We Speak for Ourselves: A Word from Forgotten Black America

by D. Watkins

The critically lauded author of The Beast Side and The Cook Up returns with an existential look at life in low-income black communities, while also offering a new framework for how we can improve the conversations occurring about them.

While author D. Watkins is pleased about the number of books exploring issues of race that are being published, there’s one crucial aspect of contemporary black life that doesn’t get enough attention: the hood. The Baltimore native knows firsthand what it means to live in poverty, where violence and drugs are inescapable. As he sees it, the perspective of people who live in poor black communities is largely absent from the work of many of the top intellectuals who speak and write about race.

Now, D. Watkins is here to tell his truth. Built upon Watkins's own experiences, We Speak for Ourselves eases us into the bigger conversation about race and the various issues affecting poor black neighborhoods in America. Unapologetic and eye-opening, We Speak for Ourselves identifies and addresses a range of issues affecting these low-income communities—such as the trouble with misrepresentation and why we need more than one black voice—and sheds light on the harsh realities of daily life. Additionally, Watkins examines various crucial activist movements, including the Civil Rights Movement, and asks what it means to be a model activist in today’s world.

Through the personal retelling of his journey, Watkins aims to illuminate the lessons he’s learned navigating through two very distinct worlds—the hood and the elite sanctums of the prominent black thinkers and public figures—in hopes of providing actionable solutions.

Genres: Nonfiction, Race, Anti Racist, Essays, Social Justice, Social Issues, Politics

208 pages, Hardcover

First published April 23, 2019

About the author

D. Watkins is Editor at Large for Salon. His work has been published in the New York Times, New York Times Magazine, The Guardian, Rolling Stone, and other publications. He holds a Master's in Education from Johns Hopkins University and an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Baltimore.

He is a college lecturer at the University of Baltimore and founder of the BMORE Writers Project, and has also been the recipient of numerous awards including the BMe Genius Grant, and the Ford's Men of Courage. Watkins was also a finalist for the Hurston Wright Legacy Award and Books for A Better Life. He has lectured at countless universities, and events, around the world. Watkins has been featured as a guest and commentator on NBC's Meet the Press, CNN's The Erin Burnett Show, Democracy Now and NPR's Monday Morning, among other shows.

Reviews

[Reggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

We Speak For Ourselves by D. Watkins is a real example of #OwnVoices.

Sometimes with #OwnVoices things remain too surface. "Such & such is Black. They can speak to this specific experience since they are Black & they must relate," so on & so forth. The truth of the matter is that some Black people would march in protest for someone like Freddie Gray, who was murdered unjustly by the Baltimore police, but wouldn't help someone like him improve his life situation while he was alive. Even if he begged for help.

As D. Watkins hilariously points out in one scene from the book, there were two Black talking heads on Television whom he saw crying after the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville. Saying they couldn't believe that this is the country that they are living in. Which made D. Watk ask "Do they know any Black people?" Although that question is tongue and cheek & rhetorical, I can't blame the thought for coming into his head. AT ALL.

D. Watkins REALLY understands the layers, multitudes & nuances that exist within Black humanity. Especially as it pertains to his hometown & current residence of East Baltimore. In We Speak For Ourselves, D. Watk challenges stereotypes you may have about people from places like Down Da Hill (his hood), calls out the "Never Patriots" (Those who are TOO WOKE & need to go to sleep), & tells you some of the plans that he has to make reading cool for EVERYONE.

D. Watkins points out problems & provides solutions. He tells us to Get Active instead of Staying Woke. He teaches the importance of skills sharing, & he let's you know the key to activism is to get in the street so that you can give a little bit of time & a whole lot of love. That "little bit of time & a whole lot of love" is life's work too. Activism is not a "get rich quick scheme."

The most important thing he shows us is his refusal to be considered THE VOICE of his community. A role we all should refuse. There are myriad Black voices, perspectives & solutions. Having one Black messiah is problematic & sometimes the best thing we can do is pass the mic to someone else.

Since we all have our #OwnVoices we can use.

