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davidgilani's review against another edition
4.0
This book covers something about race that I haven't read in any other on the topic. It's the way it breaks down the idea that there is one homogenous black community. How there are very good reasons why some black people are not as liberal as others - as they have their own interests beyond the hopes of the #BlackLivesMatter movement. It's also great to have a book that articulates why President Obama in the US was so ineffective in making positive changes for black americans - and not in a partisan way, but just in highlighting all the ways in which he felt like he needed to moderate his work on racial issues.
neurotypically's review against another edition
4.0
this was a very well structured historical and contemporary sketch of black struggle in the us.
the author talked about institutional racism and flaws and drew a line from there across intersectionality to economics.
with many quotes, the book has been interesting, understandable, shocking, aggrevating and eye-opening.
it's definitely been worth a read even if it has loads of depressing contents and doesn't exactly end on a good note.
(white person's perspective here)
the author talked about institutional racism and flaws and drew a line from there across intersectionality to economics.
with many quotes, the book has been interesting, understandable, shocking, aggrevating and eye-opening.
it's definitely been worth a read even if it has loads of depressing contents and doesn't exactly end on a good note.
(white person's perspective here)
lucca_cassandra's review against another edition
4.0
As someone whose public education of Black America following the 60s was full of holes, this book gives a really concise history from the 60s up until 2016 through a leftist/anti-capitalist lens. She covers phenomena like the false colorblind approach to policy of the Nixon years, the growing distance between the civil rights elite and the modern crop of activists, and the fact that Black Women are the driving force of this current moment.
djreads's review against another edition
4.0
I really learned a lot. Even if, hell especially if, you have some issues with the BLM movement I would recommend reading this book. The historical insight alone makes it required reading.
lmurray74's review against another edition
5.0
A brilliant and incisive book that provides an analysis of Black liberation movements manifest today, with historical context that never ceases to shock. Taylor writes clearly with a strong personal voice; she communicates historical fact while placing its impact in the contemporary struggle for Black liberation. A highly engaging read that should be on everyone's bookshelf.
"The struggle for Black liberation requires going beyond the standard narrative that Black people have come a long way but have a long way to go-which, of course, says nothing about where it is we are actually trying to get to. It requires understanding the origins and nature of Black oppression and racism more generally. Most importantly, it requires a strategy, some sense of how we get from the current situation to the future. Perhaps at its most basic level, Black liberation implies a world where Black people can live in peace, without the constant threat of the social, economic, and political woes of a society that places almost no value on the vast majority of Black lives. It would mean living in a world where Black lives matter. While it is true that when black people get free, everyone gets free, Black people in America cannot "get free" on their own. In that sense, Black liberation is bound up with the project of human liberation and social transformation."
"The struggle for Black liberation requires going beyond the standard narrative that Black people have come a long way but have a long way to go-which, of course, says nothing about where it is we are actually trying to get to. It requires understanding the origins and nature of Black oppression and racism more generally. Most importantly, it requires a strategy, some sense of how we get from the current situation to the future. Perhaps at its most basic level, Black liberation implies a world where Black people can live in peace, without the constant threat of the social, economic, and political woes of a society that places almost no value on the vast majority of Black lives. It would mean living in a world where Black lives matter. While it is true that when black people get free, everyone gets free, Black people in America cannot "get free" on their own. In that sense, Black liberation is bound up with the project of human liberation and social transformation."
whatannikareads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.0
i struggled to be engaged at the beginning of this one (due mostly to my own personal mentality), but this was a very informative book that pieces together a comprehensive history of the influences of the current blm movement. it also revealed to me details of police brutality that i hadn't previous known before. i think the conclusion could've been a little stronger, but this is great for someone who is somewhat familiar with the movement but wants more insight on motives and the internal structuring of these blm organizaitons.