Iserotope Extras - Issue #23

By Mark Isero • Issue #23 • View online

Hey, it’s the 23rd issue (already) of Iserotope Extras! This week’s articles run the gamut: (1) how mothers are self-identifying; (2) how students in Chicago are fighting back against the firing of their school librarian; (3) how prison guards in New York mistreated a dying inmate; and (4) how teenagers are broadcasting their endless hours of hanging out. Enjoy!

The Rise of ‘Mama’

This article tracks the rise of “mama” (as opposed to mom and mommy) as a way for white women to reframe their role as mothers. But there’s much more here: cultural appropriation, the women’s movement, Betty Friedan, and more.

blog.longreads.com

A Librarian in Chicago Is Let Go, and Students Protest

It’s a nationwide trend that schools are closing their libraries or cutting their librarians. But the cuts are inequitable. In Chicago, the more African American your student body is, the less chance you get a librarian. Read about the student protest at DuSable High School, which has had a librarian since 1936—until last week.

www.washingtonpost.com

Students are writing thank-you cards to generous donors who have contributed to the Kindle Classroom Project, the program I run to promote reading among urban high school students in the Bay Area. Here’s one of them — from Precious, a ninth grader in San Francisco.

An Inmate Dies, and No One Is Punished

Several of you may have read this disturbing article. The 2010 death of Leonard Strickland would have probably been forgotten by all but the officers and inmates at Clinton Correctional Facility. Then a breakout brought attention to the prison’s secrets. (Warning: Don’t watch the video.)

www.nytimes.com

YouNow, a live-streaming social network, is making stars

Move over YouTube. Everyone (well, at least teenagers) are on YouNow now. Which means: They’re hanging out, sitting around, talking—all online, for hours and hours.

www.slate.com

Hey, we’re going into the end of the year! I’ll see you next on Xmas Eve. For those of you who celebrate the holiday, feel free to share these articles with your family. They could spark a discussion! Enjoy your week.

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By Mark Isero

The best of the week on race, education, and culture.

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