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A review by lolagreen
Everybody Loves Kamau! by W. Kamau Bell
4.0
4.5 stars! If you have a Kindle Unlimited membership, this is a MUST read. W. Kamau Bell is a once in a generation human being. As a tall and large black man, he has faced racism throughout his entirely life, and yet, he still continues to try to see the good in people.
Bell is known for his ability to meet his oppressors where they are and to have open conversations with racist or bigots to understand why they think the way they do. And using compassion, connection, and patience, he relates to these people and tries to show them the errors of their prejudiced thinking.
Everybody Loves Kamau is a perfect example of this. When he begins to date his future wife, a white woman, he is immediately shunned by the patriarch of the family, his wife's grandfather. This short personal story covers many years of Kamau's life -- from dating, to marriage, to children with the love of his life -- and how the relationship with his grandfather-in-law changed over time from one filled with racial tension to one filled with mutual love.
We can all learn from Kamau! Protests, policy, and politics are all incredible tools for racial justice change on a macro level, but on an individual level when interacting one-on-one with someone who has racist thoughts about you, kindness and the willingness to have a calm dialogue can often make a huge difference on the micro level.
Note - This short story starts off odd and you may become confused about where the story is going but stick around longer than a couple pages and you will be glad you did.
Bell is known for his ability to meet his oppressors where they are and to have open conversations with racist or bigots to understand why they think the way they do. And using compassion, connection, and patience, he relates to these people and tries to show them the errors of their prejudiced thinking.
Everybody Loves Kamau is a perfect example of this. When he begins to date his future wife, a white woman, he is immediately shunned by the patriarch of the family, his wife's grandfather. This short personal story covers many years of Kamau's life -- from dating, to marriage, to children with the love of his life -- and how the relationship with his grandfather-in-law changed over time from one filled with racial tension to one filled with mutual love.
We can all learn from Kamau! Protests, policy, and politics are all incredible tools for racial justice change on a macro level, but on an individual level when interacting one-on-one with someone who has racist thoughts about you, kindness and the willingness to have a calm dialogue can often make a huge difference on the micro level.
Note - This short story starts off odd and you may become confused about where the story is going but stick around longer than a couple pages and you will be glad you did.