Beacon Press

Beacon Press is an independent publisher of serious non-fiction and fiction. Our books often change the way readers think about fundamental issues; they promote such values as freedom of speech and thought; diversity, religious pluralism, and anti-racism; and respect for diversity in all areas of life. Visit our website at www.beacon.org.

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"My aim here is to tell a story of Christian life in five objects, with frequent reference to the human body that connects and corresponds with these objects. This history does not pretend to be comprehensive, nor is it a 'greatest hits' of Christian material history. It does aim to reorient our gaze and to help us understand faith as derived from rudimentary experiences and lived, embodied practices." —S. Brent Plate, author of A History of Religion in 5 1/2 Objects

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Sheryll Cashin was interviewed on "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" about the Supreme Court's recent decision upholding Michigan's ban on using race as a factor in public university admissions. Watch the segment online now.

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If ever there was a week America needed to be reminded of James Baldwin’s voice, it’s this one, and I’m so glad he’s cleared his throat yet again.

James Baldwin Reappeared Just When We Needed Him Most : NPR

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Getting the Facts Straight About Retirement

The Myths beind 401(k) plans:

Myth: The 401(k) plans are cheaper for employers and employees than traditional pensions.

Myth: Social Security is going broke and therefore needs to be privatized or reduce its benefits.

Myth: Unfunded liabilities of overly generous public employee pensions will require taxpayer bailouts.

Check out our blog find out more and learn about the retirement crisis. 

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The Leonard Lopate Show: The Post-Apartheid Generation in South Africa

This spring, South Africa will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the fall of apartheid and the first free elections. Although the country has come far, the inequalities that once divided the races now grow within them. In After Freedom: The Rise of the Post-Apartheid Generation in Democratic South Africa, award-winning sociologist Katherine S. Newman and Ariane De Lannoy profile seven people—black, white, “coloured,” and immigrant—to reveal what life is like in South Africa today.

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17 Quirky, Cool Bookends To Organize Your Shelves In Style

Have you seen these clever bookends on HuffPost Books? It was tough to choose a favorite but this one clearly has all of its priorities straight:

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Gorgeous Illustrations Of Famous Writers' Lives

Happy Friday Folks! Check out these amazing illustrations of famous author's lives with fun facts over on HuffPost Books.

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Reports of autism cases per 1,000 children grew dramatically in the US from 1996 to 2007.

For more info about autism and overdiagnosis, read our Q&A with Dr. Enrico Gnaulati. 

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James Baldwin, Born 90 Years Ago, Is Fading in Classrooms

James Baldwin, the Harlem-born author of the classic “Go Tell It on the Mountain,” was born 90 years ago this year, and educators are trying to inspire renewed interest in his work.

Pick up a copy of Jimmy's Blues and Other Poems by James Baldwin. 

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'I bet you feel lucky," and other 16 Things To Never Say To An Adopted Person

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Tomorrow, the White House will announce new measures to deal with campus sexual assault. 

The recommendations, from a task force appointed by President Obama in January and headed by Vice President Biden, include publicizing enforcement data, issuing guidelines about confidentiality, and requiring colleges and universities to survey their students on their experiences with sexual assault.

“Colleges and universities need to face the facts about sexual assault,” Biden said in a statement. “No more turning a blind eye or pretending it doesn’t exist. … And we need to bring the perpetrators to justice.”

Photo: President Obama signs a memorandum creating the task force on Jan. 22, 2014. Credit: Carolyn Kaster / Associated Press

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Happy Birthday Dorothea Dix

Appalled at the conditions of Massachusetts’ mental institutions Dix published “Memorial to the Legislature of Massachusetts” in 1843, listing the horrors of every asylum in the state. She went on to be one of the first to advocate for improved asylum conditions. To read about other advocates and a history of disability from pre-1492 to the present, check out Kim Nielsen’s A Disability History of the United States.

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D.C. Launches First Ever Transgender Respect Ad Campaign

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This campaign has a lot of awesome stuff going for it.

1) Transgender PoC make up about half the face of the campaign.

2) There is a genderqueer person (!!) and their caption respectfully uses “person” instead of man or woman.

3) Plus-sized trans* people for the win!

4) Finally a campaign explicitly for trans* people that emphasizes our deserving respect and courtesy.

5) The transgender women and men are included in “any woman/man” which is huge because it emphasizes that trans* women and men are women and men too; it leaves no room for argument and doesn’t turn it into a debate about genitals.

6) Emphasis on our being a part of the communities we live in. We aren’t any different than anyone else.

I really love the DC Transgender Respect campaign and I wish more states and cities would launch stuff like this!

- Jax

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Real proud of my hometown today.

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Learn more here. A very cool idea! 

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Igniting Hearts and Minds: Beacon Press Celebrates 160 Years of Publishing - Beacon Broadside

Beacon Press unveils a new logo to commemorate 160 years of publishing groundbreaking, thought-provoking books, and guide readers to the issues, ideas, and values that will ignite their hearts and minds.