[Andre(Read-A-Lot) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yep, easily a 5💥 read. Full review is here.......D. Watkins has found his lane and he is wonderfully navigating it. Although, he eschews the belief that a voice can be a microphone for the voiceless--quoting scholar and activist Dr. Su’ad Abdu Khabeer, “You don’t need to be a voice for the voiceless. Just pass the mic.”--he has undoubtedly become a voice for the forgotten black America in general and the black and poor in East Baltimore, MD in particular.

In these insightful essays written with impassioned prose, D. Watkins elbows his way onto the stage of race writing and punditry and brings the story of ‘Down Bottom” with him as only he can because he lived/lives it. “I’m just a regular guy, a voice in the middle of a sea of voices that don’t seem to matter to most-- which is why we may forever be misrepresented unless we speak for ourselves.”

And D. Watkins shares my enthusiasm for the number of “race” books “flooding the publishing industry” many of which I have read and reviewed. His concern has been and is illustrated here that these writers are too often writing from a perspective “of making everyone feel safe” some projects directly appealing to white folks to acknowledge “their own privilege” and change accordingly. The challenge as he sees it; making a connection to those you are writing about, and D. Watkins fills that void of “the very people who live the poor black experience every day.”

And over the course of 15 essays divided into four parts he makes countless points while sprinkling in tales of his life. His essay, An American Tradition, from part two: The Biggest Gang In America anchors this part of the book and will become a must read for anyone truly interested in police reform. “Real police reform will never happen as long as we continue to make excuses for police officers when they break laws while celebrating every time they accomplish something they get paid to do. Our low standards are evident when we applaud cops reporting a drug bust, even after we out their true intention was to steal.”

This is a slim book but carries a lot of weight concerning representation and advice for those looking to add activist to their resume. Simple but edifying advice, like be the person you needed growing up. How prodigious is that in its’ simplicity? Or, am I making a difference? A checklist. This book will be inspiring for those of any age looking to make an impact on black lives that too often are shown to us and the world that they really don’t matter. I fervently recommend this book to all who care about social justice, equality, and clearing The Hurdles (Ch. 3)!

[Beverlee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like to think that one of the most important things to me is the ability to communicate. To know that I can speak and be understood; read letters and words to gain understanding; write legibly and concisely (hopefully) to share ideas with other people. We Speak for Ourselves is a critical analysis of Black America specifically of those who claim to be leaders, the "voice of the people". A point made by D Watkins that is Black America is not a monolithic being, so why should there only be one person or one group of people, selected as representatives of all Black people? Those who have a voice or a seat at the table are overwhelmingly the same face-college graduate/multiple degrees, upper middle class and above, meeting society's definition of success and respectability. Is this fair? Should one voice be valued over another because it doesn't reflect what people want to hear and/or see? To be clear, this book isn't about the divide between middle/upper class and working class, it's a platform for those who feel ignored by the powers that be, those who want to be change makers. It's not an explicit how-to guide but there are several suggestions given for empowerment that can be carried out by anyone willing, namely that we all have skills or experiences that can be shared with the goal of improvement. Dare to dream big, you can achieve it.
Keeping it real in written form:
"Some of us fell, while others were able to fly" (12).
"Let's coin a new phrase-'get active'. To be 'woke' for most African Americans, to me, is the equivalent of 'white guilt'. It's usually thrown around by the offspring of black elites, either by Ivy League or prestigious HBCU grads, individuals who have no consistent ties to inner city African American communities where many of the issues they take pride in fighting for are simply the everyday reality for those who have no choice but to endure" (102).
"If oppressors listened or considered your feelings, they wouldn't be oppressors" (118).
"Activism isn't a hobby . It's not something that can be handled in a few protests or a day of service. There are protests after every police shooting that goes viral. But what are the results? Who was brought to justice? There are no shortcuts for real activists" (169).
"A seat at the table should never be solely about inclusion-being able to sit and chill with oppressors and learning how to be a little oppressor yourself is not what we want. A seat at the table should be about destroying that table, smashing it to a billion pieces and forcing it to be reconstructed with the intention of giving everybody a seat, not just a few (182).

[Never Without a Book · Rating 5 out of 5]

To be honest nothing I say here will truly capture the power and knowledge that Essayist and professor D. Watkins has given us in his new collection of essays; We Speak for Ourselves: A Word from Forgotten Black America. With only 208 pages these essays pack a punch. This was a Boom! Mic drop read, 5 out 5 stars. I highly, highly recommend EVERYONE to read this.

