Reviews

At Mama's Knee: Mothers and Race in Black and White by April Ryan

mindfullibrarian's review against another edition

4.0

Incredibly important nonfiction book on race and motherhood in America, leaning more heavily toward race. NOT a quick memoir or a light read. Ryan's acknowledgement and celebration of the importance of mothers is woven throughout the entire book, especially single mothers and especially Black mothers. There is extensive research evident and a vast number of personal interviews quoted directly within the book, from figures such as President Obama, Valerie Jarrett, Cory Booker and Wes Moore (a favorite author of mine) among many others. I had a few issues with some repetition of content (almost as if each chapter were a stand-alone essay) but I won't let that take away from the importance of the message and content. Ryan's analysis and condemnation of the n-word (both -er and -a endings) is very thorough and includes insight from sources both for and against the right for Blacks to use the word. Whites, obviously, are banned from its use regardless of ending, tone or intention. The chapter about "the talk" is reminiscent of the coverage Michael Eric Dyson gives the topic in his "Tears We Cannot Stop" - heartbreaking and vital for everyone in the US to know about. The coverage of the city of Baltimore was very interesting to me, as the only other knowledge I have of the city comes from Wes Moore's book "The Other Wes Moore". This book is recommended reading for all.

missqeetee's review against another edition

5.0

She addressed the many elephants in the room . She talks about things that make us uncomfortable.

lauren_endnotes's review against another edition

3.0

I heard Ms. Ryan speak this past summer at a book festival. She was such a compassionate speaker. Many of the stories she shared were also part of this book, so in that way, it rehashed several things I'd already heard and learned from her. While she largely stays with the theme of motherhood and raising children in the black community, she also combines stories surrounding the spring/summer 2015 riots in Baltimore after the death of Freddie Gray in police custody.

I particularly liked this quote about the strength of her community as a single mother:
[That is] a state of consciousness, and a label people put on you to hold you to their standards and criteria...I never called myself a single mother. Ever. I was never a single mother and you know why? I had other women in my community help me raise my children. I had a grandmother who was there for me. I wasn't single - I was unpartnered. That is a different definition.

wendybird's review against another edition

5.0

http://maybesbooks.blogspot.com/2017/02/at-mamas-knee-mothers-and-race-in-black.html