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4.22 AVERAGE
4.22 AVERAGE
I won a copy of this book through Goodreads Giveaways and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Tamika Mallory uses this platform to give a very concise overview of what’s wrong with America from the perspective of Black Americans, and lays out a clear path of what is needed to begin to fix the issues. Some of it is very surface level, but it’s not a long book and really trying to get to the root of the history clouds the central point which is—how do we live and move forward in the state we’re in? There are other books—The History of Racism in America comes to mind immediately—that make the deep dive, so Mallory doesn’t have to. And frankly, you don’t need the deepest understanding of the racist history of our country to know that it is currently a mess and it needs to be fixed. I think this book represents a great opportunity for a lot of white America to really listen to a black person, without requesting emotional labor and hand holding from folks they might be personally close to. It’s written in a very casual style, almost as though it’s a conversation with a wiser friend, and for that I think it is very accessible to anyone who wants to have a hand in making America a better place for everyone.
Tamika Mallory uses this platform to give a very concise overview of what’s wrong with America from the perspective of Black Americans, and lays out a clear path of what is needed to begin to fix the issues. Some of it is very surface level, but it’s not a long book and really trying to get to the root of the history clouds the central point which is—how do we live and move forward in the state we’re in? There are other books—The History of Racism in America comes to mind immediately—that make the deep dive, so Mallory doesn’t have to. And frankly, you don’t need the deepest understanding of the racist history of our country to know that it is currently a mess and it needs to be fixed. I think this book represents a great opportunity for a lot of white America to really listen to a black person, without requesting emotional labor and hand holding from folks they might be personally close to. It’s written in a very casual style, almost as though it’s a conversation with a wiser friend, and for that I think it is very accessible to anyone who wants to have a hand in making America a better place for everyone.
If you want an overview of many of the injustices against black people and how you can help change the system, this is a good place to start
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Child death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Police brutality
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Slavery, Murder, Colonisation
Minor: Child death, Drug use, Hate crime
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
informative
reflective
medium-paced
The audio book is great, as is the actual content of the book. Mallory goes through and outlines things that make being black in the United States dangerous and deadly. A lot of this is focused on recent events and activism, as she herself is an organizer. Learning about the racism behind the Women's March is unsurprising and informative.
I think this would be a great book for people outside of the United States trying to understand black rights, activism, and politics in this decade. It's also a great book for those trying to understand what drives organizers to take up that job and to carry on that fight despite set backs and hardship. While I didn't necessarily learn a ton of new information, its important to me that I continue to listen to black activist's perspectives and experiences.
I think this would be a great book for people outside of the United States trying to understand black rights, activism, and politics in this decade. It's also a great book for those trying to understand what drives organizers to take up that job and to carry on that fight despite set backs and hardship. While I didn't necessarily learn a ton of new information, its important to me that I continue to listen to black activist's perspectives and experiences.
I liked the delivery, but it wasn’t really enough new info. But I liked it all the same.
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
I read this because some people I follow on Black BookTok are reading this and The Prophets for Black History Month. I normally don’t read nonfiction because I’m a slut for escapism. That being said, I really loved this!
The forewords by Cardi B and Angela Y. Davis were completely unexpected, but helped set the tone for the contents of this book. Cardi B questions her place in activism as someone who has all of these big feelings about racial injustice but doesn’t necessarily have the scholarly vocabulary to express them and parts of that resonated with me. And I felt embraced by Davis’ response that there is absolutely room for Cardi B (and people like her) at the table because anyone can have a role in the fight for racial equity, no matter what that looks like.
State of Emergency: How We Win the Country We Built is a book that delves into the unsanitized, painful history of Black America, explores how that brutal past connects to the systemic violence we bear witness to today, and delineates the ways that anyone able and willing can fight for our future.
This book is scholarly, but incredibly accessible to all readers. I learned even more about Black history. I’m grateful that it gave me more insight and language to talk about racial injustice. It’s galvanizing. Just…wow.
I think the only downside was that I thought there would be more inclusion/discussion of other marginalized identities in the book because of Davis’ forward. There were a couple of passing references, but nothing substantial. That was a little disappointing. Other than that, this was a powerful read 💆🏾♀️
Shoutout to @iamcaseyrkelley and @sisi.be.reading on Black BookTok for the picks!
TW: Lynching references, police brutality, gun violence, death, murder, racism, slavery
Rep: BIPOC people
It seems clear to me that I’m already aware of most if not all of the things in this book therefore I’m not sure I’m the target audience. I loved Cardi B and Angela Davis’ forward though!
adventurous
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
informative
inspiring
medium-paced