The Progressive Caucus Global Book Club (‘proDA Book Club’) will start with these books, after which participants will have the opportunity to suggest books.

1. From# BlackLivesMatter to black liberation. Keeanga-Yamahtta.Taylor, Haymarket Books, 2016.
2. Bigger Than Bernie: How We Go from the Sanders Campaign to Democratic Socialism, Micah Uetricht & Meagan Day, 2020.
3. Women, Race and Class, Angela Y. Davis. Vintage, 2011.
4. On fire: The (Burning) case for a Green New Deal, Naomi Klein, 2019.
5. The Populist's Guide to 2020, Krystal Ball and Saagar Enjeti, 2020.
6. America Compromised, Lawrence Lessig, 2018.
7. The Deficit Myth: Modern Monetary Theory and the Birth of the People's Economy: Stephanie Kelton, 2020.
8. The Force of NonViolence: An ethico-political bind, Judith Butler, 2020.

Book Club Co-leaders - Betsy Ettorre and John Esteban Rodriguez (prodabookclub@democratsabroad.org)

Please rsvp for each meeting to receive the zoom link and password: proDA Events 

ProDA Book Club Guidelines

The book Club is open to all members of Democrats Abroad. We hope to meet every month for 90 minutes online on the last Monday at 12.00 pm US Eastern Standard Time; the first 10 minutes will be for an introductory, ice-breaking period. The maximum number of participants will be approximately 15 and this will be on a “first come first serve” basis. Participants will register on the proDA events page. If necessary, there will be a waiting list in case more than 15 people register. Leaders have discretionary capacity to admit participants beyond the 15 participants according to demand. Prior participants may receive advance notice of future meetings. 

The most important thing is for participants to have an interest in book discussions and in reading to increase their progressive consciousness as well as have new experiences within a collective, progressive context. There can also be observers who will not speak, if wanted. This book club is about keeping a balance between having an engaging discussion about the book and in-depth political analyses. 

Participants are highly encouraged to come to the discussion with having read the book, although participants can attend even if they have not finished reading it. We hope that every book club participant will have at least one prepared question/comment on the selected book for discussion for each meeting.  It is also important that the discussion “flow” and be spontaneous. 

Books will be focused on progressive topics and political writers of non-fiction. We strive to create a convivial atmosphere around discussions anchored in the text. For the first 8 months, the books will be selected by the co-chairs. Following this initial period participants will have the opportunity to make suggestions of books to read.

The co-chairs will be the assigned leaders alternating between them each month. Each leader helps to introduce the text and keep discussions focused and on track. We discourage any participant to dominate the discussion and inhibit other participants from contributing. We hope to maintain a gender balance in discussions. 

Participants need to know that if there are access, affordability, etc. problems for a book/books, they should contact co-leaders, John Esteban Rodriguez and Betsy Ettorre (prodabookclub@democratsabroad.org) who will help them with the listed books. Also, participants are directed to the proDA Statement of Beliefs, the Terms of Reference for the Progressive Caucus, and the DA Code of Conduct.