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dianacarmel's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
This is a fantastic book! The conversations are so insightful. What a privilege to be invited in. I already can’t wait to read this again.
coreyarch9's review against another edition
5.0
Recently there was a flood in news, opinions, etc., about racism and how to think about it. I'm happy that our country is having this discourse and it's definitely overdue, by much more than 400 years. This book was a bit of fresh air because it recognizes that there are many viewpoints, and takes the time to express a few of them. Each chapter is dedicated to a topic and has like 5 or so celebrities, politicians, and activists providing their take on the subject. As a reader, some opinions appealed to me and some didn't do so as much, and that was OKAY because it was the whole point.
Read this book if you're looking to join the conversation but are still trying to figure out what you believe in a world where everybody else is telling you how to think.
Read this book if you're looking to join the conversation but are still trying to figure out what you believe in a world where everybody else is telling you how to think.
ktreadsnm's review against another edition
3.0
I love the idea of this book, but I'm not sure how well it played out. The conversations are more like disjointed quotes--you feel, reading them, that you're left out of most of the discussion. Also, I see a lot of what seems to this white outsider as blaming the victim. For example, in the discussion of representation in movies, there's a lot of talk about characters that black actors play or write or both that reflect stereotypes or reflect badly on black people as a whole. But isn't that the fault of a society that doesn't let black people be individuals? You don't see white people talking about how they shouldn't have made The Joker because that character reflects badly on white people. Just my two cents.
I really love the questions at the end of each chapter, and the diversity of voices that is included in the book. I especially liked the parts written by Ed Gordon.
I really love the questions at the end of each chapter, and the diversity of voices that is included in the book. I especially liked the parts written by Ed Gordon.
emmakaejones's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely loved this book! It was so powerful and thought-provoking, and especially relevant in today’s climate. The structure made me feel like part of the discussion on such important topics, and allowed me to come to my own conclusions. What an awesome read — would definitely recommend!!
erickaonpaper's review against another edition
Stunning, informative, and powerful! Some of the best and brightest having a conversation on hard-hitting and important topics.
thebookishone's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent book! I really loved the different perspectives on different conversations. Definitely great discussions we should be having in our black community if they aren't happening already.
bookishrealm's review against another edition
5.0
What a powerful book ! I don't think I truly knew what I was getting myself into when I decided to pick up this book. At first it was just cover appeal especially when I saw all the names that I recognized. However, from the moment that I opened this book my read became so much more. A lot of the topics discussed in this book are things that I often discuss with my friends and family. In fact, I'm not sure there are many black people who haven't discussed the issues brought forth in this book. Gordon does a spectacular job of addressing some of the most important topics as they relate to the black community.
Readers will find that this book isn't one sided. Everyone doesn't agree. In fact, you'll find times during the narrative that designated speakers will actively engage in conversations where they have different opinions and insight. It was such a beautiful thing to watch because I think that sometimes we get lost in this narrative that black people must agree on all topics that relate to the black community and that's just not true. One thing that everyone did seem to agree on was the fact that the black community needs to actively engage in coming up with new strategies to address the educational, political, and economic disparities that black people face day after day and year after year. While we can acknowledge the methods and strategies that have gotten us to this point, it's time for new ideas that can help in this day and age.
Some of my favorite discussion from the book included: Obama, Trump, Black Girl Magic, Mo Money Mo Problems, The Madea Dilemma, and Am I Black Enough For YA. For some reasons these specific topics resonated with questions and ideas that I've had about myself and the black community for some time. There were a great number of perspectives that I agree with and others that I didn't agree with. However, they all gave me better ideas of how I could be better supporting my community.
Whether you're black or not this is an important book to read and one that really asks some difficult questions of the black community. I didn't have my own copy of this book so I plan on purchasing it and re-reading it and annotating it. This is one of the important non-fiction books that I have read this year.
Readers will find that this book isn't one sided. Everyone doesn't agree. In fact, you'll find times during the narrative that designated speakers will actively engage in conversations where they have different opinions and insight. It was such a beautiful thing to watch because I think that sometimes we get lost in this narrative that black people must agree on all topics that relate to the black community and that's just not true. One thing that everyone did seem to agree on was the fact that the black community needs to actively engage in coming up with new strategies to address the educational, political, and economic disparities that black people face day after day and year after year. While we can acknowledge the methods and strategies that have gotten us to this point, it's time for new ideas that can help in this day and age.
Some of my favorite discussion from the book included: Obama, Trump, Black Girl Magic, Mo Money Mo Problems, The Madea Dilemma, and Am I Black Enough For YA. For some reasons these specific topics resonated with questions and ideas that I've had about myself and the black community for some time. There were a great number of perspectives that I agree with and others that I didn't agree with. However, they all gave me better ideas of how I could be better supporting my community.
Whether you're black or not this is an important book to read and one that really asks some difficult questions of the black community. I didn't have my own copy of this book so I plan on purchasing it and re-reading it and annotating it. This is one of the important non-fiction books that I have read this year.
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