What do you think?
Rate this book
And Still We Rise:: The Trials and Triumphs of Twelve Gifted Inner-City Students
Bestselling author of The Killing Season and veteran Los Angeles Times reporter Miles Corwin spent a school year with twelve high school seniors -- South-Central kids who qualified for a gifted program because of their exceptional IQs and test scores. Sitting alongside them in classrooms where bullets were known to rip through windows, Corwin chronicled their amazing odyssey as they faced the greatest challenges of their academic lives. And Still We Rise is an unforgettable story of transcending obstacles that would dash the hopes of any but the most exceptional spirits.
432 pages, Paperback
First published April 26, 2000
77 people are currently reading
1386 people want to read
About the author
Miles Corwin
12 books29 followersMiles Corwin, a former Los Angeles Times reporter, is the author of three books. The Killing Season (1997) was a national bestseller. And Still We Rise (2000) was awarded the PEN USA West award for nonfiction. Homicide Special (2004) was a Los Angeles Times bestseller. He graduated from UC Santa Barbara and received his M.A. at the University of Missouri School of Journalism.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 249 reviews
May 31, 2023
Historically, the black man has been considered to be inferior in intellect compared to the white race. President William Howard Taft once told a group of negro students at Charlotte, North Carolina in May 1909 that their 'race is adapted to be a race of farmers, first, last, and for all time'. For this reason, education has long been considered a white folk business. Poverty, violence, peer pressure are some of the barriers to the education of blacks in America as portrayed in this book. These barriers have led to high drop-out rates among students from black communities. Attendance levels are also very low.
However, it is not only the education of black students in America that is discouraging, so is the future that awaits them. The few who manage to get an education are prepared for practically nothing. Sometimes there level of education is too low to even join universities. This book deals with the issue of equality in education between blacks and whites. It tackles the notions of substantive equality, formal equality, and affirmative action.
While discussing these ideas, the author traced the lives of twelve gifted inner city students and their pursuit for knowledge. Life in their gang infested neighborhood had hardened rather than polished them. it had taught them to be rough almost to insolence, direct in speech, relying upon absolutely no one but themselves. However, despite all these, they possessed an astonishing degree of intelligence. They are not only tolerant of other people's opinions but ferocious in their academic pursuits.
What about the teachers? The author has also highlighted the attitude of teachers towards black students and the challenges they face in their day to day activities. Fortunately, these teachers understood the benefits of education for all, including the black community. Through their dedication, teachers like Ms Little offered their students the best education despite the harsh circumstances. And with better education, the chances of black students joining colleges and universities increased. This in turn heightened the chances of them getting good jobs and improving not only their livelihoods but also that of their communities in future.
However, it is not only the education of black students in America that is discouraging, so is the future that awaits them. The few who manage to get an education are prepared for practically nothing. Sometimes there level of education is too low to even join universities. This book deals with the issue of equality in education between blacks and whites. It tackles the notions of substantive equality, formal equality, and affirmative action.
While discussing these ideas, the author traced the lives of twelve gifted inner city students and their pursuit for knowledge. Life in their gang infested neighborhood had hardened rather than polished them. it had taught them to be rough almost to insolence, direct in speech, relying upon absolutely no one but themselves. However, despite all these, they possessed an astonishing degree of intelligence. They are not only tolerant of other people's opinions but ferocious in their academic pursuits.
What about the teachers? The author has also highlighted the attitude of teachers towards black students and the challenges they face in their day to day activities. Fortunately, these teachers understood the benefits of education for all, including the black community. Through their dedication, teachers like Ms Little offered their students the best education despite the harsh circumstances. And with better education, the chances of black students joining colleges and universities increased. This in turn heightened the chances of them getting good jobs and improving not only their livelihoods but also that of their communities in future.
July 10, 2013
This was a good book and I read it with an open mind, but it bothered me for two reasons. It's about affirmative action and it details systematic poverty. The author is a reporter that wanted to show why race based affirmative action is necessary at a time when it was ending. To do so, he chronicled the lives of some black high school students and their leap into the world of college. I'm not sure that this was the best way for him to pose his argument and it was hard to keep track of the students, but the stories were interesting, I enjoyed the antics of their English teacher, Miss Little, as well as the insights on literature. But I have a problem with his argument.
I read this with an open mind, I really did, and I'll grant that it's the open mind of a white kid from the suburbs of Utah except for some time in OKC ghettos. But first thing, this reporter states at the beginning that his intention was to prove that race based affirmative action was necessary so his tone was subjective. Even before writing and doing research, he'd already taken a position. So that bothered the philosopher in me.
But here is the biggest problem with the book. NOTHING in the book showed me that their progress was hindered because of racism. Don't get me wrong, racism still exists and is awful, also, these kids do need help. But everything he documented showed that their problems were strictly economic and nowhere did I see racism as an issue that prohibited their success. These kids had a lot of problems through no fault of their own and I'm convinced that it's more because of an economic principle called a poverty trap than because of discrimination.
Suppose you have a black family that is freed mid 1800s. They have no education, money, resources, assets, connections, or experience other than fieldwork and rampant discrimination furthered their problems. So they keep doing fieldwork at the hands of low paying employers. Their kids and grandkids don't have enough money for a good education, so they do the same thing. It carries on this way through the generations all the way until 1960s. They're still poor and uneducated. At that point, racism is still around, but much more faded compared to a century earlier. Forty years later, 2000, their descendents are still poor in the same fashion. A forgotten and neglected people. Racism is still there, but much more faded and they are still poor not because of race, but because of an inherited economic situation that gets passed on and because society doesn't care about the impoverished or gang inclined. Some people climb out of a poverty trap, some people fall in one. It is a vicious cycle that affects whites too. Now despite observing this, Corwin does not seem to consider this possibility. He cites numerous statistics showing that blacks are disproportionately uneducated, all valid. But again, is that because of unequal economic privilege or racist college administrators? If racism is part of the problem,then shouldn't he be looking at it in the context of employment?
