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zeywop's review
challenging
reflective
fast-paced
My first read of this since I was 13 (23 at time of writing). It’s funny to re-read it now because despite being a book whose conclusions are all “improve society by performing beyond expectations, not with activism”; this book is foundational to my activism. I remembered this book as a harrowing account of racism and the acts described, both mundane and horrific, haunted me for years. But Owens largely argues against militant behaviors.
The quotes on the inside cover that are pulled from the book, construct a narrative that feels entirely divorced from the stories that Owens tells. This may explain the vitriol I have seen this, otherwise largely forgotten, memoir receive. But these brief statements, so prominently displayed, feel completely incongruous with the rest of its’ contents. Every story Owens shares feels meant to radicalize. Even in his criticisms of militant movements, Owens empathizes and largely agrees with their sentiments.
His criticisms seem to be primarily about how many people within the movement are in it for less than scrupulous reasons. This is speaking outside his main argument though, against what he refers to as “blackthink”. Owens is staunchly anti-separatist and seems to have allowed his negative experiences with profiteering from black empowerment movements and separatists to color his opinions about how the civil rights movement exists without Dr. King.
For context the book was published right after the assassination of King (information about publication is dubious, as some analyses I read state that the original version of the book was released in 1968 before the W.M.&C version was published in 1970).
The copy I read of this at 13 was my fathers. The copy I read this time was one I purchased from a used book seller for $45 that is thoroughly used and full of annotations from at least two different owners. Based on what’s annotated, I think previous readers also saw what I did in this book. A man conflicted about how to do the right thing. A theme is repeated throughout the book, about fear of moving trying to move on because it could be worse than where you are now. Henry Owens’ fear of leaving Alabama share-cropping post reconstruction, Jesse Owens fear of accepting offers from schools. A moment of wisdom passed from his farther about how you could go right back down to the bottom no matter how high you climbed. Jesse finding himself back at the bottom after the 1936 olympics. Though this is never said in text, based on Owens’ philosophy on how to handle racism (“…no matter how bad there is, the very best way to get rid of it is by exposing the good. … Plant next to prejudice another tree that grows so big and high that discrimination has to wither and die.” p.132) I suspect he may have harbored a fear that if people tried to change too much too quickly; society would revolt and shove Black Americans back down to the very bottom. I don’t know. Maybe I’m just making excuses for a man I admired. As an athlete but also as a human. As the person whose writing confronted me with the violent and recent truth of racism. There’s lots I disagree with in here and some things stated that are flat out wrong or reductive. But I don’t think that lessens the value of this book. It’s what makes it worth reading.
I’d like to read the follow up to this memoir, I Have Changed, that was published a couple years later that seems to be Owens recanting many of his criticisms towards black empowerment movements. I’d like to see what Owens felt he needed to set the record straight about. He’s a man that seems very set in his perspective though not necessarily in his views.
This is a book that requires interrogation of both your experiences and the authors. Blackthink tackles ideas and arguments that remain relevant to this day and if you come away from it without any questions about how we have or haven’t changed in the last half century, or how we should evaluate and behave in society… ask yourself why you didn’t, I guess. I don’t think books dealing with issues this important get much more accessible than this without shying away from the facts of history.
The quotes on the inside cover that are pulled from the book, construct a narrative that feels entirely divorced from the stories that Owens tells. This may explain the vitriol I have seen this, otherwise largely forgotten, memoir receive. But these brief statements, so prominently displayed, feel completely incongruous with the rest of its’ contents. Every story Owens shares feels meant to radicalize. Even in his criticisms of militant movements, Owens empathizes and largely agrees with their sentiments.
His criticisms seem to be primarily about how many people within the movement are in it for less than scrupulous reasons. This is speaking outside his main argument though, against what he refers to as “blackthink”. Owens is staunchly anti-separatist and seems to have allowed his negative experiences with profiteering from black empowerment movements and separatists to color his opinions about how the civil rights movement exists without Dr. King.
For context the book was published right after the assassination of King (information about publication is dubious, as some analyses I read state that the original version of the book was released in 1968 before the W.M.&C version was published in 1970).
The copy I read of this at 13 was my fathers. The copy I read this time was one I purchased from a used book seller for $45 that is thoroughly used and full of annotations from at least two different owners. Based on what’s annotated, I think previous readers also saw what I did in this book. A man conflicted about how to do the right thing. A theme is repeated throughout the book, about fear of moving trying to move on because it could be worse than where you are now. Henry Owens’ fear of leaving Alabama share-cropping post reconstruction, Jesse Owens fear of accepting offers from schools. A moment of wisdom passed from his farther about how you could go right back down to the bottom no matter how high you climbed. Jesse finding himself back at the bottom after the 1936 olympics. Though this is never said in text, based on Owens’ philosophy on how to handle racism (“…no matter how bad there is, the very best way to get rid of it is by exposing the good. … Plant next to prejudice another tree that grows so big and high that discrimination has to wither and die.” p.132) I suspect he may have harbored a fear that if people tried to change too much too quickly; society would revolt and shove Black Americans back down to the very bottom. I don’t know. Maybe I’m just making excuses for a man I admired. As an athlete but also as a human. As the person whose writing confronted me with the violent and recent truth of racism. There’s lots I disagree with in here and some things stated that are flat out wrong or reductive. But I don’t think that lessens the value of this book. It’s what makes it worth reading.
I’d like to read the follow up to this memoir, I Have Changed, that was published a couple years later that seems to be Owens recanting many of his criticisms towards black empowerment movements. I’d like to see what Owens felt he needed to set the record straight about. He’s a man that seems very set in his perspective though not necessarily in his views.
This is a book that requires interrogation of both your experiences and the authors. Blackthink tackles ideas and arguments that remain relevant to this day and if you come away from it without any questions about how we have or haven’t changed in the last half century, or how we should evaluate and behave in society… ask yourself why you didn’t, I guess. I don’t think books dealing with issues this important get much more accessible than this without shying away from the facts of history.
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