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Nov 23, 2018katiedennisgunnerson rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Such an important book for those of us who are privileged enough to live our lives relatively free of institutional abuse and systematic oppression. Khan-Cullors writes so passionately and deeply about her pain, her struggles and loss, her activism and triumphs, that I feel like I shouldn't be reading this--it's too personal. But, it’s exactly what I should be reading. Khan-Cullors doesn’t edit herself to make white people comfortable. She’s radical, queer, and speaks her truth without apologies. She’s not a perfectly packaged talking head that makes the BLM movement digestible for cable news shows. She exposes the damage the myth of “personal responsibility”, among other things, does to the black community, she calls for community and national accountability for the inequality and struggles black people face--the high prison population, drug use, violence, etc. Her mother who works three jobs and still lives in poverty; Her father, laid off by GM, with no further educational opportunities, no safety net, no jobs; Her brother, struggling with mental illness and no access to healthcare. She calls out the institutions and polices that create the conditions that allow for this. She examines how, even within the black community, their struggles are blamed solely on immorality, irresponsibility, bad choices, etc. She doesn’t dismiss the idea of personal responsibility altogether, but points out how it’s often weaponized against the black community; prescribed as the solution to their struggles, rather than actual access to education, jobs, and healthcare. Please add this book to your list. Along with the forward by Angela Davis, it’s one of the most important book on this topic to date.