My point is this, if racism is still a problem this book does not show that or how to solve it. When people like Corwin see these statistics, their emotions about racism kick in and they jump to a conclusion without considering other possibilities or solutions. It's horrible that blacks are disproportionately poor, but if it was all about race, there would be no poor whites. Indeed, Macdonald's excellent book, All Souls, would be a perfect counterargument to this. Growing up in a white poverty trap, he saw reverse discrimination: "You're white, you don't need welfare." I'm not defending white privilege. I agree that the privilege exists, I have it and don't like that society is that way. But it appears based on this book that what we need is affirmative action in behalf of the economically disadvantaged. That would cover any of the black community that needs it, including the ones affected by racism.
There was one exception, the student Curt. He was basically the only rich kid and the only one who saw racism. Yet it was mostly from his peers and didn't seem to hold him back. He had opportunities, all it did was bother him. Terrible yes, but not so much that we ought to tailor government programs to that specifically.
There were a few other things that didn't help Corwin's argument. One is that some of the students just didn't care about their grades. He's saying they don't get good education because of discrimination and racist opponents ignorantly argue that they don't try to learn. Well here Corwin unintentionally proved them right. Affirmative action doesn't help the apathetic. And the teacher, Little, had problems that held back the class. So these other things held them back. Now if he were to say that these particular hangups were because of racism, that would be something. But he doesn't and the only thing related is that Little's issue seemed more along the lines of reverse discrimination. Also not helping his case. The students lack of motivation seemed to be more from the social issues and personal crap they were dealing with-which again, did not really display racism.
Now the other thing that made me mad, in a good way for Corwin, was the corruption that came in the absence of affirmative action. When the privileged who had connections used that to get their kids priorities, tipping the scale even more in their favor. It is the poor that need that help more than anybody. He cited numerous stories and statistics about how it became a thing where who you knew was what mattered and not your academic ability. I am against that, it is corrupt and unfair to the extreme.
At the end, he cites a bunch of statistics showing that the end of race based affirmative action brought a decrease in black college success. But again, is that because of racist admissions offices or economic privilege? One thing they clearly needed was more school funding. Little didn't even have enough for textbooks. That is absurd and is clearly an economic issue. I liked the part about Olivia. How there was no prevention of her issues by the state, only punishment after the fact. And that her foster parents only cared about the money, and not about her. Those are some other areas of needed reform.
I read this because I was going into social work. I gave it three stars because it was informative on how systematic poverty can be and what reforms are needed. It is also a good example of bad arguments and missing the core of an issue, even when the issue is so important. Of the need to be analytical. Racism still infects our society, not as much as it used to, but it is still there. I really hope we can see the real issue at hand: Affirmative action for the economically disadvantaged.
I read this with an open mind, I really did, and I'll grant that it's the open mind of a white kid from the suburbs of Utah except for some time in OKC ghettos. But first thing, this reporter states at the beginning that his intention was to prove that race based affirmative action was necessary so his tone was subjective. Even before writing and doing research, he'd already taken a position. So that bothered the philosopher in me.
But here is the biggest problem with the book. NOTHING in the book showed me that their progress was hindered because of racism. Don't get me wrong, racism still exists and is awful, also, these kids do need help. But everything he documented showed that their problems were strictly economic and nowhere did I see racism as an issue that prohibited their success. These kids had a lot of problems through no fault of their own and I'm convinced that it's more because of an economic principle called a poverty trap than because of discrimination.
Suppose you have a black family that is freed mid 1800s. They have no education, money, resources, assets, connections, or experience other than fieldwork and rampant discrimination furthered their problems. So they keep doing fieldwork at the hands of low paying employers. Their kids and grandkids don't have enough money for a good education, so they do the same thing. It carries on this way through the generations all the way until 1960s. They're still poor and uneducated. At that point, racism is still around, but much more faded compared to a century earlier. Forty years later, 2000, their descendents are still poor in the same fashion. A forgotten and neglected people. Racism is still there, but much more faded and they are still poor not because of race, but because of an inherited economic situation that gets passed on and because society doesn't care about the impoverished or gang inclined. Some people climb out of a poverty trap, some people fall in one. It is a vicious cycle that affects whites too. Now despite observing this, Corwin does not seem to consider this possibility. He cites numerous statistics showing that blacks are disproportionately uneducated, all valid. But again, is that because of unequal economic privilege or racist college administrators? If racism is part of the problem,then shouldn't he be looking at it in the context of employment?
My point is this, if racism is still a problem this book does not show that or how to solve it. When people like Corwin see these statistics, their emotions about racism kick in and they jump to a conclusion without considering other possibilities or solutions. It's horrible that blacks are disproportionately poor, but if it was all about race, there would be no poor whites. Indeed, Macdonald's excellent book, All Souls, would be a perfect counterargument to this. Growing up in a white poverty trap, he saw reverse discrimination: "You're white, you don't need welfare." I'm not defending white privilege. I agree that the privilege exists, I have it and don't like that society is that way. But it appears based on this book that what we need is affirmative action in behalf of the economically disadvantaged. That would cover any of the black community that needs it, including the ones affected by racism.
