Many of us want to get involved in important social justice conversations, but aren’t sure where to begin, or may even end up causing unintentional harm as we fumble and make mistakes. Sometimes our hasty actions can lead to “performative allyship” that leaves those who are already marginalized feeling exhausted and further burdened. So how could we be a part of the movement in a more thoughtful, grounded way?
In The Wake Up, Michelle MiJung Kim deep dives into the nuanced work of pursuing equity and justice with a masterful balance of compassion and criticality. Through a mix of in-the-trenches narrative and accessible unpacking of hot button issues like inclusive language, representation, and “cancel culture,” The Wake Up is packed with actionable strategies and timeless frameworks that will guide us to transform ourselves in order to transform the world. The Wake Up will push you to the edge of your comfort zones (and beyond) in thoughtful, powerful, and necessary ways.
On BookClub, Michelle joins author, entrepreneur, and BookClub host Arlan Hamilton for a discussion on the topics covered by her book, the importance of healing racial trauma, and why joy and community are such an important part of the work. Their discussion asks what readers are willing to give up for equity and justice, and pushes readers to consider how they might become better allies.
Michelle MiJung Kim (she/her) is a queer immigrant Korean American woman writer, speaker, activist, and entrepreneur. She is the author of The Wake Up (Hachette, Fall 2021). She is CEO and co-founder of Awaken, a leading provider of interactive equity and inclusion education programs facilitated by majority BIPOC educators, where she has consulted hundreds of organizations and top executives from Fortune 500, tech giants, nonprofits, and government agencies to spark meaningful change.
Michelle has been a lifelong social justice activist and has served on a variety of organizations such as the San Francisco LGBTQ Speakers Bureau, San Francisco Human Rights Commission’s Advisory Committee, LYRIC nonprofit’s Board of Directors, and Build Tech We Trust Coalition. Michelle currently serves on the board of Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality (AACRE). Her work has appeared on world-renowned platforms such as Harvard Business Review, Forbes, The New York Times, and NPR, and she has been named Medium’s Top Writer in Diversity three years in a row. She lives in Oakland, California.
Watch her answer the above questions in our exclusive author Q&A.
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