I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness (alkuperäinen julkaisuvuosi 2018; vuoden 2018 painos)

This incisive memoir takes a penetrating look at race and the Christian faith while providing tools on how to cope with microaggressions and blatant racism. Brown perfectly and succinctly describes the corrosive weight of white supremacy embedded within American institutions, which African Americans and other people of color endure on a daily basis in schools, professional spaces, and places of worship. Brown's experiences and lifelong exploration of racial understanding and reconciliation offer a modern take on the double consciousness first written about by W.E.B. DuBois. From her days in elementary school, often as the only person of color in the room, to speaking on the national stage, Brown's lessons not only give allies the tools to do better but also provide advice for peers and up-and-comings on navigating hostile workplaces, lecture halls, and hearts and minds. This book is laced with gems that make it necessary reading for everyone, regardless of belief or identity. VERDICT Fans of Ta-Nehisi Coates's Between the World and Me and Reni Eddo-Lodge's Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race will find this candid debut edifying and essential.—Christina Vortia, Hype Lit, Land O'Lakes, FL

An intense, stirring read that allows the reader to take an unsettling dive into the author's life. It's one thing to read about the devastating reality of Black folks (here: in the US) in general, but another to see these humiliating aspects playing out in the life of a single person. I have the deepest respect for Brown's ability to stay hopeful. ( )

Took my breath away as in overwhelming, unrelenting, painful and gorgeous all at once. One of those I need to reread. ( )

The first few chapters felt like well-trod ground to me, as Brown narrates her coming into racial consciousness. It didn't seem to breaking any new ground, and in places I thought the narration was trapped in language bequeathed to her by other thinkers. But this book picked up steam when it started to address race in the context of Christianity, and Brown's experiences in the church. I would have loved to hear more about theology, but I learned a lot from her experiences in various ministry positions. ( )

Austin Channing Brown tells of her experiences as a black woman in predominately white (and often Christian) spaces, speaking with honesty, eloquence, and conviction - pulling you forward with every page. (I read it in two sittings.)

In a word, her memoir is powerful. Each story grabs your attention, helping you to walk in her shoes and see life as she does. I thought her book was fantastic and beautifully written.

One slight push-back was I wish she would have helped delineate the differences between whiteness/white supremacy and white people (assuming they can be divided). Without a doubt white supremacy and racism go unnamed in white culture; however, being white isn't inherently wrong or evil or else we end up hating ourselves. Reconciliation needs to affirm goodness of being white while naming the evil in white supremacy. Hopefully that communicates. But - her primary goal wasn't to teach white people how to think about their own identity or race. It's our own struggle to accept our whiteness, what that means for ourselves, how that affects others, and all the while recognizing and naming the countless atrocities of our past.

If white and care to understand what life is like for a black people, this is your book. And I will add, if you're a white person and new to thinking about race, it's likely to shake you up, but it's needed. Recommended to all. ( )