There was one exception, the student Curt. He was basically the only rich kid and the only one who saw racism. Yet it was mostly from his peers and didn't seem to hold him back. He had opportunities, all it did was bother him. Terrible yes, but not so much that we ought to tailor government programs to that specifically.
There were a few other things that didn't help Corwin's argument. One is that some of the students just didn't care about their grades. He's saying they don't get good education because of discrimination and racist opponents ignorantly argue that they don't try to learn. Well here Corwin unintentionally proved them right. Affirmative action doesn't help the apathetic. And the teacher, Little, had problems that held back the class. So these other things held them back. Now if he were to say that these particular hangups were because of racism, that would be something. But he doesn't and the only thing related is that Little's issue seemed more along the lines of reverse discrimination. Also not helping his case. The students lack of motivation seemed to be more from the social issues and personal crap they were dealing with-which again, did not really display racism.
Now the other thing that made me mad, in a good way for Corwin, was the corruption that came in the absence of affirmative action. When the privileged who had connections used that to get their kids priorities, tipping the scale even more in their favor. It is the poor that need that help more than anybody. He cited numerous stories and statistics about how it became a thing where who you knew was what mattered and not your academic ability. I am against that, it is corrupt and unfair to the extreme.
At the end, he cites a bunch of statistics showing that the end of race based affirmative action brought a decrease in black college success. But again, is that because of racist admissions offices or economic privilege? One thing they clearly needed was more school funding. Little didn't even have enough for textbooks. That is absurd and is clearly an economic issue. I liked the part about Olivia. How there was no prevention of her issues by the state, only punishment after the fact. And that her foster parents only cared about the money, and not about her. Those are some other areas of needed reform.
I read this because I was going into social work. I gave it three stars because it was informative on how systematic poverty can be and what reforms are needed. It is also a good example of bad arguments and missing the core of an issue, even when the issue is so important. Of the need to be analytical. Racism still infects our society, not as much as it used to, but it is still there. I really hope we can see the real issue at hand: Affirmative action for the economically disadvantaged.
August 5, 2021
Boring school book = upset Rebecca
December 30, 2013
15 years ago but a fascinating read that probably holds true today.
July 16, 2017
Miles Corwin, veteran reporter for the Los Angeles Times, spent one year in the classrooms and lives of twelve gifted high school seniors in South Central LA in the mid-90s to document their unique academic and personal challenges.
Even though I don't teach in such a hostile environment as the one profiled in this book, my students face many of the same challenges as the students in the book did: homelessness, poverty, violence, absent parent(s), incarcerated parent(s), foster homes, etc. Often school is the one place where students know they are safe and cared for. This book reminded me that my students need so much more from me than instruction. They need to feel accepted and loved. They need to know they are valued. They need access to diverse books in which they can see themselves reflected in the pages. They need mentorship. They need me. I love when a book inspires me to be a better version of myself!
Even though I don't teach in such a hostile environment as the one profiled in this book, my students face many of the same challenges as the students in the book did: homelessness, poverty, violence, absent parent(s), incarcerated parent(s), foster homes, etc. Often school is the one place where students know they are safe and cared for. This book reminded me that my students need so much more from me than instruction. They need to feel accepted and loved. They need to know they are valued. They need access to diverse books in which they can see themselves reflected in the pages. They need mentorship. They need me. I love when a book inspires me to be a better version of myself!
July 18, 2018
Wow... Umm. This is one of the few books that has evoked such an emotional response from me. It is gritty. It is real. It is an insight into how difficult student's lives are within that environment. And yet, the most amazing thing is the students' constant push towards success, fighting against the bad hand that life has dealt them. I cannot sit here and pretend to understand how difficult these students' lives are. I cannot comprehend the feeling of how difficult it must be to have been robbed of a childhood, forced to grow up too fast. I cannot picture myself sitting in a classroom where bullets can whiz past at any moment. I can only sit and admire from afar how these students, through all of life's perils, have used education as a doorway to success.
January 19, 2023
3.5 stars, rounded down
my professor wrote this book! super chill guy and i was very entranced by the story. rated it 3.5 stars because it doesn't quite hit the mark for 4; but that's pretty much at my fault. i'm easing myself into reading more nonfiction.
i honestly don't have many qualms about this! great educational piece for people looking more into literary journalism. this is a great example from a master journalist.
my professor wrote this book! super chill guy and i was very entranced by the story. rated it 3.5 stars because it doesn't quite hit the mark for 4; but that's pretty much at my fault. i'm easing myself into reading more nonfiction.
i honestly don't have many qualms about this! great educational piece for people looking more into literary journalism. this is a great example from a master journalist.
May 11, 2022
I really liked this book's style of writing and how easy it was to connect with the characters. I've learned a lot from this book and I appreciate that it's given me a different perspective. The number of characters sometimes confused me. I recommend this book to everyone in high school because there's a lot to learn from it.
May 11, 2023
I liked the information that this book held. It contained many stories of people who had risen from despair to success. However, I would recommend this book ONLY to strong readers, as the content is a bit dull and requires focus to keep yourself in the story.
May 8, 2024
Great book! If only Olivia got to take the AP test it would've been a happy ending! Also, I wonder what all of these students are doing now.
March 8, 2019
Took me a month but I’m glad I read it through! Great book that helps flip perspective and relate to the characters through common literature.
