Tag: race relations

REVIEW: Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy by Emmanuel Acho

REVIEW: Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy by Emmanuel Acho

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Roaring Brook Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary and Review

Emmanuel Acho is the creator behind the video series and book titled Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man. This book takes some of the questions and topics from the adult content and formats them for kids 10 and up. Each chapter introduces a concept with a question. Then some history is given (“Let’s Rewind”) and the talk gets frank (“Let’s Get Uncomfortable”). Finally there are suggestions for what to do to take action about a particular concept (“Talk It, Walk It). Topics include things like the N-word/language, history of Blacks in America, bias, “color blindness,” privilege, the Confederate flag, systemic racism, and “reverse racism.”

The tone is conversational; I could actually hear the author’s speaking voice as I read. He never talks down to readers and often adopts a coaching tone, which I loved. But because of the seriousness of the topic, some of the material is heavy and intense. Struggling readers may need some assistance – reading chunks at a time, discussion groups/family conversation – to push through all of the material. And it is absolutely worth pushing through! This is an exceptionally good resource for kids, teens, and adults, including school personnel, pastors, youth workers, and helping professionals.

There are no citations in the text for some of the history and statistics the author gives, but there are references listed in the backmatter. There are also suggestions of other materials – books, documentaries – to go deeper. This is a starting point resource, not the be-all-end-all discussion of race and racism. But the history and context given makes this an excellent foundation to build on. As an adult, I found the history enlightening (and alarming), and the conversation frank and helpful. When I talk about race and racism with other adults, there are common refrains from those who do not believe racism is still an issue, those who want to “move on.” This includes terrific talking points and responses for people of all ages looking to grow in their understanding and practice of anti-racism.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥+++*

* ♥♥♥♥♥+++ = Best of the best!

 

BONUS REVIEW: The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed

BONUS REVIEW: The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

In the spring of 1992, Ashley is trying to endure the final days of her senior year. She’s a good student, and her parents’ hard work and success have given her opportunities she might not have had otherwise. She recognizes that being Black makes her perspective on things different from that of her while friends. But usually she tries to operate like it’s a non-factor.

Then the officers who beat Rodney King are acquitted, and her LA community explodes in anger and protest.

As her uncle’s store sits in the middle of the violence, and her cousin moves into their house for safety, and Ashley’s sister joins the demonstrations, Ashley tries to negotiate the ways the riots change her life and the way she thinks about herself, her friends, and her family.

Review

There’s a lot going on in this book. Ashley’s waiting to hear about college, she’s doing daily life with the white kids she’s grown up with. She and her family experience the same racist behavior as any other Black person in her community. Her fancy school, and her parents’ money, can’t protect them from those who only see skin color.  There’s relationship drama and prom and then rumors about one of the Black athletes at school. Ashley’s sister has eloped, which has only increased the tension between her and Ashley’s parents. The LA riots are a thread that runs through the story, but it’s one thread of many, and in some ways it seems more like a setting piece or part of the story’s context rather than a major part of the book itself.

This feels more like a cross-section of teen life than a story centered on the riots. Yes, Ashley is wrestling with her racial identity, and the wrestling is elevated by the Rodney King verdict. But there’s so much else going on. I struggled to hold onto a through line because I thought the riots were going to be that through line, and they weren’t for me. And at times, I also struggled with the timeline of passages of the book. A question might be raised, which would lead to backstory or fill-in details, but the answer for the question would come later or in the next passage. I found myself stopping and backtracking to see if I somehow missed the answer to the question. It’s a style choice that will work for some readers, but didn’t always click for me.

I think I would have gotten into the groove of this faster if my expectations were different. The materials I read leading up to starting the book left me with the impression that this would be more about the riots – something like I’m Not Dying with You Tonight – than it was. Instead, when you read this one, keep in mind that the riots are a backdrop for a more personal story about Ashley. This is really about her – her identity, her relationships, and the seismic shifts that come with graduation and with the impact of the riots on her family and community.

(Language, off-page sex, drug/alcohol/cigarette use, LGBTQ+: M/M couple, F/F flirting and kissing. TW: Abuse, suicide)

Rating: ♥♥♥½

REVIEW: I'm Not Dying With You Tonight by Gilly Segal and Kimberly Jones

REVIEW: I’m Not Dying With You Tonight by Gilly Segal and Kimberly Jones

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire  in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

It was just a Friday night football game. Lena was there with her best friend to watch the dance team perform. Then she was going to catch up with her boyfriend, Black, before her curfew. Her grandpa would not be a fan of her relationship with the 20-year-old rapper, so it was best to keep it quiet.

