Reviews with content warning for Racism - The Trayvon Generation

Great information from an African-American woman’s perspective. Part of it was challenging to follow, but the overall point was clear and the emotion was raw and true.

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sarahsbookstacks's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

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sarahsbookstacks's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

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savvyrosereads's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

Out now [Thanks to Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a gifted copy!]

Rating: 5/5 stars

The Trayvon Generation is an essay collection focusing on various ideas relating to race and racism, as well as the intersection of these ideas with art, poetry, and education.

I absolutely loved this essay collection. The pieces are beautifully written and captivating, and focus on important topics. As a Yale alumnus, I particularly appreciated how Alexander used New Haven and the university as a case study for several of the essays, and for discussions of race and racism in academia and in history. The poetry and artwork included is also phenomenal, and I will definitely need to check out more of the work by several of the artists and writers featured.

In short, this is a short and relatively straightforward book, but it’s a book we should all read. If you’re new to nonfiction writing on racism/anti-racism, you may want to first dive into some works that will lay a foundation for some of the principles and ideas discussed.

Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: nonfiction; essay collections; discussions of race and identity.

CW: Racism; discrimination; police brutality.

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annegoodreads's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

Do you read literary essays published in magazines? I did when I worked because they were always in the receptionist area and they would always catch my eye. The Trayvon Generation

by Elizabeth Alexander was originally an essay published in the New Yorker. The essay was a

reflection/analysis of the dangers facing young Black Americans. Now the essay has been integrated with art, poetry, and even a letter. The book looks at America’s unresolved problem with race. Parts of it broke my heart. It goes back in history and then ends with current events. On page 101 of the advanced copy is a 1905 letter from a man at a university asking for information on “whether a negro sheds tears”. This guy was seriously researching feelings. I cried at the poem on page 111 titled The Boy Died in My Alley. The artwork is kind of hard to see in the black and white printed ARC but the pieces of art are easy to look upon the internet to get the full feeling. My favorite piece is on page 17 by Mary Sibande titled The Reign. This is a small book that packs a powerful punch to the gut. Thank you Grand Central for sending me this to open my mind and heart to more understanding.

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ktkeps's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative fast-paced

4.0

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