June 27, 2018
It was kind of slow and hard to get through at first. However, it was worth reading until the end. I felt as if I was also a reporter like Miles Corwin and I was a fly on the wall in the lives of all these kids. It definitely revealed to me a very different perspective and showed me how the lives of many students in the U.S. are.
Read
November 18, 2019The author's insight brought the characters to life making their struggles and accomplishments relatable and inspirational.
June 16, 2011
I wanted to like this book, I really did. The general story itself is worth telling, really, NEEDS to be told. Unfortunately, I didn't think in this particular book it was told very well. I didn't like the writing. I thought the author maybe could have taken a few tips from the English teachers he profiled. I also felt the political overtones in the book really weren't necessary, and that kind of thing tends to put me off. Honestly, the political overtones weren't in-your-face, they were somewhat subtle, and they weren't that numerous. But for me, they detracted from the story.
Overall, the story is an important one, and these kids' voices need to be heard. But I just didn't think the quality of the telling of the story was all that great.
Overall, the story is an important one, and these kids' voices need to be heard. But I just didn't think the quality of the telling of the story was all that great.
July 15, 2014
Tracks an AP English class in an inner city high school in LA.
Fascinating and compelling. It provides a lot of food for thought. Anybody involved in education should read this - of course, it was published nearly 15 years ago, so probably lots of people have already read it.
I picked this up at a used book sale, and stayed up half the night to read it.
Fascinating and compelling. It provides a lot of food for thought. Anybody involved in education should read this - of course, it was published nearly 15 years ago, so probably lots of people have already read it.
I picked this up at a used book sale, and stayed up half the night to read it.
September 5, 2015
A riveting story about gifted inner-city students in LA. If you work in inner-city and/or with GT students, you should really read this one. While not full of happy stories, I did find the realism refreshing and the students were inspiring.
June 27, 2024
Written at the time that affirmative action was struck down in California, this book follows the lives of black kids enrolled in literature classes of a gifted program within an inner city high school. First of all it's apparent very quickly how bright these kids are and how much has gone against them. Some of them have parents but several have one or none. Many work full-time or almost full-time hours. Some of them never had a book to read that wasn't assigned to school. Violence surrounds them and has affected many if not all. Some have been abused, physically/sexually/emotionally. And these are the kids whose chances at college and future opportunities we want to diminish? Not just in California, now, but across the country.
I have some sympathy for those opposed to affirmative action. My own mother couldn't afford university decades ago because she wasn't given a scholarship, while poorer Malay students were given the money. And reading this it's obvious that there are some dimensions that are more important than race, like whether the kid has parents. But using that as a barometer isn't fair either - what if the kid lost their parents as a toddler vs when they were 15? What if their parents are present but abusive? etc etc. It's so complicated. No yardstick is perfect. But honestly when you read about lives like these inner city kids' lives - even if it's not perfect, surely it's good that they have the chance, the hope, and the opportunity to make things better for those who come up behidin them.
The book spends a lot of time with two of the teachers - "Mama" Moultrie, a black teacher who teaches 9th and 11th grade English, and Toni Little, a white teacher who teaches 10th and 12th. Why they did it this way and not 9th and 10th for the former and 11th and 12th for the latter I really didn't understand, because Little hates Moultrie's teaching approach. Little is combative and sees everything as a threat or a diss. She seems like a gifted teacher but I don't think I would have liked her mood swings as a teacher. In the students' chaotic lives she was another element of chaos.
I did really enjoy when we saw what the kids thought about literature, either through their writings or class discussions, and I would have liked more of that. Their ability to connect their readings back to their own lives was extraordinary. As a testimonial to the power of literature this is about as good as it gets. I don't think I got as much of that in my literature classes in school (which ended in 10th grade as I went into a "science" track). It was more about form and symbolism. Not about life lessons.
I actually took some of the books that they went through and seemed to affect them the most and put them in my GoodReads to-read list. I don't know when I will get to them, but I'm much more inclined now to read them when I thought they were just books that are often assigned in high school that my own didn't get to.
I have some sympathy for those opposed to affirmative action. My own mother couldn't afford university decades ago because she wasn't given a scholarship, while poorer Malay students were given the money. And reading this it's obvious that there are some dimensions that are more important than race, like whether the kid has parents. But using that as a barometer isn't fair either - what if the kid lost their parents as a toddler vs when they were 15? What if their parents are present but abusive? etc etc. It's so complicated. No yardstick is perfect. But honestly when you read about lives like these inner city kids' lives - even if it's not perfect, surely it's good that they have the chance, the hope, and the opportunity to make things better for those who come up behidin them.
The book spends a lot of time with two of the teachers - "Mama" Moultrie, a black teacher who teaches 9th and 11th grade English, and Toni Little, a white teacher who teaches 10th and 12th. Why they did it this way and not 9th and 10th for the former and 11th and 12th for the latter I really didn't understand, because Little hates Moultrie's teaching approach. Little is combative and sees everything as a threat or a diss. She seems like a gifted teacher but I don't think I would have liked her mood swings as a teacher. In the students' chaotic lives she was another element of chaos.
I did really enjoy when we saw what the kids thought about literature, either through their writings or class discussions, and I would have liked more of that. Their ability to connect their readings back to their own lives was extraordinary. As a testimonial to the power of literature this is about as good as it gets. I don't think I got as much of that in my literature classes in school (which ended in 10th grade as I went into a "science" track). It was more about form and symbolism. Not about life lessons.
I actually took some of the books that they went through and seemed to affect them the most and put them in my GoodReads to-read list. I don't know when I will get to them, but I'm much more inclined now to read them when I thought they were just books that are often assigned in high school that my own didn't get to.
