Scan barcode
zacharymckay's review
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
I had not anticipated this book to be a nonfiction novel, but I was glad that despite my expectations, I still really enjoyed this book. Shaka’s narrative on his experiences and the experiences of others in his communities enlightened me. The perspective within this book gave me the ability to see the prison system from a point of view that broadened my own. Personal beliefs and attitudes of my own were challenged which made it possible for me to examine discrepancies in my own belief system. This book was an excellent opportunity for me to evaluate myself and the systems in which I operate. I learned a lot from this book and I see how I view institutions and systems changing in my daily life. I would say I would have liked to have read a bit more about intersectionality incorporating the experiences of queer people, trans people, and women impacted by the prison systems and male peers. But this book has been a very great experience to read.
Content Warnings
Minor: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, and Police brutality
rmuthiah's review
4.0
This is a moving book about redemption and the human ability to change (though Senghor doesn't necessarily use the former category...or maybe he does). The hopes and vision he sets out for his sons are inspiring. One son was born shortly after Senghor was incarcerated, and the other was born some 20 years later shortly after Senghor was released. I so appreciate Senghor's openness - vulnerability. He has hopes for Black boys to be allowed to cry and to be hugged. Many more hopes are embedded in these two physical acts. While his own experience and his analysis of the legal/prison system is depressing, he is inspiring because he refuses to be defined by these systems.
orsayor's review
5.0
Letters to the Sons of Society is a heartfelt and moving memoir that explores the special bond between fathers and sons. It is a guiding light for those who want a kinder and fairer world, where love, vulnerability, and emotional understanding can thrive without judgment.
Shaka Senghor's writing is powerful and honest, taking readers on an emotional journey through his struggles and triumphs. He skillfully weaves together themes of race, fatherhood, and personal growth, making the book thought-provoking for everyone.
Letters to the Sons of Society call for positive societal change. It inspires hope and motivates those who face similar challenges, urging us to build a world filled with compassion, empathy, and unity. It's a must-read for anyone who dares to challenge norms and create a better future for all.
Shaka Senghor's writing is powerful and honest, taking readers on an emotional journey through his struggles and triumphs. He skillfully weaves together themes of race, fatherhood, and personal growth, making the book thought-provoking for everyone.
Letters to the Sons of Society call for positive societal change. It inspires hope and motivates those who face similar challenges, urging us to build a world filled with compassion, empathy, and unity. It's a must-read for anyone who dares to challenge norms and create a better future for all.
bobbieshiann's review
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Letters to the Sons of Society is remarkable in its ability to be vulnerable. In letters to both sons, Jay and Sekou, Shaka disclosed the world through his eyes while aiming to protect his sons from the wickedness of the world through honesty. Beautifully written, it discusses injustice, lack of tears by young boys, sex, drugs, incarceration, life after prison, intimacy, rape, and much more. The divide comes in how both of his sons were made. Jay, his eldest son, grew up while Shaka was in prison for 19 years, and the disconnect was apparent but almost invisible to Shaka as he recalls himself as a boy trying to raise a boy. “Because of my choices, you were locked up, too. Your innocence was held hostage right alongside mine.” He did not understand how to be the father to his now grown son, but for Sekou, he loves openly and is a full-time coparent that shows the joy in what parenting looks like, but at the same time, these are men in Black bodies.
“Black body is not our own; it is controlled by the state, by corrections officers and police officers and all the other tools of oppressive society”. Victim to society and to the community you think would protect you. We learn of the many times Shaka was raped by older women but was not protected because the abuse of boys and men never seemed to make it to the forefront.
Shaka continues engrossing Sekou with moments and memories that shaped him but also showed how bright Sekou is and what will be different from him as his parents break free from the trauma when raising him. He shares influential Black men and women to look up to, but most importantly, he addresses crying and what that means for a boy or man. Raised to show no emotion besides anger, Shaka identifies how men cry for rappers that die but not for the many lives of family members being taken or important events that took place. Though his mom shamed him for crying as a boy, Shake now cries when he feels like it as a man. He embraces hugs that bring the comfort every little Black boy needs. Though I wish Shaka had more to say to Jay, his honesty and emotions are needed for the sons of society.
shannanh's review
5.0
If you've read the author's first book, then you already know his life's story. In this one, he pens letters to both of his sons about life, some of the things he's experienced and some of the things they might experience growing up in this country as young black men. This was such a powerful and eye opening read that provides a variety of life lessons, especially for the black youth of today.
I received a copy of the book from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review of my own thoughts and opinions.
I received a copy of the book from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review of my own thoughts and opinions.
More...