Saphire Ruiz
Boston Latin Academy, Senior
Saphire Ruiz is a senior at Boston Latin Academy and participant of the Boston Youth Leadership Initiative. She loves reading and listening to music, and is incredibly passionate about social justice and activism. She will be attending Hamilton College in the upcoming fall and plans to double major in history and political science.
Content
Assata: An Autobiography
Brief Intro:
I chose this book because I think it tells the story of a side of America and the movement for Black liberation that often isn’t told or isn’t told completely. I think it is incredibly important to learn about these forgotten – and often villainized – leaders and be exposed to points of views and experiences many of us are often not exposed to.
Questions
Saphire’s Discussion Questions (PDF For Print)
- What are our responsibilities in fighting oppression? What if you’re the oppressed? What if you’re the oppressor?
- How does not learning the full history of marginalized peoples affect your ability to fight against oppression either as a marginalized person or as someone who stands with marginalized folks in solidarity?
- Discuss some of the parallels between the events she describes and the ones we see today (e.g. police brutality).
- How has learning about her experiences as a Black woman fighting for change affected your own ideas about race relations in America and fighting for change in America?
- How do you personally support change?