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A review by growing_zoe
The Panthers Can't Save Us Now: Debating Black Life, Policing and Left Struggle by Cedric Johnson
4.0
While I did enjoy the points and sentiments presented within this book which I haven’t seen fully fleshed out until now, there are still a few problems I have with this publication.
Although this critique seems very surface level, I still believe that the amount of elongated terms and layered academic writing fundamentally work in hypocrisy of what Johnson is fighting for. For the majority of his essays, he is arguing that the most effective way to tackle the heaps of issues within America is through joining together as third and working class citizens rather than focusing on race, but he proceeds to establish these beliefs in a highly academic way of writing, using constant litanies of complicated terms which make his writing difficult to read or understand without a college-level education, which is what lower classes often lack. Academic writing has always been an unsaid institutionalized way to gatekeep certain discussions and education from the less educated/privileged, so it’s just puzzling to me to see Johnson upkeep this pattern when fighting so hard for lower class citizens which often don’t have the money to peruse higher educations, though I suppose since he has a PhD, it might be hard to break out of the habit of layered academic writing or simplifying what he’s saying when there are already terms that explain what he needs established.
I did enjoy how he included two differing opinions from his own since they voiced a few of my concerns, and it was interesting to see how he combat them as well. Although I still wasn’t fully convinced of his narrative by the end, I found his rebuttal easier to read, probably because he had a more systematic way of addressing his disagreements and explaining them in detail. Either way, including differing opinions within your own publication is admirable to me whether I end up agreeing or not.
Although I know there were good arguments and sentiments expressed within this book, I already know I’ll need to reread it in it’s entirety with a dictionary by my side if I want to fully grasp what Johnson is saying, which is a shame since I was so excited to read this and apply what I learned to my life when I first bought it.
Although this critique seems very surface level, I still believe that the amount of elongated terms and layered academic writing fundamentally work in hypocrisy of what Johnson is fighting for. For the majority of his essays, he is arguing that the most effective way to tackle the heaps of issues within America is through joining together as third and working class citizens rather than focusing on race, but he proceeds to establish these beliefs in a highly academic way of writing, using constant litanies of complicated terms which make his writing difficult to read or understand without a college-level education, which is what lower classes often lack. Academic writing has always been an unsaid institutionalized way to gatekeep certain discussions and education from the less educated/privileged, so it’s just puzzling to me to see Johnson upkeep this pattern when fighting so hard for lower class citizens which often don’t have the money to peruse higher educations, though I suppose since he has a PhD, it might be hard to break out of the habit of layered academic writing or simplifying what he’s saying when there are already terms that explain what he needs established.
I did enjoy how he included two differing opinions from his own since they voiced a few of my concerns, and it was interesting to see how he combat them as well. Although I still wasn’t fully convinced of his narrative by the end, I found his rebuttal easier to read, probably because he had a more systematic way of addressing his disagreements and explaining them in detail. Either way, including differing opinions within your own publication is admirable to me whether I end up agreeing or not.
Although I know there were good arguments and sentiments expressed within this book, I already know I’ll need to reread it in it’s entirety with a dictionary by my side if I want to fully grasp what Johnson is saying, which is a shame since I was so excited to read this and apply what I learned to my life when I first bought it.