Student Activism Focus of 2020-2021 Go Big Read Book

The 2020-2021 Go Big Read book has been announced! This year’s book will be Parkland: Birth of a Movement by two-time New York Times Bestselling author, Dave Cullen.

Parkland focuses on the student activism that arose out of a tragic event. Cullen chronicles the transformation of pain and anger into one of the largest marches and movement’s in America’s history, all done by students. By following the students of the March for Our Lives Movement, Cullen shows both the struggles and the triumphs of young people creating change.

As Chancellor Rebecca Blank said in her statement about the relevance of this book to UW-Madison, “[this campus] has a long history of activism by students that has raised important issues and brought about positive changes to our campus.”

So, as the Go Big Read Program moves into its eleventh year, the goal of choosing a book that generates conversations about challenging and timely topics remains.

For more information on Dave Cullen and Parkland, check out the publisher’s website: Parkland: Birth of a Movement.

Olivia Poches

Student Assistant, Go Big Read Office