[Esther Dushinsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wished this book didn’t end. Every chapter gave me only a glimpse into a world that is completely unknown to me and probably most of America. It’s raw and real and gritty, allowing the reader to at least grasp that they can’t grasp this unless they have lived it. Keep writing. I want to read it all.

[kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with "The Cook Up" and "The Beast Side," D. Watkins continues to share his account of growing up in an impoverished Black community in East Baltimore. The message behind his book is simple: in today's age, poor Black people do not want or need to spoken for by White liberals or Black middle and upper class intellectuals. Watkins occupies a unique position in that he can easily maneuver among top thought leaders on CNN and the academic crowd, yet he's hood at the core, never quite too far gone from the steps of his East Baltimore rowhouse. He writes about his days as a drug dealer with the same familiarity as the school to prison pipeline.

Here, he breaks down a lot of things that he wishes the world knew about Black culture: why poor people will always hate the cops, the reasons why education in urban areas will never be equal to the suburbs, etc. I gave this three stars because although it's good writing and the message is clear for the audience he's intending to reach, I found this book a bit too plain for me. Perhaps it's because I'm not the intended audience--I'm pretty well versed in the issues he's speaking of. Still, I don't want to rate this too low because I like this book as well as the purpose behind it. I follow D. Watkins on social media and I'll always support his efforts.

[Vnunez-Ms_luv2read · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another winner from Mr. Watkins. Great selections of essays that will make you laugh, cry and say preach man preach!!!! This book will give you food for thought. This author is a beast. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the arc of this book in return for my honest review. Receiving the book in this manner had no bearing on my review. Kudos to Mr. Watkins.

[Bblacksin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A clear concise window into a black man's life/consciousness/experiences in East Baltimore USA. D Watkins is insightful, witty, and knows how to shout it out. what more can i say-i loved this book. Highly recommended.

[Antonia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for anyone who cares about social justice.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

From a making a difference checklist to spelling out performative woke-ness, D. Watkins looks at what he's learned as a writer and voice for East Baltimore and what others can do to make a difference. With unflinching honesty and fast-paced prose, Watkins explains how important day to day interactions are in making a change, not getting the right viral video.

"Most importantly, I learned that the work doesn't take millions of dollars or followers, just a little bit of time and a whole lot of love."

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciate the author's point that people categorized as poor and Black aren't being represented by the white progressive and Black upper-class people who claim to speak for them in the mass media. I think that point alone makes a valuable book. The book, without talking explicitly about the intersection of class and race, does a good job getting across those ideas.
I do think the book spends a very long time being a memoir before it gets around to telling us what we aren't being told by those voices. It is just my preference, but I'm not a big anecdote/policy-via-memoir person. I prefer a book about big problems that jumps straight into the big picture.
I also think the author has a habit of generalizing and straw-manning that appears to me to be petty and vindictive sometimes, especially when some thinly-veiled indictments are kept barely anonymous. All told, I enjoyed reading this book and appreciate the perspective.

[Phyllis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Watkins does a great job of weaving in his personal experiences of bridging different worlds. He makes a strong case for how regular people can make a difference in society in very real ways. I really appreciate how he shows how to do "the work." It's the daily block and tackle of societal fabric and it brings to mind (not to get too highbrow) Voltaire's philosophy about tending to one's garden--the things where you can make a difference. The book is a pretty accessible read. I think that living in Baltimore, a lot of the background was pretty familiar to me already, but I can see how a lot of people would learn a lot from understanding that context.

[Ruby · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I'm just a regular guy, a voice in the middle of a sea of voices that don't seem to matter to most-which is why we may forever be misrepresented unless we speak for ourselves."

"Black Taxes: You will always have to work harder than white folk in order to have the same opportunities. And if you do make it out, this black skin of yours will literally cost you for showing up at places you are undesired."

"The "Black Tax"is a term my friends and I jokingly throw around from time to time. It basically means that African Americans have to work ten times as hard as white people to get the same things. The Black Tax is very real. A good example would be the fact that Angela Bassett, who gave us Tina Turner, Betty X, Notorious B.I>G.'s mom Voletta Wallace, and Ramonda in Black Panther, doesn't have an Academy Award, but Ben Affleck has two!"

