Scan barcode
A review by emceeee
See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love by Valarie Kaur
4.0
“'love’ is more than a feeling. love is a form of sweet labor: fierce, bloody, imperfect, and life-giving—a choice we make over and over again.”
part memoir and part handbook for engaging in activism through a framework of “radical love,” see no stranger is by civil rights activist, lawyer, and filmmaker valarie kaur.
with glowing blurbs in the front written by everyone from michelle alexander to tara brach to kamau bell to elizabeth gilbert to reza aslan to america ferrera, there’s no doubt that see no stranger has been deeply impactful to a wide range of people, and it’s no surprise why. in see no stranger, kaur tells a stunning story of overcoming significant personal & systemic obstacles to create a life of advocacy for those in her community.
kaur’s conception of “radical love” is based on the idea that we must actively cultivate a sense of wonder for our communities, our opponents, and ourselves. this, she argues, is necessary to practice effective activism. kaur, who is sikh, grounds this idea in the teaching by guru nanak, the founder of sikhism, that “i see no stranger. i see no enemy.”
kaur’s message of radical love is always necessary, but it feels especially so now. i’ve found it so easy to succumb to hopelessness about the state of the u.s. lately, especially over the last few months. and it’s not like kaur’s work automatically makes that better (after all, what can, when a group of six unelected theocrats is systematically stripping away our fundamental rights? anyway…), but see no stranger left me feeling more energized and reinvigorated about activists’ capacity to enact change, and the importance of that change, even and especially on a local scale.
this book is for you if you’re interested in activism, beautiful writing, spirituality, or incredible women doing incredible things. i think just about everyone can find something important in these pages.
part memoir and part handbook for engaging in activism through a framework of “radical love,” see no stranger is by civil rights activist, lawyer, and filmmaker valarie kaur.
with glowing blurbs in the front written by everyone from michelle alexander to tara brach to kamau bell to elizabeth gilbert to reza aslan to america ferrera, there’s no doubt that see no stranger has been deeply impactful to a wide range of people, and it’s no surprise why. in see no stranger, kaur tells a stunning story of overcoming significant personal & systemic obstacles to create a life of advocacy for those in her community.
kaur’s conception of “radical love” is based on the idea that we must actively cultivate a sense of wonder for our communities, our opponents, and ourselves. this, she argues, is necessary to practice effective activism. kaur, who is sikh, grounds this idea in the teaching by guru nanak, the founder of sikhism, that “i see no stranger. i see no enemy.”
kaur’s message of radical love is always necessary, but it feels especially so now. i’ve found it so easy to succumb to hopelessness about the state of the u.s. lately, especially over the last few months. and it’s not like kaur’s work automatically makes that better (after all, what can, when a group of six unelected theocrats is systematically stripping away our fundamental rights? anyway…), but see no stranger left me feeling more energized and reinvigorated about activists’ capacity to enact change, and the importance of that change, even and especially on a local scale.
this book is for you if you’re interested in activism, beautiful writing, spirituality, or incredible women doing incredible things. i think just about everyone can find something important in these pages.