A well-intentioned primer on anti-racism, particularly useful for those supporting young activists.
The Little Black Lives Matter (2022) author presents a mix of memoir and manifesto on anti-racism.
Dill writes that anti-racism work “at its core…centers compassion.” Born to a Black Bahamian mother and white father and raised in Saskatchewan, he experienced the “racial tightrope walking” of holding “ ‘honorary’ white status” among his white friends but being called “whiteboy” while visiting family in the Bahamas. Now armed with the language he lacked as a young person, he fills this book with terms and concepts that explain the social construction of race and its centuries-old hierarchical system. As an educator, Dill dedicates a chapter to critiques of the educational systems of Canada and the U.S. He offers suggestions for reimagining schools: organizing for better resources, revamping curricula, and offering student-centered learning, among others. He highlights the detrimental effects of racism that manifest in ways such as disparities in mental health treatment. Dill’s background as a spoken-word poet and his passion for hip-hop influence the conversational tone; he warmly addresses readers as “family.” Starr’s eye-catching collages help to showcase the sincere urgency of the text. Ultimately, while it contains much of value, the book struggles with everything it’s trying to accomplish. As a result, it feels a bit congested and may prove more helpful to educators than teen readers.
A well-intentioned primer on anti-racism, particularly useful for those supporting young activists. (land acknowledgment, author’s note, further reading, sources, index) (Nonfiction. 13-adult)Pub Date: Oct. 17, 2023
ISBN: 9781773218076
Page Count: 360
Publisher: Annick Press
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Small but mighty necessary reading.
A miniature manifesto for radical queer acceptance that weaves together the personal and political.
Eli, a cis gay white Jewish man, uses his own identities and experiences to frame and acknowledge his perspective. In the prologue, Eli compares the global Jewish community to the global queer community, noting, “We don’t always get it right, but the importance of showing up for other Jews has been carved into the DNA of what it means to be Jewish. It is my dream that queer people develop the same ideology—what I like to call a Global Queer Conscience.” He details his own isolating experiences as a queer adolescent in an Orthodox Jewish community and reflects on how he and so many others would have benefitted from a robust and supportive queer community. The rest of the book outlines 10 principles based on the belief that an expectation of mutual care and concern across various other dimensions of identity can be integrated into queer community values. Eli’s prose is clear, straightforward, and powerful. While he makes some choices that may be divisive—for example, using the initialism LGBTQIAA+ which includes “ally”—he always makes clear those are his personal choices and that the language is ever evolving.
Small but mighty necessary reading. (resources) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-09368-9
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
A fierce, penetrating, and empowering call for change.
Artist and activist Vaid-Menon demonstrates how the normativity of the gender binary represses creativity and inflicts physical and emotional violence.
The author, whose parents emigrated from India, writes about how enforcement of the gender binary begins before birth and affects people in all stages of life, with people of color being especially vulnerable due to Western conceptions of gender as binary. Gender assignments create a narrative for how a person should behave, what they are allowed to like or wear, and how they express themself. Punishment of nonconformity leads to an inseparable link between gender and shame. Vaid-Menon challenges familiar arguments against gender nonconformity, breaking them down into four categories—dismissal, inconvenience, biology, and the slippery slope (fear of the consequences of acceptance). Headers in bold font create an accessible navigation experience from one analysis to the next. The prose maintains a conversational tone that feels as intimate and vulnerable as talking with a best friend. At the same time, the author's turns of phrase in moments of deep insight ring with precision and poetry. In one reflection, they write, “the most lethal part of the human body is not the fist; it is the eye. What people see and how people see it has everything to do with power.” While this short essay speaks honestly of pain and injustice, it concludes with encouragement and an invitation into a future that celebrates transformation.
A fierce, penetrating, and empowering call for change. (writing prompt) (Nonfiction. 14-adult)Pub Date: June 2, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-09465-5
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: March 14, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2020
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