In the months since Donald Trump has become president, more and more people have become inspired to join the Resistance — whether that means volunteering, campaigning, donating, making calls, educating themselves and others on the issues, or otherwise. Bustle's 31 Days of Reading Resistance takes a look at the role of literature and writing in the Resistance, both as a source of inspiration and as a tool for action.
Former member of the Texas Senate and Deeds Not Words founder Wendy Davis knows a thing or two about resistance. Back in 2013 — long before Donald Trump was a serious contender in the race for the White House — she stood up, literally, for reproductive rights during an 11-hour filibuster that made national headlines and sparked a movement. Davis — and her bright pink running shoes — became instant icons and inspirations to millions of women fighting for access to safe, cost-effective abortions across the country and around the world.
Wendy Davis tells Bustle that one book has played a huge role in inspiring her to resist throughout her lifetime: Simple Justice by Richard Kluger, which chronicles the tumultuous path to desegregation in the United States.
Wendy Davis says: "[The book] details the legal and civil rights struggle to achieve desegregation in our public schools. It is a beautiful book, filled with stories of the actions taken by people who are well known and not so well known, all exhibiting extraordinary courage on behalf of fighting for the civil right to equal education."
"Whenever I feel afraid of putting myself out there and taking a stand, I think of the many heroes and sheroes in this book who overcame much more than I have ever had to do on behalf of an issue important to me, and their example gives me the inspiration to forge ahead," she says.
Follow along all month long for more Reading Resistance book recommendations.