December 30, 2017
Having read so many similar books (Freedom Writers' Diary, The New Kids), and with so many "super teacher" movies, I was worried that this book would feel redundant. It definitely was not. Unlike other education stories, he extends the problems of a few children to the issues of a city, state, and country that are still trying to figure out how to educate a diverse population. Miles Corwin is not only a good author, he is a good researcher, and his commentary on affirmative action shows his experience as a thoughtful journalist.
Of course, it is the stories of the individual children that gets you to keep reading. They are not made-for-Hollywood stories, either. There are characters that you desperately want to succeed, but they keep falling short, partially due to their own choices but also because of a system that is ill-equipped to help them. The stories can be frustrating, which is really important. Of course, there are kids who do well and show that the system (and the children in it) is not entirely broken. I loved learning about Tommie Smith, famous for his protest at the 1968 Olympics, and how he has guided his daughter to be a star in her own way. Even that story didn't go perfectly, but it made me think so deeply that I had to share my thoughts on Facebook.
As deep and real as the story was, the book covers a variety of characters and lines, so it sometimes
seemed to be moving outward instead of forward. The middle of the book was a little slow, but it was hard to put down once the plot focused on Olivia's repeated court appearances, Ms. Little's drama, and the author himself helping the kids prepare for the AP test. I found it interesting that the AP test was such a small part of the book, even though the story centers on an AP class. I came to see that there are so many distractions, that these kids don't have time to prepare for the test like I was able to at my peaceful suburban school. And for many of them, the goal was not passing the test, but just gaining the most basic skills to make it into college. Their mere survival is an accomplishment.
I love that this version gives an update on how the kids are doing. I wish more books did that, and I'd be interested to know where they are now. I wish them the best, and I hope that this book inspires more people to focus on our public services that do not always help the people who need it most.
Of course, it is the stories of the individual children that gets you to keep reading. They are not made-for-Hollywood stories, either. There are characters that you desperately want to succeed, but they keep falling short, partially due to their own choices but also because of a system that is ill-equipped to help them. The stories can be frustrating, which is really important. Of course, there are kids who do well and show that the system (and the children in it) is not entirely broken. I loved learning about Tommie Smith, famous for his protest at the 1968 Olympics, and how he has guided his daughter to be a star in her own way. Even that story didn't go perfectly, but it made me think so deeply that I had to share my thoughts on Facebook.
As deep and real as the story was, the book covers a variety of characters and lines, so it sometimes
seemed to be moving outward instead of forward. The middle of the book was a little slow, but it was hard to put down once the plot focused on Olivia's repeated court appearances, Ms. Little's drama, and the author himself helping the kids prepare for the AP test. I found it interesting that the AP test was such a small part of the book, even though the story centers on an AP class. I came to see that there are so many distractions, that these kids don't have time to prepare for the test like I was able to at my peaceful suburban school. And for many of them, the goal was not passing the test, but just gaining the most basic skills to make it into college. Their mere survival is an accomplishment.
I love that this version gives an update on how the kids are doing. I wish more books did that, and I'd be interested to know where they are now. I wish them the best, and I hope that this book inspires more people to focus on our public services that do not always help the people who need it most.
May 12, 2022
The book was good overall, but some parts stick out in a bad way. For instance, throughout the book Little's conflict with the administration is building to a point where she leaves class for a month. She pulls this stunt right before the AP test, and when only two kids pass, Little is still portrayed as a good teacher. Another example is Olivia, who goes to jail after committing a crime. The book portrays it as an injustice because she does not have parents and this is her first offense, but that's not true. Olivia has gone AWOL many times and is sentenced because she posses a fake ID. At the end of the day, Olivia got what she deserved, and if she didn't want to be sentenced, she shouldn't have committed crimes. I also did not like the author. His writing style often made the book confusing and it was hard to keep track of every character. He was incredibly biased towards some people in the book, paining an inaccurate picture of the events. He also went on many rants throughout the book about affirmative action, and while it is a factor in the book, it does not really matter for the plot, which is odd because it takes up many pages. Because of his focus on affirmative action and minorities in college, the characters are often boiled down to a sad minority student who is disadvantaged because of race, which forces many characters to become less drawn out. Also, during the book club discussion I was made aware that there are typos in the book. For instance, the author mistyped the word people as "poeple" on one page, which is very unprofessional. However, "And Still We Rise" has it's moments, and it makes for a great story overall. For instance, Little's conflict made me laugh a little bit because of the ridiculousness of the situation, and Olivia was inspiring because she never lost hope in her dream and ended up going to her college of choice. I feel like it deserves a 3.5 star rating, but unfortunately Goodreads doesn't allow halves. I think this book was mostly for people that are interested in learning more about other people, since the lives that are led in the book are so different from others, yet they also share many similarities.
April 28, 2021
Firstly, I like this book because it did help bring to light many problems that people of color are facing in inner city situations. Then it transitioned into issues such as the justice system, foster care system, and college admissions system. There are important issues to investigate.
Contrarily, I did not like this book and main gave it the two star rating because the lack of plot. It explored these social justice issues by following students lives but at a certain point about halfway through, all the social justice points were argued so the second half was just about the students finishing out the school year which really did not add much to the overall argument for affirmative action that this book was pushing. I feel as though this book's author could not decide weather this should be an argumentative book or a novel following these students lives so he just combined the two which made the book drag on and be less insightful.
