Goodnight Racism

Goodnight Racism

Picture book
Many of us have ushered our children to sleep by reading
Margaret Wise Brown's classic (as in published before I was born)
Goodnight Moon. My baby is twenty-five and I can still recite parts
from memory.
So maybe it's time to move on. Maybe it's time for a narrative
that challenges rather than romanticizes how we see the world. Most
certainly it's time to add Ibram X. Kendi's Goodnight Racism to the
old bedtime story line up.
Kendi's moon looks down on a world of inequality where many kids
lack the basics such as food and shelter. But when they drift off to
sleep children dream of a more just world.
"A world where all kids have the same chance
to have peace,
to have joy,
to have a childhood."
The text is sparse. But every phrase carries its weight,
creating a realm of meaning. Take "to have a childhood." In America
most of us assume that's universal. But last week an international
student from Tanzania was describing situations of such dire poverty
that kids who in Maine would be starting kindergarten in carefully
chosen outfits are laboring in factories or scavenging dump heaps for
anything salable.
If you have little ones or grands you owe it to them to add
Goodnight Racism to their bedtime story line up. The world needs them
to dream of a better future
"A world where our rules open doors,
open minds,
and create equity
and justice for all"
and work with us to achieve it.
On a purrrsonal note, by the time we opened the doors on Clean Sweep
there was already a good sized line to get in. The people were extra
excited because this was the first time since 2019 we'd been able to
carry out this beloved tradition. Much of Friday we were swamped.
For hours the check out line extended all the way from front to back
of the ice hockey arena and off to one side. Saturday was more
leisurely although we still had plenty of customers. People were so
excited about their purchases and telling their stories. One couple,
for example, was buying chairs for their first apartment. The Clean
Sweep magic was very much alive and well. Lisa had thought we might
be well below our 2019 record earnings because we didn't have a lot of
big furniture. But now she's revising her estimate upward. I'll let
you know how much we took in when I find out. (Jules)
I have a new cat bed. It just doesn't smell right. (Tobago)
A great big shout out to all our Clean Sweep customers whose money
will go to important programs benefitting UMaine students such as
Black Bear Exchange.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway



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