Melissa Ford

Uncovering the social revolution led by Black women in the heartland In this first study of Black radicalism in midwestern cities before the civil rights movement, Melissa Ford connects the activism of Black women who championed justice during the Great Depression to those involved in the Ferguson Uprising and the Black Lives Matter movement. A Brick and a Bible examines how African American working-class women, many of whom had just migrated to “the promised land” only to find hunger, cold, and unemployment, forged a region of revolutionary potential. A Brick and a Bible theorizes a tradition of Midwestern Black radicalism, a praxis-based ideology informed by but divergent from American Communism. Midwestern Black radicalism that contests that interlocking systems of oppression directly relates the distinct racial, political, geographic, economic, and gendered characteristics that make up the American heartland. This volume illustrates how, at the risk of their careers, their reputations, and even their lives, African American working-class women in the Midwest used their position to shape a unique form of social activism. Case studies of Detroit, St. Louis, Chicago, and Cleveland—hotbeds of radical activism—follow African American women across the Midwest as they participated in the Ford Hunger March, organized the Funsten Nut Pickers’ strike, led the Sopkin Dressmakers’ strike, and supported the Unemployed Councils and the Scottsboro Boys’ defense. Ford profoundly reimagines how we remember and interpret these “ordinary” women doing extraordinary things across the heartland. Once overlooked, their activism shaped a radical tradition in midwestern cities that continues to be seen in cities like Ferguson and Minneapolis today.

In the future, there are going to be millions of jobs with no one to fill them if more kids don't learn how to code. So why aren't more kids learning to program? Some think it's too hard, and others don't have parents who can help them because they don't know programming themselves. Learning to code with a tool like Scratch, an open source programming platform maintained by MIT, and having fun goals, like writing games, just might make a difference. That's where this book comes in. Hello, Scratch! is a how-to book that helps parents and kids work together to learn programming skills by creating new versions of old retro-style arcade games with Scratch. By building games, readers not only create fun finished products, but they'll learn important programming skills along the way. By the time readers are done, they'll be able to create their own games and understand the basics of computer programming and game design. Key Features: · Introduction to Scratch · Easy to follow examples · Step-by-step guide This book is for kids and their parents who want to learn to program while creating games. No programming experience needed! About the Technology: Scratch is a drag-and-drop programming language created by the college Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). What can you make with Scratch? The short answer is anything.

Author of the extremely successful blog Stirrup Queens and Sperm Palace Jesters, Melissa Ford presents readers with a guide for navigating the complex world of infertility. The Land of If got its name not only because IF" is the abbreviation for infertility" in the online world, but also because there are so many ifs" inherent in being here. No stranger to the Land of If herself, Ford shares her hard-earned knowledge and insights, helping couples struggling with infertility understand the lingo, learn the details doctors tend to leave out, and keep their emotional sanity despite seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Navigating the Land of If gives the nitty-gritty on injections, rejections, biting your tongue during happy parent-to-be conversations, and trying not to cry over baby shower invitations. With chapters that include how-to's for same-sex couples, and present adoption or remaining child-free as plausible alternatives, Ford tells you exactly what you need to know, from one infertile to another.