ivan_yume's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.5
f_castellanos's review
2.0
This is one of the books that HAD to be written. The Movement Made Us is one of the bravest stories I’ve ever read, as its writing and publishing seem to have put a father-son relationship at stake. We follow the father’s story: a young Dave Dennis fighting in the Black Movement in 1960s Mississippi and Louisiana. And through its narration, we also experience his relationship with his son, born decades later, who had to endure trauma from Dave Sr.’s inevitable parental absence. I appreciate the story and its intentions more than I can explain, it tells an otherwise untold story of the hardships of Black people throughout the last 60 years, but I have a slight problem with it. In the fight for equality, we seek exactly that: equality. And that is equality of perception, treatment, and law. Read this:
"…white identity is indelibly linked to white supremacy and the degradation, violence, and oppression white people have wrought on America for four hundred years."
How can one protest hate speech against their own only to mirror it unto another group? That is not to say that I am in favor of white supremacy in the least, being white, I stand with all those who participated in the Freedom Summer Project (The story of Rita and Michael Schwerner is as inspiring as can be) and I hope that one day we reach true equality of races. But to me, it’s deeply problematic that someone marks me as a white supremacist only because I identify as white, and this image appears to be no different than some white people’s denomination of all African Americans as robbers.
I might be mistaken to believe that racism can be reciprocal, just as African Americans were once victims of hate, every day, as equality becomes tangible, I see the power to evolve into being the perpetrators come closer to them. They must be careful not to bury themselves in hate and anger, just as the spiteful and barbaric white supremacists of the past and present did and still do, because if they are not careful, they may become just like them.
"…white identity is indelibly linked to white supremacy and the degradation, violence, and oppression white people have wrought on America for four hundred years."
How can one protest hate speech against their own only to mirror it unto another group? That is not to say that I am in favor of white supremacy in the least, being white, I stand with all those who participated in the Freedom Summer Project (The story of Rita and Michael Schwerner is as inspiring as can be) and I hope that one day we reach true equality of races. But to me, it’s deeply problematic that someone marks me as a white supremacist only because I identify as white, and this image appears to be no different than some white people’s denomination of all African Americans as robbers.
I might be mistaken to believe that racism can be reciprocal, just as African Americans were once victims of hate, every day, as equality becomes tangible, I see the power to evolve into being the perpetrators come closer to them. They must be careful not to bury themselves in hate and anger, just as the spiteful and barbaric white supremacists of the past and present did and still do, because if they are not careful, they may become just like them.
elyseforbeswriting's review
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
churameru's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
bookreviewswithkb's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
a perfect Black History Month read 💯
“i watched the whole damn video and i don’t know why. but now it’s on my skin. i can’t peel it away. it’s in my spirit and it won’t shake free.”
this is a great book to read to learn about a leader in the Civil Rights Movement that we aren’t typically exposed to, David J. Dennis Sr., made even better by the fact that it’s written by his son. exploring both the work and heart and trauma of the movement and the direct impact on his own family. you can feel David J. Dennis Jr. exploring his admiration of his father alongside his disappointment in him, the way as child he couldn’t understand how his father could give so much to a movement that he didn’t have enough left to give to his own family, from the weight of the trauma of everything he experienced in his fight preventing him from being fully present while his son was growing up. it’s honestly a beautiful read and i highly recommend
reminded me of Buses Are a Comin’ by Charles Person - an excellent read that i highly recommend