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A review by arisbookcorner
It Was All a Dream: A New Generation Confronts the Broken Promise to Black America by Reniqua Allen
4.0
IQ "Maybe our mobility shouldn't always be measured like our White millennial peers. Maybe it's measured in joy and pleasure. If this country was never meant for us anyway, maybe we have to look beyond" (314).
I was initially skeptical because interviewing 75 people didn't seem like it would be enough but it is wide-ranging in perspectives. There's geographic diversity (a needed reminder that there are Black people in Appalachia!) and a variety of perspectives and experiences (a dominatrix!) portrayed. I also appreciated that Allen wove in her personal experiences since she herself is an older Black millennial and had some interesting observations drawn from her own life. And I was relieved to see that the book wasn't entirely focused on older millennials, at one point a few of those interviewed mentioned how impactful the Jena 6 was on them (vs Jesse Jackson running for president) and I literally experienced a wave of recognition and also shame because I haven't thought about that case in so long. But I do vividly remember following it as a kid. The only chapter that felt random was the one on Hollywood. I understand what Allen was trying to say about how the Black middle class experience was represented but I didn't think it needed a whole chapter especially when it started talking to people who wanted to make it in Hollywood. That part felt like it was two different books. I also wish there had been a few interviews with Black millennials who were either upper middle class or were raised that way to see how they fared and what they experienced.
IT WAS ALL A DREAM is a refreshing, reaffirming read that looks at the Black millennial experience and the many ways the American Dream is a myth. It's refreshing because it centers Black millennials who are overlooked when the mainstream media paints a broad brush of the entitled (white) millennial. It will no doubt be eye-opening to those who don't have young Black friends or do much reading but it was also reassuring to be reminded that I was not alone. I knew this from my own friends but it's nice to see your experience reflected beyond your inner circle and seeing it being taken seriously as a topic of study. The book was strongest when it focused on economic anxiety, mental health and how racism permeates every aspect of the Black experience in America. You can't talk about the millennial experience without talking about Black people especially during the covid19 pandemic as Black people of all generations are disproportionately impacted. This book is a must-read (especially for all those now trying to be anti-racist).
OTHER NOTABLE QUOTES
"Love is hard for everyone. But for young Black people in America, it seems damn near impossible. Is it that surprising when we lack the love of our society? We are raised in a society that teaches us to hate ourselves, our bodies, our features, and to hate each other. We are taught that our hair is inappropriate and our skin is too dark. And then we are condemned when we learn to experience love in other ways. Because the history of our love and marriage is different, perhaps our experiences with love are also unique." (252)
"People talk about Black Twitter all the time, but Black Twitter is Twitter. It is the biggest platform in terms of a shared communal space of people with similar interests all around the world vibing on like one big inside joke after another every day. A lot of times just me being in tune to that helps me get through my day. I've got to know what the TL is talking about. The FOMO is so real." (Jasmyn, 102)
I was initially skeptical because interviewing 75 people didn't seem like it would be enough but it is wide-ranging in perspectives. There's geographic diversity (a needed reminder that there are Black people in Appalachia!) and a variety of perspectives and experiences (a dominatrix!) portrayed. I also appreciated that Allen wove in her personal experiences since she herself is an older Black millennial and had some interesting observations drawn from her own life. And I was relieved to see that the book wasn't entirely focused on older millennials, at one point a few of those interviewed mentioned how impactful the Jena 6 was on them (vs Jesse Jackson running for president) and I literally experienced a wave of recognition and also shame because I haven't thought about that case in so long. But I do vividly remember following it as a kid. The only chapter that felt random was the one on Hollywood. I understand what Allen was trying to say about how the Black middle class experience was represented but I didn't think it needed a whole chapter especially when it started talking to people who wanted to make it in Hollywood. That part felt like it was two different books. I also wish there had been a few interviews with Black millennials who were either upper middle class or were raised that way to see how they fared and what they experienced.
IT WAS ALL A DREAM is a refreshing, reaffirming read that looks at the Black millennial experience and the many ways the American Dream is a myth. It's refreshing because it centers Black millennials who are overlooked when the mainstream media paints a broad brush of the entitled (white) millennial. It will no doubt be eye-opening to those who don't have young Black friends or do much reading but it was also reassuring to be reminded that I was not alone. I knew this from my own friends but it's nice to see your experience reflected beyond your inner circle and seeing it being taken seriously as a topic of study. The book was strongest when it focused on economic anxiety, mental health and how racism permeates every aspect of the Black experience in America. You can't talk about the millennial experience without talking about Black people especially during the covid19 pandemic as Black people of all generations are disproportionately impacted. This book is a must-read (especially for all those now trying to be anti-racist).
OTHER NOTABLE QUOTES
"Love is hard for everyone. But for young Black people in America, it seems damn near impossible. Is it that surprising when we lack the love of our society? We are raised in a society that teaches us to hate ourselves, our bodies, our features, and to hate each other. We are taught that our hair is inappropriate and our skin is too dark. And then we are condemned when we learn to experience love in other ways. Because the history of our love and marriage is different, perhaps our experiences with love are also unique." (252)
"People talk about Black Twitter all the time, but Black Twitter is Twitter. It is the biggest platform in terms of a shared communal space of people with similar interests all around the world vibing on like one big inside joke after another every day. A lot of times just me being in tune to that helps me get through my day. I've got to know what the TL is talking about. The FOMO is so real." (Jasmyn, 102)