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anupammahadeo's review
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Anna Tubbs makes an outstanding debut in her "Three Mothers," which is an honestly overdue biography of the three mothers of famous Civil Rights figures. Louise Little, mother to Malcolm X, Berdis Baldwin, mother of James, and Alberta King, mother of MLK Jr., finally get some of the attention they deserve as key players in the formation of the leaders that they would raise, and are also recognized for the unbelievable strength and resiliency they demonstrated as black women in pre-civil rights America. With very little to work off of and very few primary sources to cite, Tubbs finds a way to accomplish a lot with very little and still sufficiently provide a voice to the voiceless in a way that is respectful and appropriately praising. Occasionally she does rely on honest speculation about periods of time with few to no resources, and her organization of the book chronologically instead of with chapters separated about each of the women do sometimes make it slightly challenging to follow the threads of each mother's life, but not enough to take away from the overall effect of the book.
However, Tubbs does not veil her writing of this book as a simple objective recounting of the lives of these women, and is boldly honest in her criticisms of the use of the healthcare system, the media, and other societal organizations as tools of oppression against black women in particular. She earnestly calls for change and does not express any timidity in her eviscerating shaming of the lack of societal support provided to the entire black community. She recounts the resurgence of anti-black nationalism that has once again dominated the political climate of America in recent years, calling for change with specific measures and rationale.
This was more than a biography recounting the lives of the overlooked mothers from the Civil Rights period - this was an incredible call to action that reminds us how far we still need to go before we can say that any "progress" has been made.
However, Tubbs does not veil her writing of this book as a simple objective recounting of the lives of these women, and is boldly honest in her criticisms of the use of the healthcare system, the media, and other societal organizations as tools of oppression against black women in particular. She earnestly calls for change and does not express any timidity in her eviscerating shaming of the lack of societal support provided to the entire black community. She recounts the resurgence of anti-black nationalism that has once again dominated the political climate of America in recent years, calling for change with specific measures and rationale.
This was more than a biography recounting the lives of the overlooked mothers from the Civil Rights period - this was an incredible call to action that reminds us how far we still need to go before we can say that any "progress" has been made.
mbejjani's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.0
I learned a lot, but I was expected the book to be woven through with more storytelling. Instead it felt more like one long essay, with the thesis repeated over and over again in slightly different ways.
ggoldberg626's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
dejeunee's review
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Read this book.
It must become common practice to think of the stones each Black mother walks upon and imagine the bruises they’ve left on her feet. — James Baldwin
I learned so much about these three women. Each could have had an entire book written about her alone. Anna Malaika Tubbs chooses to center Black womanhood and motherhood using the lives of these three influential women.
We must highlight the experience of black mothers, and appreciate their ability to bring life no matter how often it is denied them. Their humanity is removed when they are forgotten, when they are not given the credit they earned, and when their names fade from history. — Tubbs
This book is an attempt to bring awareness to the women who have raised such powerful men in American history who fought for the liberation of Black people. Their work did not begin with them.
oliviajh's review
3.0
I really enjoyed reading this book and the information inside of it. The lack of information from and about these women makes the biographical aspects of this book more theorizing and guesswork with historical/cultural context than fact. There was so much other information in the book, though, that even if the biography parts of the book are minimal, the historical and cultural significance is still substantial. It beautifully honors these three women and mothers and sets a precedent of honor and empowerment for black women today. It’s a worthwhile read!
sawthisdidthat's review against another edition
3.0
Great premise, but not enough content to support the actual concept. Reads as a primer on civil rights history, and incredibly redundant. Agree with other 2 and 3 star reviews.