The kind of reader that would enjoy this book is one that may not be familiar with the conditions of inner-city students and their challenges who want to learn about the authors social justice arguments but also more generally about the students lives. If you aren't very interested in both, this book is not for you.
In California, just before this book was published, Proportion 209 went into effect and "affirmative action was eliminated" (Corwin 126). After learning about these students, do you think affirmative action is the solution to the lack of diversity and inequality of opportunity in colleges? If not, is there a better solution.
Contrarily, I did not like this book and main gave it the two star rating because the lack of plot. It explored these social justice issues by following students lives but at a certain point about halfway through, all the social justice points were argued so the second half was just about the students finishing out the school year which really did not add much to the overall argument for affirmative action that this book was pushing. I feel as though this book's author could not decide weather this should be an argumentative book or a novel following these students lives so he just combined the two which made the book drag on and be less insightful.
The kind of reader that would enjoy this book is one that may not be familiar with the conditions of inner-city students and their challenges who want to learn about the authors social justice arguments but also more generally about the students lives. If you aren't very interested in both, this book is not for you.
In California, just before this book was published, Proportion 209 went into effect and "affirmative action was eliminated" (Corwin 126). After learning about these students, do you think affirmative action is the solution to the lack of diversity and inequality of opportunity in colleges? If not, is there a better solution.
April 29, 2021
Before reading this, I can't say that I had any particular strong interest in it. For me, nonfiction isn't typically something I enjoy; however, this book proved to be something different. It brought me wonderful insight into the lives of students less privileged than me, something that readers, including me, sometimes accidentally steer away from, as we tend to prefer books with characters we relate to more. Even then, I could still find ways to relate to or, at the very least, understand the characters.
If you like nonfiction books, specifically the type portraying people that have overcome obstacles in their life and persevere through hardships, this is the perfect book. Moreover, though, I would recommend this book even to people that don't necessarily enjoy these types of books, especially anyone like me, that didn't quite understand what "affirmative action" was or did for underprivileged communities. I want people to be able to push through the slight uncomfortableness of reading a book that's not about someone like them, but about someone largely unlike them. It's truly is an eye-opening book that I think most would find at least a slight interest in.
Throughout the book, the narrator moves from one person at Crenshaw to another, discussing their backgrounds, their hardships, and, for the students, their struggle to get into college, competing against thousands of students with advantages over them. We see into the lives of people like Olivia, Sadi, Curt, Little, and many more, but there's one aspect of this book that doesn't quite have a definite answer, and that is who the main character of this story is. In your opinion, who is the main character, and why?
If you like nonfiction books, specifically the type portraying people that have overcome obstacles in their life and persevere through hardships, this is the perfect book. Moreover, though, I would recommend this book even to people that don't necessarily enjoy these types of books, especially anyone like me, that didn't quite understand what "affirmative action" was or did for underprivileged communities. I want people to be able to push through the slight uncomfortableness of reading a book that's not about someone like them, but about someone largely unlike them. It's truly is an eye-opening book that I think most would find at least a slight interest in.
Throughout the book, the narrator moves from one person at Crenshaw to another, discussing their backgrounds, their hardships, and, for the students, their struggle to get into college, competing against thousands of students with advantages over them. We see into the lives of people like Olivia, Sadi, Curt, Little, and many more, but there's one aspect of this book that doesn't quite have a definite answer, and that is who the main character of this story is. In your opinion, who is the main character, and why?
April 28, 2021
This book was interesting to me, however there were a couple of things that bothered me, so I gave this book 4 stars.
What I liked about this book was how inspiring it was to read about struggles of students who have their whole lives set up and prepared to fail, but their intellect in understanding the importance in education and understanding how the world works and the perseverance they held throughout the story kept them up and led them to success. What I did not like about this book though, was that I felt some parts would drag on, how long you would progress in the story without checking in on an important character, or interesting characters that barely had any time at all besides their introductions, like Olivia and Sadi.
If you are into a story similar to 'Freedom Writers', you may enjoy this book as both stories deal with the same type of issues of social justice, stereotypes and racism, and the education system.
Something I thought about a lot while reading this book was this question: The teachers and authorities at Crenshaw have high expectations for their gifted students. How much better or worse would the students perform if their expectations were lowered, even though the students have more advanced skills than other students? If Little wouldn't get angry and push her students so hard, if Braxton didn't try and convince so many students to stay at Crenshaw when at the risk of being kicked out of AP classes? How successful would those students end up if they were given more breathing room?
What I liked about this book was how inspiring it was to read about struggles of students who have their whole lives set up and prepared to fail, but their intellect in understanding the importance in education and understanding how the world works and the perseverance they held throughout the story kept them up and led them to success. What I did not like about this book though, was that I felt some parts would drag on, how long you would progress in the story without checking in on an important character, or interesting characters that barely had any time at all besides their introductions, like Olivia and Sadi.
If you are into a story similar to 'Freedom Writers', you may enjoy this book as both stories deal with the same type of issues of social justice, stereotypes and racism, and the education system.
Something I thought about a lot while reading this book was this question: The teachers and authorities at Crenshaw have high expectations for their gifted students. How much better or worse would the students perform if their expectations were lowered, even though the students have more advanced skills than other students? If Little wouldn't get angry and push her students so hard, if Braxton didn't try and convince so many students to stay at Crenshaw when at the risk of being kicked out of AP classes? How successful would those students end up if they were given more breathing room?
