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tjonesnp09's review
4.0
The Shakur Family!
Political, prominent and passionate about oppressed people of color.
Wanting justice, and equality for all, Santi E. Holley takes us all the way back to the beginning: Salahudeen, Lumumba, Odinga, Mutulu, Assata, and Afeni. There are many Shakurs, right down to Parish Lesane Crooks, who truly have helped shaped this nation; enter the Black Panthers!
With entrepreneurship, Islam, and Black nationalism, better housing, black educators, and medical treatments were nationally recognized. Along with two other movements shaping our nation: Black Liberation Army, and Republic of New Afrika. They waged a war as they sought fairness in all areas of humanity. If it weren’t for that fateful and tragic day, further advances for a better way and quality of life would have been achieved.
It also highlights the life cycle of Tupac, explains his passion for hip-hop and the lyrics he gave us to teach the young and black.
I appreciate the deeper look into his emotions and his downward spiral, to better understanding understand him as a Shakur and the trials he endured. He is one of THE best hip-hop artists in the 90’s.
Although I don’t condone violence, I understand the measures taken and their rationale.
Honestly, if they had it to do over, I would expect them to fight just the same. And why not, WE are still struggling with equality today!!
Overall, this was a hard hit, heartfelt read AND a reminder that there is still a way to go.
We can come together as a people and a nation to achieve what the Shakurs , Malcom, Martin, and so many others set out to accomplish.
Four stars as I had a bit of a challenge keeping up with the dates and names at times. It was a lot of worthy and pertinent information, just didn’t flow as smooth for me until later in the book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishers for advanced early access, in turn for my honest review.
#AmerikanFamilyAn
Political, prominent and passionate about oppressed people of color.
Wanting justice, and equality for all, Santi E. Holley takes us all the way back to the beginning: Salahudeen, Lumumba, Odinga, Mutulu, Assata, and Afeni. There are many Shakurs, right down to Parish Lesane Crooks, who truly have helped shaped this nation; enter the Black Panthers!
With entrepreneurship, Islam, and Black nationalism, better housing, black educators, and medical treatments were nationally recognized. Along with two other movements shaping our nation: Black Liberation Army, and Republic of New Afrika. They waged a war as they sought fairness in all areas of humanity. If it weren’t for that fateful and tragic day, further advances for a better way and quality of life would have been achieved.
It also highlights the life cycle of Tupac, explains his passion for hip-hop and the lyrics he gave us to teach the young and black.
I appreciate the deeper look into his emotions and his downward spiral, to better understanding understand him as a Shakur and the trials he endured. He is one of THE best hip-hop artists in the 90’s.
Although I don’t condone violence, I understand the measures taken and their rationale.
Honestly, if they had it to do over, I would expect them to fight just the same. And why not, WE are still struggling with equality today!!
Overall, this was a hard hit, heartfelt read AND a reminder that there is still a way to go.
We can come together as a people and a nation to achieve what the Shakurs , Malcom, Martin, and so many others set out to accomplish.
Four stars as I had a bit of a challenge keeping up with the dates and names at times. It was a lot of worthy and pertinent information, just didn’t flow as smooth for me until later in the book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishers for advanced early access, in turn for my honest review.
#AmerikanFamilyAn
marehayy's review
informative
medium-paced
3.0
A compelling history of the Shakur family and their activism to improve the lives of Black people. Before reading this book I was unfamiliar with Tupac’s lineage and now feel more informed about Tupac and his family’s activism.
valkyriejmu's review
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
Who knew that Tupac Shakur was the least interesting Shakur? This book showcases the Shakur family and how their tree intertwined with the Black Panther Party and the Black Liberation Army.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Alcoholism, and Addiction
streberkatze's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Hands down my favorite non-fiction book of the year so far. (And that means something because I’ve read a ton of non-fiction this year. Santi Elijah Holly’s does such a great job balancing the exploration of the individual life stories and the larger context of the Black Liberation movement over the decades. I knew about the deadly damage COINTELPRO did to the movement. I knew about Assata Shakur and Tupac. But I knew very little about the legal and political work and legacy of Tupac’s mother, Afeni, the involvement of many other members of the Shakur family, and the connection between the experiences of the earlier generation and Tupac’s life, work, and murder. This book weaves all of these elements and many more together into a compelling narrative. Bonus points for Adam Lazarre-White, the narrator of the audiobook, who brings the story to life without ever sounding theatrical!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Addiction, Gun violence, Police brutality, and Racism
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Slavery and Suicidal thoughts
hopebrasfield's review
5.0
I can't remember the last time I read a nonfiction book this quickly and felt like I actually retained the information by the end. I learned so much! And I think this might be a great place for a lot of people to start. By that I mean, this book touches on so many important pieces of our history -- the Black Panthers, COINTELPRO, organizing work as it's morphed across decades, pop culture as it intertwines with that work, etc. etc. It's great, I loved it.