Reviews

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC copy of this book, which was published 6/20/23. I ended up finishing this book after it was released, and did a combination of the kindle and audiobook. I loved both mediums: the e-book because I could highlight the paragraphs that were impactful and the audiobook because it was read by the author herself, whose voice was perfect.

This book is a must-read for those wanting to do the work of racial justice. It covers important themes like respectability politics, constellation of harms, racism within the church, and the misogynoir that black women experience in this country. Ally is an incredible writer. I found myself engaged in every story she told. She defined words and concepts in detail, while providing a nuanced perspective on complex topics.

I found myself especially relating to her experience of racism within the church. Many of the stories are about her experience being a leader in her predominately white, small-town Missouri church. Unfortunately, so many of her stories were identical to what me and my friends have experienced in the white church. These stories were unfortunately not surprising to me, but awful nonetheless.

This is a book written for any audience, really. BIPOC or white, religious or non-religious, male or female or nonbinary. Her stories are so important to raise awareness on the terrible reality of systemic racism in this country. There is so much more work left to do. I’m so grateful for Ally taking the time to carefully share her stories and words with me. What a beautiful book!

P.S. I liked this book so much, I asked my husband to read it. I felt I couldn’t share everything I wanted him to hear unless he read the whole book himself.

the_wistful_word_witch's review

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challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

4.5

I found I Won't Shut Up to be very insightful, as the advice that Ms Henny offers is applicable not only to anti-racism advocacy, liberation efforts, and the work of dismantling white supremacy from a Black woman's perspective, but to ALL aspects of any person's life. While this book is addressed directly to Black people, people of all races could benefit from reading it.

The style is casual, straightforward, and easy to understand. It's like you're just having a chat with the author, rather than reading an autobiography/textbook on how to find your voice, especially if you're a 'loud' Black woman. A lot of it centers around Ms Henny's religion as her faith is a deep part of who she is, but she's not preachy about that aspect.

I had originally joined Ms Henny's ARC team, which meant I received an ARC copy in addition to purchasing the 'final' version.

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