Tag: Racism

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Antiracism as Daily Practice

Refuse Shame, Change White Communities, and Help Create a Just World

by Jennifer Harvey, Review 9 of 2024

Important note: This book is a great addition to the library of any aspiring white antiracist but is not the best pick for someone just beginning to learn about DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion). Some of my recommendations for that would; How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi, So You Want to Talk about Race by Ijeoma Oluo, or Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad. After you’ve read some of the great books on race written by black folks, consider revisiting this title. 

If you’ve already been exploring the history of white supremacy, how it shows up, and your role in it, this book has some great examples of how you can implement and enact your values in day to day life. Harvey doesn’t shy away from sharing examples of places she’s failed to be the best co-conspirator for change and for her candor I was extremely grateful. She covers how shame, perfectionism, and trust impact white people’s ability to do antiracist work in our own communities. This could be a hard book for some to read but the message is so very important.

Would recommend it to any white person who has read a lot of DEI but still isn’t sure what their place is in creating a more just future for all of us.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for this audiobook for review purposes.

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Neighbors and Other Stories

Written by Diane Oliver, Review 3, of 2024

Short story collections are chronically underrated, and this collection is no exception. The author, Diane Oliver died in an accident in 1966 at age 22 and the world lost the opportunity to read more of her work. This collection was compiled and released nearly 60 years after her death. The masterfully narrated stories in this collection are understated, impactful, and painfully timely. Two of my personal favorites were “Mint Juleps not Served Here”, “Health Service” and “Frozen Voices” but many others also left a mark. Though Oliver’s stories were written during the Civil Rights Movement and early integration, many of their themes and descriptions are unfortunately still relevant today and hit home as a professional who works in health and human services. 

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for this ALC!

Categories: Fiction, Short stories 

Content Warning: Racism, Violence, Infidelity, Colorism, Classism

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King: A Life

by Jonathan Eig, Review 10 of 2023

This comprehensive biography of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life and death, complete with references to recently released FBI investigation reports, is a must read for biography enthusiasts and worth the effort even for those who are not. It was a heavy lift at over 20 hours of audio, but Dion Graham, an expert narrator, made it easy to listen to. 

It’s tempting to simply idolize and ignore the complexity of figures such as King. This type of thinking comes at the expense of recognizing that we all have a role to play in changing the world and the country for the better. It has been 55 years since Dr. MLK Jr. was killed, and in many ways the U.S. is still inching toward the vision King proclaimed. This is a timely examination of a life lived with conviction.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for this ALC!

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Blog Fiction

Bliss Montage: Stories

by Ling Ma, Book 73 of 2022

Does anyone else find it hard to review collections of short stories? Some of the stories include magical realism and those I found to be the most engaging, while others fell a little flat. One about a dysfunctional childhood friendship carried into adulthood, was life affirming in a bizarre way. Others I’m still trying to wrap my head around. The tone is ominous and yet somehow playful? Overall, worth reading!

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for this ALC!

Content Warnings: Drug Use, Domestic Violence, Racism, Abandonment, Body Horror (kind of??) involving Pregnancy

Categories: Fiction, Short Stories

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Blog Fiction

Big Girl

by Mecca Jamilah Sullivan, book 51 of 2022

Cover of the book Big Girl, bright teal background with large gold block lettering with purple accents. Images of Harlem's street scape in the letters.

The heart of this book is Malaya, a funny and resilient young girl growing up in Harlem in the 1990’s. While the book covers hip hop, race, gentrification, and Malaya’s sexual awakening, the vast majority is about Malaya’s relationships with her parents, grandmother, friends and most of all food. This book was moving and wonderfully descriptive, but extremely stress inducing for me.

Warning, if you have any kind of eating, dietary, or body image issues, this book could be very triggering. I found myself disturbed by the way Malaya’s mother and grandmother talked about food, their bodies, and women’s bodies in general, though nothing surprised me considering the way society scrutinizes women’s appearance and choices. I will say the writing was great and the end was very moving and hopeful but it was a real challenge to enjoy the ride.

Thank you to the publisher, author and NetGalley for this ALC!

Content Warnings: Emotional abuse, Body shaming, Addiction, Death of a family member, Statutory Rape

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The Family Chao

written by Lan Samantha Chang, book 8 of 2022

This book is a Chinese American family drama and murder mystery set in Wisconsin. I read A LOT but rarely mysteries so my opinion is more on the story overall. I requested it from Netgalley because I’m a sucker for anything set in Wisconsin.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ While I did become invested in the mystery, I felt like the plot lost some momentum by the end. I was also quite unnerved by the dog related subplot and felt like it distracted from the more central points. For me, the most compelling part of the book was the extremely fair criticism of Midwestern attitudes toward “outsiders” and the mental health consequences of not being able to live fully (due to societal or familial pressure). 

Thank you to the publisher, author and NetGalley for this ALC.

Content Warnings: Emotional Abuse, Mental Health, Racism, Animal Abuse/Neglect 

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Fiction

The Office of Historical Corrections

by Danielle Evans, Book 3 of 2021

“Midwest nice was a steady, polite gaslighting I found sinister, a forced humility that prevented anyone from speaking up when they’d been diminished or disrespected, lest they be labeled an outsider.

Danielle Evans, The Office of Historical Corrections

It hurt to read these stories. And NOT because they were bad, but because they were so good. Danielle Evans is a deeply talented writer crafting thoughtful expressions of American life and race relations with just a few short stories. As a white woman, I found myself responding somewhere between cringing and crying throughout these stories. My favorites were “Richard of York Gave Battle in Vain”, “Why Won’t Women Just Say What They Want?”, and “Anything Could Disappear”. I’d recommend this collection to nearly anyone and I’m looking forward to reading what Evans writes in the future. 

