National Read Woke Challenge Comes To Shorewood

SHOREWOOD, WI —The Shorewood Public Library is participating in the national Read Woke Challenge, a program that invites children, teens and adults to read books that challenge social norms, give voice to the voiceless and provide information about groups that have been disenfranchised.

The challenge began earlier this year, and runs through August 31. Readers who want to take part should sign up on the library website. Participants can earn badges for each book they read and will be entered into a drawing for gift cards to local bookstores.

The Read Woke Challenge was founded by Cicely Lewis, the school librarian at Meadowcreek High School in Norcross, Georgia. According to the Read Woke website, the challenge began in 2017 in response to the shootings of unarmed black boys, the repeal of DACA and the lack of diversity in young adult literature.

Lewis initially required her own students to read woke, and the movement has since spread across the nation and the world.

"(Read Woke) is a feeling, a form of education, a call to action and our right as lifelong learners," Lewis said. "It means arming yourself with the knowledge to protect your rights and learning about others so you treat people with respect and dignity no matter their religion, race, creed or color."