“Shakilisararejewelintheworkofwhatitmeanstoheal,repair,andtakeresponsibility...Thisbookisrequiredreadingforanyoneinterestedinbuildingaloving,justanddiverseworld.“--SenseiKoshinPaleyEllison,Zenteacher&authorofWholehearted:SlowDown,HelpOut,WakeUpRacialjusticewithoutshameorblame.Road-testedtoolstostartmakingadifferencetoday.InDeepDiversity,award-winningracialjusticeeducatorShakilChoudhuryexplorestheemotionallyloadedtopicofracismusingacompassionate,scientificapproachthateveryonecanunderstand--whetheryouareBlack,Indigenous,apersonofcolor(BIPOC),orwhite.WithclearlanguageandengagingstoriesthatwillappealtoreadersofBren矇BrownandMalcomGladwell,Choudhuryexplainshowandwhywell-intentionedpeoplecanperpetuatesystemsofoppression,oftenunconsciously.Usingatrauma-informedapproachthatremovesshameorblame,heoffersusthetoolstorecognize,takeauthenticresponsibility,andenactdeepchange.Ineasy-to-absorbchapters,Choudhuryinterweavesresearchintothebrainandstudiesonhumanbehaviorwithhard-wonlessonsfromhiscareerofhelpingorganizationsandCEOscreatemoreinclusiveenvironments.Hemodelsvulnerabilityandmistake-making,sharingexamplesofhisownbias-misstepssoreadersareencouragedintotheirownracialjusticejourneywithoutjudgment.Readerswillcomeawayfromthebookwithpracticaltoolsandanunderstandingof:Howtobecomesasystemsthinkerbydeveloping“racialpatternrecognition“skillsinordertochallengeracismandotherformsofsystemicdiscriminationwhenweencounterthem,whileminimizingthetendencytoshameorblameourselvesorothers.Howtorecognizewhentheunconsciousinfluenceofbias,identity,emotions,orpowercontradictourbeliefsaboutequality,andhowtorealignourthoughts/words/actions.Howtobreaktheracial“prejudicehabits“wehaveallbeensocializedintosincebirth,usingresearch-basedstrategies.Howtheriseinauthoritarianismandincomeinequality(amongotherfactors)contributetoariseinhatecrimesandracialdiscrimination,andwhattodoaboutit.Traditionalapproachestoanti-racismoverlyrelyonanalyzinghistorytoexplainsystemicdiscrimination,whichonlytellsusapartofthestory.What’smissing,Choudhuryargues,istounderstandwhyhumansdowhatwedo,theevolutionaryimpulsesunderlyingourgroup-ishnatureandourstruggleswithpower,bias,andsocialdominance.Thisiswhypsychologyandneuroscienceperspectivesarecriticaltointegrateintoanti-racistwork,asispracticingcompassionforourselvesandforothers.DeepDiversityisaunique,evidence-basedapproachtoracialjusticethatseekstoovercomefeelingsofshamethatsooftenblockourprogressandpreventdeepchangeatindividualandsystemiclevels.DeepDiversitymeetsyouwhereyou’reat,regardlessofyouridentity,class,ability,orbeliefsystem,andinvitesyoutocomealongonajourneyofself-discovery,socialawareness,andlifelonglearning.It’sonlyjustbegun.“Choudhurydrawsonheart-touchingstories,researchonthebrain,andhard-wonlessonsfromreal-worldinterventionstoofferusefulstrategiestoknowourselves,andothersbetter.“--NewYorkTimes-bestsellingauthorofBuddha’sBrain,RickHanson