Recommended for: Anyone. Just read these. Note: Audiobook lovers, each story has a different narrator and they are all excellent. 

Actions I will take in response to this book: 

  • Reconsider the way “midwest nice” impacts people who don’t fit in with the cultural norms and instead work for meaningful dialogue about differences.
  • Read more short story collections. 

Content Warnings: Violence, Death, Abduction, Racism, Hate Crime

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The Rib King

written by Ladee Hubbard, Book 5 of 2021

“All of this requires effort on my part. This effort is called work. And when I work I expect to be paid. Paid? That’s right. Cash.”

Jennie – The Rib King by Ladee Hubbard. 

This book was not at all what I expected in the best way. I’ve been reading a lot of historical fiction from African American perspectives but this was a truly unique story. It centers on Mr. Sitwell, a groundskeeper for a wealthy white family who over the course of the first half of the novel, rediscovers some unsettling memories from his past that lead to some unsettling repercussions.

I found myself unable to unplug from the story, needing to find out where the characters would end up. I enjoyed the split structure of the novel. The first and second half are told by two different narrators separated by several years. My one complaint about this was that it felt like it left some key questions unanswered. I’ve seen some reviews compare it to the Academy Award winning film Parasite and I do see some interesting parallels that could make for a great book club discussion. Honestly, I could see a lot of ways this book would make a great book club choice. I’ll be thinking about this one for awhile… 

Thank you to the publisher for providing me an early copy of this audiobook in return for my honest feedback. 

Recommended for: Anyone wanting a new take on historical racial injustice and its intersection with capitalism. Anyone interested in considering the role our biological and chosen families play in our lives and what we owe each other. 

Actions I will take in response to this book:

  • Constantly monitor how the legacy of white supremacy continues to this day and interrupt its modern manifestations. 
  • Pay black women for their work and support black owned businesses.

Content Warnings: Death of a Parent, Violence, Death, Race Violence 

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Blog Fiction

The House on Mango Street

written by Sandra Cisneros, Book 2, 2021

“Friends and neighbors will say, What happened to that Esperanza? Where did she go with all those books and paper? Why did she march so far away? They will not know I have gone away to come back. For the ones I left behind. For the ones who cannot out.”

Sandra Cisneros, The House on Mango Street

I am glad I finally got around to reading this. I feel like it was one of the few books I didn’t read in elementary and middle school. I picked this up in both Spanish and English and read each tiny chapter in Spanish and then in English to check my understanding. I was able to get the general idea even with my limited Spanish language skills and I really enjoyed the mini stories within the greater narrative. Esperanza is an easy to love narrator and I liked the gentle rollercoaster of adolescent problems in comparison to the current state of the world. Ultimately, what I’m most impressed by is the beauty in the simplicity of the writing. It’s widely read for a good reason, if you haven’t already read it, you may want to. 

Recommended for: I’d recommend this to any middle school or late elementary school kids in my life. I’d recommend it to other folks looking for something accessible to read when practicing Spanish. 

Actions I will take in response to this book:

  • This story made me think about what we owe to our communities of origin. As an adult who lives in the same city I was born in, I alternate between wanting to move somewhere that is more aligned with my current values (a progressive city) and my desire to stay here and enact the changes that will make this place better for those who are growing up here now. 
  • I’ll continue to work on local projects that encourage safe, healthy, and inclusivity in my community (not just for those who fit the mold, but especially for those who don’t).


Content Warnings: Drugs, Incarceration, Abuse

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Blog Fiction

Deacon King Kong

written by James McBride, Book 45 of 2020

“If I didn’t have Jesus and his cheese, I’d kill somebody. That’s what Jesus did for me 67 years, he kept me sane and on the right side of the law.”

Hettie, Deacon King Kong

For a book that starts with a shooting in the New York City projects, I laughed a lot more than I had I thought I would. This book has it all: murder, mystery, history, romance, and large amounts of holy cheese. I wrote an exceptionally long essay on my thoughts on this book, all the things I loved about it and the themes and as I wrote I realized it all sounded so very depressing. I even tried to explain it to my husband and he could not see how any of the plot could be funny but I can assure you both, it is. 

The more I think about this book, the more depth it gains. I could talk for hours about this book, unfortunately I’m on vacation for a few days with just my husband here at home with me. Please read this book and talk with me about it. Save my dear precious husband from having to listen to me say things like … “I know you didn’t read Deacon King Kong but …” or “You know in the book I just read…”. He will appreciate it and love you forever. 

A note on Dominic Hoffman’s narration of this book: It’s great, it’s emotional, it’s well timed, and I suspect contributed significantly to my enjoyment of this book. At times he seems to say things in the wrong accent, understandably as he flips casually through several, which was a bit confusing. 

Recommended for: Anyone looking for something with social commentary that will still make you laugh out loud (a tall order these days). 

Actions I will take in response to this book 

  • Prioritize reading, listening, and sharing concerns and experiences of BIPOC. 
  • Leverage my privilege in the service of others. 
  • Exercise empathy for marginalized groups who are hesitant to trust the government and bureaucracy due to histories of exploitation and neglect. 
  • Continue to work toward implementation of policies that allow all people equitable access to health and wellness. 

“And no resident in their right mind would go over their heads to the mighty Housing Authority honchos in Manhattan, who did not like their afternoon naps disturbed with minor complaints about ants, toilets, murders, child molestation, rape, heatless apartments, and lead paint that shrunk children’s brains to the size of a full-grown pea in one of their Brooklyn locations, unless they wanted a new home sleeping on a bench at the Port Authority Bus Terminal.”

― James McBride, Deacon King Kong