"Blacks have been in America since 1619 and received virtually no schooling until after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. That is a 244-year head start given to whites-244 years of exposure to scientific reasoning and philosophical thought, hundreds of years to discover the power of books and reading and shape dreams into reality."

"We didn't invent the idea od race or conceptualize the theory of free labor and what it could mean on a gloabl scale. We just did what we were forced to do, and have been paying the price ever since."

"Driving while black is like always traveling with a thousand bricks of cocaine in your trunk. It doesn't matter if you work as an accountant or a camp counselor, you have to drive like a drug lord, which means he or she must play the music just barely loud enough to hear, know and follow all of the speed limits, sit straight up, keep both hands on the steering wheel, and universally agree with everything that the police officer says. Even after he gives you a ticket for going 46 in a 45, you have to agree."

"The marching, the protests, the riots, and the hiring of minority cops have all failed. Racists police officers are an American tradition-it's as American as high-fructose corn syrup."

"We must stop calling all cops "heroes" as it is as dangerous as any other unfair stereotype assigned to any group of people. It's also the reason why killer cops who murdered unarmed African Americans are rarely charged and usually get to keep their jobs."

"Knowing the special rights a person like Trump enjoys makes it easy to have no hope or trust in our system at all."

"Contrary to what many believe, black people don't want handouts. In case you forgot, our ancestors built this country through brutal and harsh slave labor. We just want a fair shake like everyone else."

"Somehow, the smartest minority minds still don't understand that the oppressors don't listen. If oppressors listened or considered your feelings, they wouldn't be oppressors."

"You see, there are two types of white people. There are the ones who are intellectually curious and there are the ones who really don't care. You don't have to sing or write love letters to the intellectually curious because they are curious, they want to learn-so the conversation looks more like an exchange of ideas rather than an argument full of insensitive language. The ones who really don't care-the Sean Hannity lovers, the Rush Limbaugh listeners, and the Klan-wannabe tiki torch clowns-are not worth the energy."

"Knowing who's against and who's with me makes it easier to navigate American reality. These guys who lie and conceal their racism pose a more difficult roadblock on our way to equality-whatever that is."

"The number of illiterate people in our country is criminal. The number of people who are aware of the literacy rate and choose to do nothing is even more criminal. Popularizing reading in a country where so many people think they hate books seems impossible. However, I believe that those of us who care can do it if we work together collectively and just take it one word, one sentence, on paragraph, and one book at a time."

"Activism isn't a hobby. It's not something that can be handled in a few protests or a day of service. There are protests after every police shooting that goes viral. But where are the results? Who was brought to justice? There are no shortcuts for real activties. Activism is life work that requires connecting with all types of people on various levels. To make a real difference, you have to commit yourself for the long-term. If you're not prepared to do that, then you should stay out of the way."

"Success for me isn't about making it out, it's about make it better."

"A seat at the table should never be solely about inclusion-being able to sit and chill with oppressors and learning how to be a little oppressor yourself is not what we want. A seat at the table should be about destroying that table, smashing it to a billion pieces and forcing it to be reconstructed with the intentions of giving everybody a seat, not just you."

[Richard Bicknase · Rating 4 out of 5]

For starters, beyond race and class there's good people and bad people. You'll never know where help is coming from—just try to embrace and acknowledge it when you see it.

I think this book is successful in meeting its goal in providing insight into the real life dynamics certain neighborhoods and the individual people within them face that are often simplified in discussion. Even though I'm sure the author and I would disagree on many topics, I found most of this book to be well presented and more balanced and nuanced than I often see in the media and on social media. He offers good criticisms of many different groups and people, speaking as an individual to the individuals who belong to many different demographics, and discusses existing obstacles, problems, and possible routes to solutions in a more robust way than much commentary I've read.

