We Speak for Ourselves: Forgotten Voices of Black America - Powerful Essays on Race, Identity & Social Justice | Perfect for Book Clubs, Social Studies & Diversity Education
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Product Description
From the row houses of Baltimore to the stoops of Brooklyn, the New York Times bestselling author of The Cook Up lays bare the voices of the most vulnerable and allows their stories to uncover the systematic injustice threaded within our society. Honest and eye-opening, the pages of We Speak for Ourselves “are abundant with wisdom and wit; integrity and love, not to mention enough laughs for a stand-up comedy routine” (Mitchell S. Jackson, author of Survival Math). Watkins introduces you to Down Bottom, the storied community of East Baltimore that holds a mirror to America’s poor black neighborhoods—“hoods” that could just as easily be in Chicago, Detroit, Oakland, or Atlanta. As Watkins sees it, the perspective of people who live in economically disadvantaged black communities is largely absent from the commentary of many top intellectuals who speak and write about race. Unapologetic and sharp-witted, D. Watkins is here to tell the truth as he has seen it. We Speak for Ourselves offers an in-depth analysis of inner-city hurdles and honors the stories therein. We sit in underfunded schools, walk the blocks burdened with police corruption, stand within an audience of Make America Great Again hats, journey from trap house to university lecture, and rally in neglected streets. And we listen. “Watkins has come to remind us, everyone deserves the opportunity to speak for themselves” (Jason Reynolds, New York Times bestselling author) and serves hope to fellow Americans who are too often ignored and calling on others to examine what it means to be a model activist in today’s world. We Speak for Ourselves is a must-read for all who are committed to social change.
Customer Reviews
D. Watkins has found his lane and he is wonderfully navigating it. Although, he eschews the belief that a voice can be a microphone for the voiceless--quoting scholar and activist Dr. Su’ad Abdu Khabeer, “You don’t need to be a voice for the voiceless. Just pass the mic.”--he has undoubtedly become a voice for the forgotten black America in general and the black and poor in East Baltimore, MD in particular. In these insightful essays written with impassioned prose, D. Watkins elbows his way onto the stage of race writing and punditry and brings the story of ‘Down Bottom” with him as only he can because he lived/lives it. “I’m just a regular guy, a voice in the middle of a sea of voices that don’t seem to matter to most-- which is why we may forever be misrepresented unless we speak for ourselves.”And D. Watkins shares my enthusiasm for the number of “race” books “flooding the publishing industry” many of which I have read and reviewed. His concern has been and is illustrated here that these writers are too often writing from a perspective “of making everyone feel safe” some projects directly appealing to white folks to acknowledge “their own privilege” and change accordingly. The challenge as he sees it; making a connection to those you are writing about, and D. Watkins fills that void of “the very people who live the poor black experience every day.”And over the course of 15 essays divided into four parts he makes countless points while sprinkling in tales of his life. His essay, An American Tradition, from part two: The Biggest Gang In America anchors this part of the book and will become a must read for anyone truly interested in police reform. “Real police reform will never happen as long as we continue to make excuses for police officers when they break laws while celebrating every time they accomplish something they get paid to do. Our low standards are evident when we applaud cops reporting a drug bust, even after we out their true intention was to steal.”This is a slim book but carries a lot of weight concerning representation and advice for those looking to add activist to their resume. Simple but edifying advice, like be the person you needed growing up. How prodigious is that in its’ simplicity? Or, am I making a difference? A checklist. This book will be inspiring for those of any age looking to make an impact on black lives that too often are shown to us and the world that they really don’t matter. I fervently recommend this book to all who care about social justice, equality, and clearing The Hurdles (Ch. 3)!
