What is the Awakening Library?

Through literature, syllabus, and zines, we hope to amplify the voices of marginalized communities, educate others and ourselves on critical social justice issues, empower marginalized peoples, and incite change. 

Where we can, we provide links to PDFs or other online sources. PAC also has a physical loaning library on campus. It is located in Office of Student Activities BC 108. Otherwise, support your local library or bookstore. This page focuses on non-academic texts, as much as possible, to ensure that it is accessible. However, please note that some of the readings and books suggested may be written for an academic audience in mind, and not just general audience. We have provided a mixture. 

“Create your own committees, build your own institutions, give your friends awards, award yourself, be the gold you wanna hold” – Solange Knowles, 2017

“I want the history of the sands of my birth to be correct; it is not the foreigner who shall teach me the history of my people, I shall be the one to teach it to the foreigner.” – Samuel Mānaiakalani Kamakau, 1865

Racial Communities and Identities

This section consists of resources by, for, and about the experiences, marginalization, and activism in different racial communities in the U.S. PAC chooses to only use texts written by people of color to center their knowledge, especially considering the long history of white people co-opting POC knowledge and creating inaccurate histories of POC communities. It is divided by community: Arab America, Asian America, Black America, Indigenous America, Latinx America, Mixed Race America, and Muslim America. If you have any suggestions on resources to add, please email pac-coordinator@stolaf.edu if you have any suggestions on resources to add.

White Supremacy and Empire

This section has readings about the impacts of racism, marginalization, and white supremacy. This section is divided by topic: racism, colonialism, and whiteness, as well as theoretical framework and further resources. Please email pac-coordinator@stolaf.edu if you have any suggestions on resources to add.

Disability Justice

This section contains resources on ableism, police violence against folks with disabilities, accessibility and inclusion, and more. It is important to work so that social justice movements are inclusive and embracing of everyone’s whole being. Please email pac-coordinator@stolaf.edu if you have any suggestions on resources to add.

Prison, Police, and Violence

This section focuses on violence against and within marginalized communities, specifically related to police brutality, the prison industrial complex, and resistance. Please email pac-coordinator@stolaf.edu if you have any suggestions on resources to add.

Insectional Feminism

This section explores texts related to patriarchy, homophobia, transphobia, and the intersections between other identities and forms of marginality (such as racism). For the most part, we focus on texts by women & non binary folks of color. Reproductive justice and sexual violence readings and resources are included in this section. If you have any suggestions on resources to add, please email pac-coordinator@stolaf.edu if you have any suggestions on resources to add.

Environmental Justice

Environmental justice and climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our times yet movements for justice often exclude the voices of marginalized peoples. These resources explore how and why environmentalism is a racial justice issue; how and why it is a feminist issue. Please email pac-coordinator@stolaf.edu if you have any suggestions on resources to add.