So much distrust exists in our society, and this book makes it clear how many problems it creates, and shows that there are often solid reasons it exists in some cases. Being aware of stories like this and that they come from real, unique individuals, might help all of us start breaking down our own distrust and begin viewing each person we meet as a fellow human being, and to make working for their good and the good of everyone around us our natural instinct. Then maybe it will be easier for the "good people" to find each other for support, and to be faster in correcting the "bad" people so they can become "good" people who see community in those around them.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to read it again. D. Watkins is a graceful and expressive writer who puts you right there with him in his home of east Baltimore, among the lively and struggling people he knows. He isn't making policy proposals or pontificating about anything, he's just making his home and his people real, and making the reader sad that so many are dead or incarcerated. With no fuss and few words he makes it starkly clear that, despite all the yammering from the chattering classes and white supremacists, it is possible to be trapped in a life where selling drugs seems to be the only way forward. I was touched at the end by his efforts to plant an appreciation of reading in city teenagers by getting books to them that will speak to their lives, and saddened by how difficult that was made by school administrators. He also shines an interesting light on the way that the black pundit class is ignorant or dismissive of the daily reality of African American lives outside the pundit class.

As always when I read a book like this, I wonder, what can I do better? Part of me is formulating an idea about donating books to schools (he shouldn't have to do that himself if others can help with it), but in the meantime the advice I can use daily is what he quotes another activist as saying: "You don't have to be a voice for the voiceless. Just PASS THE MIC." I can always pass the mic.

[Natalie Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually started this book in early June, for the purpose of leading a summer book club. This particular book club was the literacy component for a community based summer program in East Baltimore. The book club participants are middle and high school students. As I read the book, I found myself enjoying the books, connecting to both the author and his message. In our fourth week, I enjoyed the fruits of my labor when one of my students ( who regularly stated that he was not keen on reading) announced how this book was a game changer for him and how he was really enjoying our weekly book club sessions. Several of his fellow classmates chimed in with similar views on the book and our book club in general. I felt my goal had been beautifully achieved in that moment. I wanted our time together to be about engaging in a book and discovering the beauty of the written word. I wanted them to connect with the book on a personal level and experience that feeling of falling into a good book and experiencing that special bit of magic that only a book can offer. WOW, this experience has definitely been nothing less than spectacular for me! Thanks D. Watkins!

[Talie · Rating 4 out of 5]

We Speak for Ourselves by D. Watkins is a powerful first hand account of life growing up in the hood of Baltimore. This story is blunt, raw and real. It is a story not just of racial inequity but also of social economic inequity. That the experiences of the poorest of black people aren't always represented by the black people commentators seen on TV.

Watkins doesn't claim to speak for all black people. He does however tell the story of his neighborhood and the systemic obstacles that are in place that make it very difficult for people to succeed. From rundown schools where heating and air don't work, to neighborhoods wrecked by the drug trade, surviving, thriving, and getting out alive aren't goals that are easy to achieve.

Lastly D. Watkins offers options out there for people wanting to know what they can do to help enact change.

I highly recommend this book if you are looking for an honest and true own voices account of life in "the hood".

Narration: D. Watkins narrates this himself. He is not a professional voice actor so you feel like you are getting an honest account from someone from “the hood”. My one issue with the audiobook was that it feels a little choppy. I think this is because the book is structured as a series of essays. However in the audiobook you don't see that structure so the transitions can be abrupt and a little disjointed.

[Ifedayo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This whole book felt like a bit of a hot mess.

First, the title is entirely misleading. It’s not really about “woke culture” and more about which kinds of black ppl get to speak about the black experience on media shows.

Second, I definitely agreed with his central thesis that the black ppl that speak are members of the elite. But what is the “black experience”, surely there’s room for ppl to protest workplace discrimination and police brutality even if they aren’t experienced in to the same degree by all black ppl. I agree that we need more black ppl speaking about issues closer to them. But I don’t agree with the flippant way he dismisses the discrimination that black advantaged ppl face.

His argument is also so confusing because it also doesn’t acknowledge the power that black elites have to drive change for all black ppl. Should Barack Obama not speak out against the criminal justice system because he went to Harvard?

[Rose Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I deeply appreciate Watkins's perspective after a year of reading books like Negroland and Passing and How We Get Free, books that I don't regret reading but also that center certain types of Black experiences deemed "acceptable."

Watkins speaks to the urgency of acting, not just being "woke," the urgency of cultivating a love of reading, an expanded literacy--something that resonates with my teacher heart. Of bipartisan conversations, Watkins says, "How can we ever get these groups together if my side is always dying?" And that hits hard after a year where it feels like the death of "my side" creeps ever closer to home.

