Just when we thought life couldn’t get any stranger, this week happened. Another one for the ages that will be seared in our memory for quite a while.
Instead of jumping into a typical Friday Faves, I thought, instead, I would share some of the books and movies that I have read and watched over the last few years that examine the experience of Black people in America. I was lucky enough to be a part of a diversity group at my old school that pointed me in the direction of a lot of this content. I know I need to read and watch more and have more conversations about race and prejudice. I hope some of these help you have those conversations.
Movies
13th - This is a documentary about the prison and criminal systems in the United States. The film dives into how America moved from abolishing slavery to creating a prison system that incarcerated Black and Brown people are staggering numbers. It’s an award winner that is very much worth watching.
Books
Non-Fiction
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness - This is the book version of 13th, so if you’re more of a reader, or find yourself wanting more to dig into after watching the 13th, this is a good place to start.
Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City - A book that covers eight families in Milwaukee trying to make rent every month.
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates - In this book, Ta-Nehisi Coates writes a letter to his son. I read this in one sitting. Coates is incredibly insightful and the stories he tells about his childhood and growing up in Baltimore are haunting.
Barracoon: The Story of the Last "Black Cargo" by Nora Neale Hurston - I am about halfway through this book. Incredibly, Neale Hurston found a man named Cudjo Lewis in Alabama who was on the last slave boat the Clotilda to cross the Middle Passage. It’s now 1931, he’s 86 years-old; he tells the story of his tribe, his capture, his crossing, and his slavery
Fiction
Washington Black by Esi Edugyan - A riveting tale that starts on a Barbados sugar cane plantation following 11 year-old George Washington Black. “Wash” ends up as an apprentice to Christopher Wilde, the brother of the plantation owner. Wilde is an eccentric fellow and naturalist and inventor and when a murder happens on the plantation, they need to escape in the middle of the night on Wilde’s “flying machine.” Adventure ensues, as Wash is always looking over his shoulder waiting for a bounty hunter to catch him whether he’s in the Artic, Europe, or Africa, the fear never leaves him.
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - A story about the immigrant experience in America. Ifemulu moves to the US from Nigeria by herself, expecting Obineze to join her, but he can’t when 9/11 makes it nearly impossible. The two lovers live separate lives and drift apart, Ifemulu in the US and Obineze living illegally in London. The writing is beautiful and the story is gripping.
Internet Clips
Emmanuel Acho: The former football player drops some honesty in this excellent video.
