Back-to-School Means Back to Justice UUA’s inSpirit Bookstore Offers Titles for Young People Returning to School and Activism

College-aged and high school students who are returning to school over the next few weeks are coming back to campuses that have been radically altered by the socio-political and cultural landscape. In Boston, where the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) is headquartered, and beyond, activist-oriented young people will be going back to the same locations where both their UU and American values – beliefs in the freedom of speech without retaliation, freedom of democracy without repression, diversity of viewpoints and racial and ethnic identity without shame, and sexual and gender identity without fear, among others – are under attack.

Cover image of "Craft & Conscience: How to Write About Social Issues" by Kavita Das. The cover is beige with accents of purple, yellow, red, and white, and several additional authors are named in the title. The book lies on top of a background of shard pottery which includes colors of blue, brown, and white.

Courtesy inSpirit Bookstore

Students who wish to organize in support of these values will be looking for guidance, and the UUA’s inSpirit bookstore is one such place that can help these young people in their quests. Located at the UUA’s headquarters in Boston’s Seaport district and online, visitors of all ages can find titles from the two publishing imprints affiliated with the UUA – Skinner House Books and Beacon Press – along with other social justice-oriented books and publications.

In Good Faith has asked the inSpirit bookstore staff for some recommendations for young people looking for help to either jump start or bolster their activism. All of these books are available at the bookstore and online.

  1. Social Change Now (Skinner House Books): Social Change Now is a powerful roadmap for individuals and organizations who are ready to deepen their commitment to social justice from racial justice advocate Deepa Iyer. The book is also the selection for the 2025-2026 UU Common Read. .
  2. Through the Lens of Whiteness (Skinner House Books): By authors Diane S. Grimes and Liz Cooney, Through the Lens of Whiteness is an essential resource for anyone who wants to enter the next stage of their antiracist journey—recognizing, analyzing, and confronting the perpetuation of racism in our visual world.
  3. Craft and Conscience (Beacon Press): With Craft and Conscience, author Kavita Das helps writers weave together their narrative craft, analytical and research skills, and conscience to create prose which makes us feel the individual and collective impact of crucial issues of our time.
  4. Just Making (Broadleaf Books): From award-winning author Mitali Perkins comes an essential companion for writers, artists, and other creatives who long for a more just world. Just Making introduces us to strategies such as forgetfulness in flow, tenderness in trauma, and crossing borders.
Cover of "Calling In: How to Start Making Change with Those You'd Rather Cancel" by Loretta J. Ross. The cover is yellow with a red arrow that curls around the title, which is in white and purple. The subtitle is in purple and the author's name is in white. The book lies against a bright purple, blue, and pink backpack with green trees in the distance.

Courtesy inSpirit Bookstore

  1. Calling In (Simon & Schuster): Courageous, awe-inspiring, and blisteringly authentic, Calling In is a practical new solution from one of our country’s most extraordinary change-makers, Loretta J. Ross — one anyone can learn to use to transform frustrating and divisive conflicts that stand in the way of real connection with the people in your life.

The inSpirit bookstore is here to help those searching for truth and meaning through a curated selection of books and merchandise centering the progressive topics of justice and equity, spirituality, and community relevant to our unique time and place in the world. Those interested in purchasing the books mentioned above or other titles can do so at the bookstore’s location in Boston or online. You can learn more at the inSpirit website.