#somebooknotes from memoirs by Black men.
Three sons. One father talking to his own son. Two from Baltimore, one from Sweden. A writer, a musician, and an activist. Three firsthand witnesses to the brutality of racism in America.
These books were written from three very different perspectives and personalities, but they came together to complement each other so profoundly. They were all personal stories, but they all put words to the task of examining the dynamics of racism and how to confront it. They also all had eyes to the future, and those stepping into the continuation of the fight.
Between the World and Me
by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Written shortly after Michael Brown’s death, I think this is one of the most important books of the previous decade. Writing to his son, Coates reflects on the myth of the American Dream and the way it was built on Black bodies. This book hits hard while also being entirely vulnerable.
On The Other Side of Freedom
by Deray McKesson
Deray writes from his experience as an activist and shares helpful insights on policing, organizing, hope, confronting bullies, whiteness, faith, and other aspects of creating change. It’s a very helpful read for those looking to really do the work.
A Drop of Midnight
by Jason Diakité
Swedish hip-hop artist Timbuktu has always embodied a wide mix of different ethnicities and cultures, but in order to get in touch with his Blackness, he goes to the American South where his dad was raised. Here he grapples with the legacy of racism, and the way it still scars communities today. Diakite’s perspective is both as a deep insider and outsider, having spent most his life in Sweden, but also having family roots that go way back into America’s brutal history.