April 27, 2021
And still we rise I feel covered some fairly interesting content and had the potential to be a far more enjoyable book to read than in my experience. I really wasn't a fan of the writing style that was constantly changing topic and characters and just never really felt that interested in reading the book, I often judge a book off of whether I want to keep reading more and more and I never really felt a desire to continue past my groups section for that week. Someone who generally reads more nonfiction I think would enjoy reading this story more, because although it is supposed to be showing the story of the students and the difficulties in their lives, it sometimes seems to do far more telling than showing. This means that instead of trying to go really in detail all the time it seemed like the author would just somewhat randomly talk about some new character and very quickly address big things in that persons life like their dad leaving or their mother doing drugs without giving real examples or that students views on their situation.
Question for discussion below
Compare and contrast the ways in which the more sporadic formatting of the book both added to and hurt the readers experience and understanding of the students lives. Would the story be better if written in a different way (perhaps not from the reporters point of view, or in a more common narrative type style) or is the way the story is written the best way to communicate what happened?
Question for discussion below
Compare and contrast the ways in which the more sporadic formatting of the book both added to and hurt the readers experience and understanding of the students lives. Would the story be better if written in a different way (perhaps not from the reporters point of view, or in a more common narrative type style) or is the way the story is written the best way to communicate what happened?
May 8, 2024
This was a weird book. I don't really enjoy the writing style, since its hard to follow and so much feels unnecessary. it would make a better documentary. it just doesn't flow.
as to the story... i understand this is non fiction but i didn't really enjoy it. it was insightful, i can agree, but i also feel its outdated. it is a 30 year old book, almost, and things change significantly in that period of time. the information the author shares about Affirmative action and whatnot is based off LA in the 90s, and i feel like it isn't worth developing an opinion regarding this topic using this book as a source because its so outdated. It does make me sad for the state of cities in the 90s and i wish more things would have been done to clean up the streets. i physically frowned every time a gangbanger did something like punching a kid or slinging dope.
i did find myself superior dated at the end though. it was.. kind of pleasing, seeing how it ended with these kids finding a bright future.
beyond that, i feel this is just too irrelevant to me to create a meaningful impact. i understand this is probably the point, but nonetheless its hard to develop an emotional connection to characters i have barely anything whatsoever in common with.
would i read it again? probably not. but it didnt suck, so 3/5 stars. if I were to recommend it, i'd recommend it to people who are interested in social issues of the past.
as to the story... i understand this is non fiction but i didn't really enjoy it. it was insightful, i can agree, but i also feel its outdated. it is a 30 year old book, almost, and things change significantly in that period of time. the information the author shares about Affirmative action and whatnot is based off LA in the 90s, and i feel like it isn't worth developing an opinion regarding this topic using this book as a source because its so outdated. It does make me sad for the state of cities in the 90s and i wish more things would have been done to clean up the streets. i physically frowned every time a gangbanger did something like punching a kid or slinging dope.
i did find myself superior dated at the end though. it was.. kind of pleasing, seeing how it ended with these kids finding a bright future.
beyond that, i feel this is just too irrelevant to me to create a meaningful impact. i understand this is probably the point, but nonetheless its hard to develop an emotional connection to characters i have barely anything whatsoever in common with.
would i read it again? probably not. but it didnt suck, so 3/5 stars. if I were to recommend it, i'd recommend it to people who are interested in social issues of the past.
July 7, 2025
A Masterclass in Humanity, Narrative, and Soft Lambs
And Still We Rise hit me right in the heart—and stayed there. I first read it as a student in UCI’s Literary Journalism program, where, no big deal, Miles Corwin himself assigned it. The book is an absolute masterclass in weaving investigative journalism with raw, human storytelling. It’s gripping. It’s heartbreaking. It’s hopeful. And it’s the kind of nonfiction that reminds you exactly why the truth matters.
Reading it at that moment in my life made it even more meaningful. I was newly pregnant during my final quarter at UCI—waddling across campus, hormonal and over-caffeinated—and Miles Corwin gave me a baby gift. A soft, cozy stuffed lamb. Not only was I floored that he even remembered, but that lamb? My daughter’s almost 14 now, and it’s still in her bed, snuggled up with the rest of her stuffies. That tells you everything you need to know about the kind of person he is—thoughtful, gentle, and tuned in.
This book continues to shape the way I think about education, journalism, and resilience. It doesn’t flinch, it doesn’t sugarcoat, and yet it somehow manages to carry immense compassion on every page. If you’re into real stories told beautifully—or just want to be reminded of what young people can survive and overcome—And Still We Rise is absolutely essential reading.
And Still We Rise hit me right in the heart—and stayed there. I first read it as a student in UCI’s Literary Journalism program, where, no big deal, Miles Corwin himself assigned it. The book is an absolute masterclass in weaving investigative journalism with raw, human storytelling. It’s gripping. It’s heartbreaking. It’s hopeful. And it’s the kind of nonfiction that reminds you exactly why the truth matters.
Reading it at that moment in my life made it even more meaningful. I was newly pregnant during my final quarter at UCI—waddling across campus, hormonal and over-caffeinated—and Miles Corwin gave me a baby gift. A soft, cozy stuffed lamb. Not only was I floored that he even remembered, but that lamb? My daughter’s almost 14 now, and it’s still in her bed, snuggled up with the rest of her stuffies. That tells you everything you need to know about the kind of person he is—thoughtful, gentle, and tuned in.
This book continues to shape the way I think about education, journalism, and resilience. It doesn’t flinch, it doesn’t sugarcoat, and yet it somehow manages to carry immense compassion on every page. If you’re into real stories told beautifully—or just want to be reminded of what young people can survive and overcome—And Still We Rise is absolutely essential reading.
