Take a photo of a barcode or cover
ericageorge91 's review for:
State of Emergency
by Tamika D. Mallory
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