One Book, One San Diego has announced the selections for the 2024 region-wide read: “Know My Name: A Memoir,” by Chanel Miller has been chosen for adult readers; “Victory. Stand! Raising My Fist for Justice,” by Tommie Smith and Derrick Barnes and illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile for teens and tweens; and “Barrio Rising: The Protest that Built Chicano Park,” by María Dolores Águila and illustrated by Magdalena Mora for children.
For Spanish language readers, “Know My Name: A Memoir” and “Barrio Rising: The Protest that Built Chicano Park” are both available in Spanish translation, and will be part of our One Book Sin Fronteras program.
All three books selected for the One Book, One San Diego 2024 season exemplify courage to stand against systems of power. Each title explores personal moments of resistance and resilience that inspired change and activism in others.
Chanel Miller’s breathtaking “Know My Name: A Memoir,” invites readers to get to know Chanel Miller the writer and artist, beyond her identity as “Emily Doe.” Her story illuminates a culture biased to protect perpetrators, indicts a criminal justice system designed to fail the most vulnerable, and, ultimately, shines with the courage required to move through suffering and live a full and beautiful life.
“I am so honored to be participating in One Book, One San Diego this fall. This book is about sexual assault and my journey through the criminal justice system and how isolating and oppressive that process was. But, it’s also about how over time there was this fire building in me and how I was learning to articulate what was happening and learning to absorb the love and support of the people around me. I went from the anonymous Emily Doe in the courtroom to eventually coming forward to reveal my name, Chanel Miller. Ultimately, it’s an exciting and empowering story. I think the fact that San Diego has selected it as a city-wide read signals to all survivors that there is no shame in talking about any of this and we are all here to help each other out,” says Chanel Miller.
On September 18, One Book, One San Diego will host an event featuring an interview with Miller. The author visit is sponsored by the University of San Diego and will be held on their campus. Event details and registration are available at www.kpbs.org/onebook.
During the medal ceremony at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, Tommie Smith, the gold medal winner in the 200-meter sprint, and John Carlos, the bronze medal winner, stood on the podium in black socks and raised their black-gloved fists to protest racial injustice inflicted upon African Americans. Both men were forced to leave the Olympics, received death threats, and faced ostracism and continuing economic hardships. In his first-ever memoir for young readers, Tommie Smith looks back on his childhood and his career, culminating in his historic victory and Olympic podium protest in “Victory. Stand!”
“I wrote this book because I felt like this man (Tommie Smith) is the living epitome of justice, bravery, and fighting for what’s right. He essentially gave his career and his life to protest racism and the mistreatment of Black people in this country and so I am forever indebted to him. I think this book is a cool read for young people because he didn’t come from a life of privilege, he didn’t come from people with money, he didn’t come from a family of activists. He used his God-given ability to stand up for what’s right, because when we know better, we do better,” says Derrick Barnes.
In the decades following WWII, Barrio Logan, one of San Diego’s oldest Chicane neighborhoods, lost their beautiful beach and bayfront to factories, junkyards, and an interstate that divided the neighborhood and forced around 5,000 people out of their homes. Then on April 22, 1970, residents discovered that the construction crew they believed was building a park—one the city had promised them years ago—was actually breaking ground for a police station. That’s when they knew it was time to make their voices heard. “Barrio Rising” invites readers to join a courageous young activist and her neighbors in their successful twelve-day land occupation and beyond, resulting in a colorful park that would become the corazón of San Diego’s Chicane community.
“Illustrator Magdalena Mora and I are thrilled to be the children’s selection for One Book, One San Diego. This book was inspired over 50 years ago when the people of Barrio Logan came together to fight for a park. Being part of One Book, One San Diego is a dream come true. To think that this story will find so many readers fills my heart with joy,” says María Dolores Águila.
Free discussions, film screenings, lectures and workshops around the 2024 selections will be hosted by public libraries and other partner locations throughout fall and winter 2024. Find details at www.kpbs.org/onebook.
About One Book, One San Diego:
Launched in 2007, the program encourages everyone in the San Diego and the Northern Baja region to read and discuss the same book. One Book is selected for four categories of readers: adults, teens, kids and Spanish. It is a partnership, led by KPBS, with the San Diego Public Library, the San Diego County Library, San Diego State University, One Book Sin Fronteras and more than 40 others. The program is funded by the Linden Root Dickinson Foundation, the Seth Sprague Educational and Charitable Foundation, the Payne Family Foundation, the Frieda Berlinski Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, the University of San Diego, the City of San Diego, Lloyd Pest Control, and Francis Parker School.
Press contact:
Heather Milne Barger
hmilne@kpbs.org
