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Showing posts from October, 2020

NOBODY: Casualties of America's War on the Vulnerable from Ferguson to Flint and Beyond- Marc Lamont Hill

This is an excellent, well researched book explaining in detailed ways how Black People continue to face systemic racism in a wide variety of ways.    Professor Hill gives numerous examples supporting his conclusions, showing how racism permeates the life of Black People, through "the law" and the prejudices of white people.    Few books I have read have the depth of development of the basic theme in such a detailed, methodical way, while humanizing the lives of the many millions of people who are significantly affected.   Really understanding how poor People of Color face day-in-day-out battles to simply live a basic life is helped greatly by Hill's writing.    Marc Lamont Hill clearly shows important parts of the lives of Black People being caught in the "justice system" (sic). Professor Hill's book is particularly appropriate, given the major killings of 2020 and the resultant responses of the anti-racism movement and the reaction against it.    

How to be an Antiracist: Ibram X Kendi

  How to be an AntiRacist -   is 80% an excellent, incredible book and 20% lacking in my estimation.    Kendi's basic dichotomies of:  "racist"  vs. "anti-racist" - with various expanded areas (relating to sexism, homophobia, etc.) seem mostly highly appropriate related to white people.   I have problems with his clear determination that Black People who aren't - with the (e.g. his) agenda related to racism are "racist".     He gave numerous examples of how he had learned of his own limitations which have helped him (in his estimation) from "racism" to "anti-racism". Kendi is incredibly good at discussing issues like sexism, classism, transphobia and how they relate to sexism.     He also describes the racism (and other isms) that we white people have and how we (in some ways) are different from Black People in important ways.    He readily acknowledges and explains very clearly how white, upper-class, heterosexual men manipulat