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Reviews tagging 'Police brutality'
The Fire This Time: A New Generation Speaks about Race by Jesmyn Ward
14 reviews
rorikae's review against another edition
challenging
informative
sad
fast-paced
4.5
'The Fire This Time' is an excellent collection of essays on race in America. Split into three sections, one that centers on the past, one on the present, and one on the future, Jesmyn Ward has curated an excellent group of essays, poetry, and memoir pieces that speak to what it is like to be Black in America. Each discusses a truth through personal experience, such as what it is like to walk around a city as a Black man and the conversations that Black parents have to have with their children about living in America as a Black child. Many of these pieces touch on the Charleston Church shooting in 2015 and the death of Michael Brown.
I think one of the most heartbreaking parts about this book is how relevant it still is while also feeling dated because of how much has happened in the last year. I think an updated edition would definitely talk about George Floyd and Breonna Taylor's murders and I wonder if we will see a second edition that includes even more pieces. I highly recommend this collection, particularly the audiobook as the narrators help bring these pieces to life. I think this is essential reading.
I think one of the most heartbreaking parts about this book is how relevant it still is while also feeling dated because of how much has happened in the last year. I think an updated edition would definitely talk about George Floyd and Breonna Taylor's murders and I wonder if we will see a second edition that includes even more pieces. I highly recommend this collection, particularly the audiobook as the narrators help bring these pieces to life. I think this is essential reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Violence, and Racism
Moderate: Gun violence, Hate crime, Murder, Police brutality, and Racial slurs
dianna_reads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality, Racism, and Violence
marcella's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
My favorite pieces in this collection were Lonely in America, Composite Pops, and Black and Blue (centered around walking).
Something sad about reading these is the way the authors talk about mobilizing and realizing and convincing the world that blm, etc. There's definitely more awareness around police brutality issues now (see: me), but there's also a huge faction of people who think a heavily armed, trigger happy police force is worth it for "safety", even when they recognize the disparate effects it has on poc, and will actively work against efforts to reduce said effects. These essays are a mix of hopeful and fearful and forward looking. I guess it's out of scope to write about media portrayals and reactionary movements and how people will turn against a movement because they literally interpret a slogan that represents a nuanced concept.
I had a bit of a hard time staying engaged with this, but I think it was a consequence of trying to read short essays during election week.
Black and Blue was my favorite; it's centered around the narrator's experiences walking through cities. He and I wander different places for different reasons, but I found it compelling to compare his experiences to mine.
Something sad about reading these is the way the authors talk about mobilizing and realizing and convincing the world that blm, etc. There's definitely more awareness around police brutality issues now (see: me), but there's also a huge faction of people who think a heavily armed, trigger happy police force is worth it for "safety", even when they recognize the disparate effects it has on poc, and will actively work against efforts to reduce said effects. These essays are a mix of hopeful and fearful and forward looking. I guess it's out of scope to write about media portrayals and reactionary movements and how people will turn against a movement because they literally interpret a slogan that represents a nuanced concept.
I had a bit of a hard time staying engaged with this, but I think it was a consequence of trying to read short essays during election week.
Black and Blue was my favorite; it's centered around the narrator's experiences walking through cities. He and I wander different places for different reasons, but I found it compelling to compare his experiences to mine.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Police brutality
mandkips's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Death, Police brutality, Gun violence, Xenophobia, and Physical abuse
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