New Jim Crow" by targeting people of color and allowing much of the discrimination that was legal in the Jim Crow era to be applied to "criminals."

Using interviews with people on many sides of the criminal justice system--including Michelle Alexander the author of the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads book, The New Jim Crow-- the film attempts to answer and provoke questions about the American penal system.

Cosponsored by the UM Community Scholars Program.

Thursday, February 21 | 6 - 8:30 PM | Grade 9 - Adult | Downtown Library Lower Level Multi-Purpose Room

Thursday February 7, 2013: 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm -- Washtenaw Community College - Morris Lawrence Building 4800 East Huron River Drive, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48105 (map)

This 11th annual event focuses on the 2013 Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads book selection "The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration In The Age Of Colorblindness" by Michelle Alexander and will also explore this year's theme Understanding Race.

The Keynote Speaker will be one of America's most influential civil rights attorneys - Connie Rice, Co-Director for the Advancement Project, Los Angeles, and renowned for her unconventional approaches to tackling problems of inequity and exclusion. Rice is also the author of "Power Concedes Nothing: One Woman's Quest for Social Justice in America, from the Courtroom to the Kill Zones".

Doors for this event will open at 6 pm to offer the opportunity to connect with local community agencies and representatives who will be staffing resource tables in the lobby. There will also be time following the event to interact with these local organizations. Copies of "The New Jim Crow" and "Power Concedes Nothing" will be for sale and the event will include a book signing.

Blacking Up explores racial identity through the lens of hip-hop music and culture.
This 2010 documentary examines the popularity of hip-hop among America's white youth, and considers whether this reflects
new racial understanding in white America or reinforces an ugly history of stereotypes.

The director, Robert A. Clift is a filmmaker from Washington, DC, whose previous film, Stealing Home: The Case of Cuban Baseball, appeared nationally on PBS.
He is currently writing his dissertation for the Department of Communication and Culture at Indiana University

A discussion will follow the film.
Cosponsored by the UM Community Scholars Program
Thursday, January 31, 6:00 - 8:30 PM | Downtown Library Multi-Purpose Room

Sunday, January 13, 2013: 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm -- Malletts Creek Branch: Program Room AB

Are you interested is planning and hosting an Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads book discussion for your school or community? This year's theme is 'Understanding Race' and the book for 2013 is The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration In The Age Of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander.

Representatives from the Understanding RACE Project will lead this workshop, presenting tips and tools for leading a discussion of the theme of Race and this award-winning book.

This event is for adults and teens (grade 9 and up).

Saturday January 12, 2013: 10:00 am to 11:00 am -- Pittsfield Branch: Program Room

What makes us different? What makes us the same?

Families will learn about the biological reasons behind skin color, hair texture and explore other inherited genetic traits like the ability to taste certain compounds. Families will also get to perform a DNA extraction.

This event is for grades K-5 with an adult.

Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads 2013 has selected its next book: The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration In The Age Of Colorblindness. This award-winning book is authored by civil rights lawyer, advocate and legal scholar Michelle Alexander.

An eleven-member selection team composed of community members, educators, students and librarians from the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area chose the book last Monday night from a group of three titles, all of which centered on the subject of Understanding Race.

Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads 2013 is scheduled to occur January through February 2013. There will be multiple opportunities for the community to become involved. More information will be continually added before and during the AA/Ypsi Reads 2013 season. follow the Reads site for details and updates. Participate in next year's discussions, and place a hold on your copy!

Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads is a community initiative to promote reading and civic dialogue through the shared experience of reading and discussing a common book.

The theme for the 2013 AA/Ypsi Reads is "Understanding Race." A screening committee has narrowed book choices covering this theme down to three titles: The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration In The Age Of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander; The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie; and Uprooting Racism: How White People Can Work For Social Justice, 3rd revised and expanded edition by Paul Kivel.

A selection committee of community leaders and educators in the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area will meet in late October to choose one of three books as the focus for this year.

You may add your comments about the books through the AA/Ypsi Reads website. Each book's web page has an "add a new comment" section. The selection committee will check the blogs periodically for comments. Locate copies of the books through the AADL catalog!

Tuesday January 31, 2012: 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm -- Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room

Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads 2012 focuses on the book "Born On A Blue Day: Inside The Mind Of An Autistic Savant" by Daniel Tammet. Find out more about autism in this informative lecture by developmental and behavioral pediatrician Rick Solomon MD.

Dr. Solomon will present the most recent scientific evidence related to autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs). He will cover the brain science and genetics of ASDs; demonstrate the diagnostic criteria with video examples; discuss possible causes for the large increase in prevalence, including the controversial relationship between ASD and immunizations/mercury; and overview the evidence for behavioral, developmental, educational and dietary/alternative interventions.

Thursday January 19, 2012: 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm -- Washtenaw Community College - Morris Lawrence Building - 4800 East Huron River Drive, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48105 (Doors open at 6pm).

Focusing on the 2012 Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads book selection "Born On A Blue Day: Inside The Mind Of An Autistic Savant" by Daniel Tammet, this extraordinary evening will feature nationally-known Autism Consultant Dr. Julie Donnelly and (via Skype) Dr. Darold Treffert, one of the world's leading experts on Autistic Savant Syndrome.

Dr. Darold Treffert will discuss Extraordinary Savant Syndrome highlighting recent developments in research on this remarkable condition. He will also discuss and show videos from his interactions with Daniel Tammet (the author of "Born On A Blue Day") and Kim Peek (the original Rain Man).

Dr. Julie A. Donnelly will focus on A Mother's Story: The Account Of Jean-Paul Bovee, her child who was born with classic autism in a time when the advice of medical professionals was to put the child in an institution.

Doors will open at 6 pm to offer the opportunity to connect with community agencies and representatives who will be staffing information tables in the lobby. Copies of the book will also be for sale.

This is a key event for the 2012 Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads program, which this year focuses on the theme of "Language: How We Communicate." Read more about the event here.