Campbell’s only been in town for a few months. Her mom has left the country for work, leaving Campbell with her dad. For the game, she’s working the concessions stand. She let one of her teachers guilt her into helping. Her two “co-workers” have been completely useless. And she’s stuck going out with the dance team – a group of strangers – after the game so her teacher can give her a ride home. How pathetic does that sound?

Not only are the two schools in the game rivals, but there’s also been racial tension between them recently. Maybe tensions are running too high. All it takes is one racist guy mouthing off in the concessions line. Then fists start flying. Then the sound of gun fire. This is NOT how Lena or Campbell saw this night going.

Review

This is a fast-moving story about a riot and two girls caught in the middle – one White, one Black. Their differences are seen from the beginning with their expectations when the police first show up at the fight at the game. Campbell is relieved when they show up, thinking they will stop the fight and everyone will be safe. Lena expects their arrival will lead to escalation. And she’s right.

The girls have assumptions about each other that get explored a little. And I guess that is how I feel about the whole story. Lots of things get touched on a little. There’s not as much depth here as I wanted. The action pushes the reader forward; I didn’t want to put this down. But I was left wanting more – more depth to the two girls, more depth to the race conversation, more depth to the rationale for why they ended up in two riots (weren’t there other routes through town?). And then the ending. What happens next for these two characters and for their community?

If this is your first foray into YA that explores racial tensions, or if you are looking for an action-packed, fast-paced story, don’t miss this one. If you feel like you want something that digs deeper, try The Hate U Give or Dear Martin instead. (Language, violence)

Rating: ♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Walking with Miss Millie by Tamara Bundy

REVIEW: Walking with Miss Millie by Tamara Bundy

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Alice does not want to be in Rainbow, Georgia. She wants to go home to Columbus, Ohio. How will her dad, who “hates” Rainbow, ever come back to them if they aren’t there?

But Alice’s grandmother is having memory issues. She needs help, so Alice and her mom and brother are in Rainbow for the foreseeable future.

Georgia in June, 1968, means hot and humid weather, “party” phone lines and racial tension. When Alice accidentally eavesdrops on her grandmother’s neighbor, Miss Millie, on the party line, she has to go apologize. That leads to daily walks with Miss Millie and her dog, Clarence. What starts as a burden becomes something Alice looks forward to as she gets to know their elderly African-American neighbor. And their talks help Alice learn some things about herself along the way.

Review

This story was perfection. The heart was present from page one. Alice is an earnest, thoughtful character. Like any good 10-year-old, she jumps to conclusions about folks at times, but she’s also teachable and honest. Miss Millie is wise. And the author does a terrific job of “showing” rather than telling how Miss Millie feels and what she thinks but doesn’t say. The entire cast of characters is fantastic, and I quickly fell in love with them.

The story centers on Alice and the move to Rainbow as well as what that move means to her relationship with her absent father. But it’s also about the evolution of race relations from the late 1800s to 1968. It’s about family and loss and faith. I cried several times in the story as the emotional pieces are pitched perfectly for the characters. I can’t recommend this highly enough!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Into White by Randi Pink

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

After a humiliating “final straw,” Latoya prays that God would make her “anything but black.” The next day she is a blonde, blue eyed white girl, still living with her black family. They are the only ones who still see her as she originally was. Latoya gets to experience her school and her peers as “Katarina” the white exchange student. She talks face to face at times with Jesus about her transformation.

Black girl experiences life as white girl

Review

This was a fascinating story. Toya feels all the pain in her life is the fault of her race. At times it was difficult to read – the cruelty, the blatant racism, the crass moments. But it made me think, which I think is a great quality in a book.

I would love to read this with a group of white and black readers and hear from others what they thought of the portrayals in the story. Online reviews are mixed and most of the ones I saw were written by white people. There’s an element of a story like this that begs to be enhanced by conversation. I wonder – are the characters in the book the worst of stereotypes? Or are there high school students who have had experiences like this? Are there minority students who hate their own race because of the bigotry they experience? And if so, how can we help them?

If I had one complaint about the book, it would be that it doesn’t offer any solutions. Toya’s resolution seems centered more on her individual life and circumstances and less on a universal experience or revelation about valuing her race.

Racial issues are front and center in our country these days. I think it’s important to read books that explore race and racism, especially ones that expose readers to perspectives that are different from their own. (This book includes some language as well as an attempted sexual assault. May be best suited for mature readers.)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