Austin Channing Brown shares her experience as a Black woman in America. From her name – people often assume she is a white man before they meet her – to her experience in predominantly white environments, Ms. Brown has a lot of experiences to explore. This is part memoir and part discourse on race in America. I enjoyed the writing style and voice all the way through. This reads like a friend talking with you over coffee.
In the midst of that conversational tone, though, there is pointed content. It made me uncomfortable at times – even convicted and ashamed. I like to think there are no racial biases in me, but I think it would be hard to grow up in white America and not have them. My job now is to recognize them and challenge and change them. I was grateful for the faith pieces in the book. They were an anchor for common ground and for hope that we can change – that life for Black folks in America can be different than it is now.
Read this with an open mind and an open heart. If you are a person of faith, ask the Holy Spirit to show you where you fit in Austin Brown’s narrative. Prayerfully consider how her story can change and challenge you.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Convergent Books for the opportunity to read an electronic copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions are my own.