April 27, 2021
The book jumped around from character to character and didn't providing cohesive timeline. The author covered the beginning of the school year than winter break than spring break and ended with graduation without providing details on what happened in between those jumps in time. The parts about affirmative action were weirdly placed in didn't contribute to the story. The only real part I liked was the ending with the focus mainly on Little, it provided a clean passing of time and didn't have multiple characters being covered.
The most interesting thing about this book and thing that probably attracts readers is the fact that everything in the book actually happened. I would recommend this book to people who want to learn more about inner city schools and what happens in them.
The author covers the hardship and triumphs of multiple characters. Some of these characters faced hardship because of personal reasons like Claudia refusing to turn in school work or Sadi being disinterested in learning. Others faced hardship because of social reasons like Oliva who was put in jail for not having a stable family and because no one was able to give her support. What do you think cause the most hardship for these black teenagers?
The most interesting thing about this book and thing that probably attracts readers is the fact that everything in the book actually happened. I would recommend this book to people who want to learn more about inner city schools and what happens in them.
The author covers the hardship and triumphs of multiple characters. Some of these characters faced hardship because of personal reasons like Claudia refusing to turn in school work or Sadi being disinterested in learning. Others faced hardship because of social reasons like Oliva who was put in jail for not having a stable family and because no one was able to give her support. What do you think cause the most hardship for these black teenagers?
April 28, 2021
I really liked the overall story that Corwin was trying to tell with the book. This was a really eye opening book to the struggles of poor minority students just trying to make it to graduation day and it's a book that I think that all upper middle class students should read just to see that there is still injustice in our world both economically and racially that have not been done away with. This would expand the reader's world outside of their sheltered nice suburban neighborhoods. One thing that I really didn't care for in the book is just how many characters there were. I think there was something like nearly a dozen characters and that made it really tough to try and keep up with what was going on sometimes and it left me feeling that most of the characters were not developed enough. I think that was down to the writing style which was more of the author reporting on the events that happened.
During the first few days after spring break Little decides to stay home due to being in mental crisis. In the epilogue it is discovered that the student's AP exam scores were a disaster with only 2 students out of her class passing the exam. Do you think that Little is solely to blame for this or do you think that other factors were at play here?
During the first few days after spring break Little decides to stay home due to being in mental crisis. In the epilogue it is discovered that the student's AP exam scores were a disaster with only 2 students out of her class passing the exam. Do you think that Little is solely to blame for this or do you think that other factors were at play here?
November 6, 2020
attempting to document high school seniors in AP LANG in poverty, Miles Corwin described their distinct conditions and revealed their growth during the critical high school years. The author reveals the inequity in education, not only in terms of resources, but also available effort. For poor children, they carry the burden of family and life, thus they do not have as much energy and effort to devote to eduction compared to those born in a wealthy family. Education is a way to get out of poverty, yet the author questions that it is in fact equal as students have various conditions and resources. To make college administration considerably equal, colleges consider their background, though this does not solve the problem permanently. In the end, the problem is still eliminating violence in poor neighborhood and ensuring all students have access to basic resources for success. we cannot change the fact that the world is not equal, the fact that students born in wealthy families have more resources and more opportunity to success. However, we should always try to minimize the gap so that those talented and gifted students can shine no matter what.
April 27, 2021
This book I thought was one of the better books I've read in a while. At first, I didn't exactly know how well I would enjoy it, but as I kept reading it, I enjoyed it more and more. As someone who has only really been exposed to one similar environment, it was quite interesting to read this book and get introduced to one that was completely different than mine. I really like the way the author portrayed the characters in the way he did you really got to understand who they were, however it jumped around a lot and I feel like it could've been formatted in a different way. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys rather heavier themes like those involving race, and also someone who enjoys a bit of a longer read. In this book, there were a lot of different things that affected the students, such as the environment they came from and how a lot of them had to persevere through that, the teachers at their school, and the friends they interacted with. How would their life be different if they grew up in a different environment and environment without any gangs or having a stable home life? Would they still have the same work ethic and perseverance or would it all be gone?
Read
April 28, 2021And Still We Rise did a fantastic job of sharing many different stories all at the same time. Frequently when authors bounce between characters they tend to blur stories but Corwin did a nice job of keeping each clear. Additionally, some of the portions were very detailed on the sad truth of inner-city living which was very hard to read at times. I know that it is their sad reality but isn't something I enjoyed reading about.
This is definitely for a teen/adult bookshelf and I would recommend it to anyone interested in a come from behind story or learning more about inner-city life.
I want to close this review with a question that I have which was derived from the afterward and an update on one of the characters who was involved in criminal activity throughout the book: Ultimately, Olivia was released from custody so she could attend college at CSU, despite the court ruling "Dunne [her counselor] felt Olivia needed at least another six months of therapy" (Corwin 409). Do you think releasing her early will lead her to resume her previous criminal activity or do you believe adding extra time in custody would be unessential and only slow her down?
This is definitely for a teen/adult bookshelf and I would recommend it to anyone interested in a come from behind story or learning more about inner-city life.
I want to close this review with a question that I have which was derived from the afterward and an update on one of the characters who was involved in criminal activity throughout the book: Ultimately, Olivia was released from custody so she could attend college at CSU, despite the court ruling "Dunne [her counselor] felt Olivia needed at least another six months of therapy" (Corwin 409). Do you think releasing her early will lead her to resume her previous criminal activity or do you believe adding extra time in custody would be unessential and only slow her down?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 249 reviews