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lilcoppertop's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
5.0
ignatzv's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
4.25
A Black Women's History of the United States is an exceptionally in-depth history of Black women's experiences in the United States and on the continent of North America. The tellings in the book date all the way from the sixteenth century to modern day. This book is more of a historical retelling than a theoretical argument or political analysis, but it is still beneficial for conceptualizing how Black women are treated in the U.S. today.
walkingcha0s's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Trafficking, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Gore, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Transphobia, Excrement, Vomit, and Lesbophobia
erine's review against another edition
"We owe a debt to the Black women who came before us, those who persevered and those who did not, because the totality of their history is what informs our present and readies us to continue to demand justice, for ourselves and, by extension, for us all."
That's the final line, and sums it up for me. The debt we owe to those who came before us encompasses many people, but to read an entire history with Black women as the focus makes previously hidden history visible. In the face of this expanding narrative and different perspective, I know people who will try to say this is erasing or rewriting history. I always wonder what exactly they think history is. The events haven't changed, but as with any moment in time there are always multiple viewpoints and pieces of the puzzle that are hidden.
This is one of my favorite parts about history: that it's just a collection of stories and different people will tell it in different ways. Each telling (whether it's a book or a history class or a movie or an exhibit) will make choices about who to highlight, who to mention, who to ignore. By focusing in on a specific time period, specific geographic location, or a specific group of people, our understanding of history becomes richer and more complex. And more complete.
This particular history of the U.S. features a lot of struggle and resistance and tragedy. And then more hard work and more activism and more setbacks. And it's practically impossible not to make progress with all the grit and determination involved, but oh it's slow. It's not a victim's story -- it's a fighter's story. Each chapter begins by highlighting a single woman's story, and then expands into the large context of the chosen time period. There are a lot of names, a lot of details, but the common themes of both oppression and activism repeat throughout. After a lifetime of studying history that defaults to the white male perspective, it is an intensely interesting experience to see everything from the gaze of Black women in history.
In good news, there have been increasing efforts to highlight this history for kids as well. As I read I kept picturing all the recent children's books about many of these more obscure people. [b:Shirley Chisholm is a Verb!|3771520|Shirley Chisholm is a Verb!|Veronica Chambers|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1585194025l/3771520._SX50_.jpg|16402999], [b:What Do You Do with a Voice Like That?: The Story of Extraordinary Congresswoman Barbara Jordan|36873548|What Do You Do with a Voice Like That? The Story of Extraordinary Congresswoman Barbara Jordan|Chris Barton|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1527517808l/36873548._SX50_.jpg|58639404], [b:Carter Reads the Newspaper|41033766|Carter Reads the Newspaper|Deborah Hopkinson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1534226556l/41033766._SX50_.jpg|64052145], [b:Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer|22747807|Voice of Freedom Fannie Lou Hamer|Carole Boston Weatherford|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1453342685l/22747807._SX50_.jpg|42292743], [b:Nina: A Story of Nina Simone|57286019|Nina A Story of Nina Simone|Traci Todd|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|89646453], [b:William Still and His Freedom Stories: The Father of the Underground Railroad|50988414|William Still and His Freedom Stories The Father of the Underground Railroad|Don Tate|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1580816275l/50988414._SX50_.jpg|75832867], and even more.
I continue reading histories, ever-impressed with the new stories being shared, and ever-baffled by people who think they "know" it all already.
That's the final line, and sums it up for me. The debt we owe to those who came before us encompasses many people, but to read an entire history with Black women as the focus makes previously hidden history visible. In the face of this expanding narrative and different perspective, I know people who will try to say this is erasing or rewriting history. I always wonder what exactly they think history is. The events haven't changed, but as with any moment in time there are always multiple viewpoints and pieces of the puzzle that are hidden.
This is one of my favorite parts about history: that it's just a collection of stories and different people will tell it in different ways. Each telling (whether it's a book or a history class or a movie or an exhibit) will make choices about who to highlight, who to mention, who to ignore. By focusing in on a specific time period, specific geographic location, or a specific group of people, our understanding of history becomes richer and more complex. And more complete.
This particular history of the U.S. features a lot of struggle and resistance and tragedy. And then more hard work and more activism and more setbacks. And it's practically impossible not to make progress with all the grit and determination involved, but oh it's slow. It's not a victim's story -- it's a fighter's story. Each chapter begins by highlighting a single woman's story, and then expands into the large context of the chosen time period. There are a lot of names, a lot of details, but the common themes of both oppression and activism repeat throughout. After a lifetime of studying history that defaults to the white male perspective, it is an intensely interesting experience to see everything from the gaze of Black women in history.
In good news, there have been increasing efforts to highlight this history for kids as well. As I read I kept picturing all the recent children's books about many of these more obscure people. [b:Shirley Chisholm is a Verb!|3771520|Shirley Chisholm is a Verb!|Veronica Chambers|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1585194025l/3771520._SX50_.jpg|16402999], [b:What Do You Do with a Voice Like That?: The Story of Extraordinary Congresswoman Barbara Jordan|36873548|What Do You Do with a Voice Like That? The Story of Extraordinary Congresswoman Barbara Jordan|Chris Barton|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1527517808l/36873548._SX50_.jpg|58639404], [b:Carter Reads the Newspaper|41033766|Carter Reads the Newspaper|Deborah Hopkinson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1534226556l/41033766._SX50_.jpg|64052145], [b:Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer|22747807|Voice of Freedom Fannie Lou Hamer|Carole Boston Weatherford|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1453342685l/22747807._SX50_.jpg|42292743], [b:Nina: A Story of Nina Simone|57286019|Nina A Story of Nina Simone|Traci Todd|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|89646453], [b:William Still and His Freedom Stories: The Father of the Underground Railroad|50988414|William Still and His Freedom Stories The Father of the Underground Railroad|Don Tate|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1580816275l/50988414._SX50_.jpg|75832867], and even more.
I continue reading histories, ever-impressed with the new stories being shared, and ever-baffled by people who think they "know" it all already.
andymanion2's review against another edition
challenging
dark
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.75