Today I’m excited to share my review of I’m Still Here: Black dignity in a world made for whiteness by Austin Channing Brown. Spoiler alert: I loved it!
Synopsis
From a powerful new voice on racial justice, an eye-opening account of growing up Black, Christian, and female in middle-class white America.
Austin Channing Brown’s first encounter with a racialized America came at age 7, when she discovered her parents named her Austin to deceive future employers into thinking she was a white man. Growing up in majority-white schools, organizations, and churches, Austin writes, “I had to learn what it means to love blackness,” a journey that led to a lifetime spent navigating America’s racial divide as a writer, speaker and expert who helps organizations practice genuine inclusion.
In a time when nearly all institutions (schools, churches, universities, businesses) claim to value “diversity” in their mission statements, I’m Still Here is a powerful account of how and why our actions so often fall short of our words. Austin writes in breathtaking detail about her journey to self-worth and the pitfalls that kill our attempts at racial justice, in stories that bear witness to the complexity of America’s social fabric–from Black Cleveland neighborhoods to private schools in the middle-class suburbs, from prison walls to the boardrooms at majority-white organizations.
For readers who have engaged with America’s legacy on race through the writing of Ta-Nehisi Coates and Michael Eric Dyson, I’m Still Here is an illuminating look at how white, middle-class, Evangelicalism has participated in an era of rising racial hostility, inviting the reader to confront apathy, recognize God’s ongoing work in the world, and discover how blackness–if we let it–can save us all.
Rating
I have decided to not use my star rating for non-fiction books. It doesn’t feel right so why do it? For non-fiction books I will use the following scale: Read NOW, Read, or Did not resonate with me.
The rating for I’m Still Here is Read NOW.
My Thoughts
In this collection of essays Austin Channing Brown tells her personal experiences as a Black woman living in a white world. The stories are eye opening and highlight many problems in our society. This is a book that will open your eyes and hopefully encourage action.
The author grabs your attention from the beginning with the very first essay called White people are exhausting. She explains that her parents named her Austin to avoid employers and others discriminating against her based on name alone. Have you thought about how much your name impacts your life? Probably not but think about the impact it has on Black people.
I listened to the audiobook which is narrated by the author and it is amazing and definitely recommend it. I also bought a physical copy so that I can go back and re-read certain essays and highlight impactful passages. There is a lot of power in this book and I hope you read it!
After I read the book I listened to this podcast with the author and it is amazing. One thing she mentioned that stuck with me is this: “The work of antiracism is becoming a better human to other humans. That’s what the work of antiracism is. We are becoming better humans so that we can treat other humans better.”
Impactful Quotes
“And then she said nine words that I’ve never forgotten: Doing nothing is no longer an option for me”
“Our only chance at dismantling racial injustice is being more curious about its origins than we are worried about our comfort.“
Who I recommend this book to
I recommend this book to EVERYONE! I know a lot of people are reading the book White Fragility by Robin Diangelo (I am too) If you are reading it I recommend reading this book simultaneously. This book gives you the perspective of a Black woman.
Did I convince you to pick up this book? Get your copy from bookshop.org here. Please consider ordering it from a Black owned independent bookstore. This list of Black owned independent bookstores accepts online ordering.