I'll prioritize reading Watkins's other books, and until then, I have a renewed purpose in "making reading cool," as he says, for my students, for whom literacy really is life and death.

[Jeanine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book everyone should be reading, or just listen to the man speak! He is real, witty, thoughtful, and comes from a place that needs to be heard. He encompasses what we all need to embrace in the realm of social justice and of offers straight up thoughts on race, protests, the police, woke culture, trump supporters, Obama and black voices, and so on all while sprinkling in his life from the streets of East Baltimore where he still lives. The best thing is he come from love and it’s amazing how he is able see the sides of things, acknowledge them and let them be part of the conversation. He is doing the work that needs to be done! I just bought his other books can’t wait to read them too!

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Watkins continues to share his stories of growing up in a poor neighborhood in East Baltimore as he did in The Cook Up and The Beast Side. He speaks about his experiences moving between that world and that of the elite society he has been invited into based on the success of his books and essays in The Atlantic. He pushes for the actual people who are living the poor, black experience to be given a voice to speak for themselves rather than requiring whites and black elites who have never lived through these things to speak for them.

[Muse · Rating 5 out of 5]

D. Watkins is unapologetic, sharp, insightful, and writes directly from his own experiences. Among the topics he covers in these accessible pages: the importance of representation, literacy as a tool for equity, concrete ways to work for social change, police brutality, staying active long after the protests, and writing the stories you have lived in a way that can serve others.

White folx, this book will make you uncomfortable and if you push on through that, you’ll walk away from it with many useful lessons.

[Erika · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has been the most helpful to me in understanding the different neighborhoods of Baltimore. This first-hand account from a person who lives in East Baltimore is so much more elucidating than any research paper or analysis by an outsider could be. The author said he got out of the drug trade through luck, but it seems like it was his exceptional talent as a writer and his hard work that did it. I love how Watkins is not judgmental or sanctimonious; his empathy for those who did not get out shines through his words.

[Jasmine Jones Hopewell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This literary work really illuminated the need for us all to speak our truths. Representation is important but it is also extremely nuanced and difficult to accomplish for EVERYONE. We are plentiful and we are diverse. There is no one size fits all. Sympathy is good. Empathy is great! I live 45 minutes from Baltimore and many of the stories told in this title were news to me. The hard truth... Through first hand accounts D. Watkins demonstrated that you definitely cannot judge a book by its cover.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

A concise read where the author does an amazing job of choosing his words carefully and conveying much with them. I was grabbed by the title and don't regret diving into this book. Professor Watkins uses stories from his life to weave in some sobering advice for those who aspire to "help" the black community. To summarize a few of his points, protesting is fine, engaging on social media as an activist is fine, but helping involves giving of your time, finding someone you can physically or spiritually help and then executing.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting bio of how a boy (D. Watk) found and chose a path out of the ghetto through education but remains dedicated to his home as he struggles to lift his poverty stricken neighbors and show them paths that don't include drugs. His story is incredibly sad when he lists the number of his peers who've died on the streets. His take on "woke" culture and do-gooders, both white and black, is an interesting one. And his understanding of protests and the lack of follow through by most people is spot on. He speaks truth and we all should listen.

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I live in Baltimore and I understand that everything Mr. Watkins wrote about is a very real part of the city but it is a very different city then the one that I live in. I think as a citizen of Baltimore (really of the world) it is important to understand that these two completely different Baltimores exist at the time and in the same place. Mr Watkins did an excellent job (as always) of describing the other Baltimore and what those of us in my Baltimore can do. A must read!

[Angela]

This is the first book I've read that is about the community I'm currently working in. I read some articles about Baltimore before moving here, but now it all feels very different. Reading about Baltimore in such a personal memoir about community and the failures of American society was poignant in our current moment. The perspective was honest and unique. This book gave me a lot to think about, and I'd like to say thank you to the author for his words.

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

D. Watkins has reveals so much about how he grew up as a Black child/teen in East Baltimore and we know things are very much the same now. I heard D speak a few times over the last couple of months. I like his message, which basically talks about how protesting is nice but then we all go home and nothing changes. He asks us to figure out what our skills and talents are and figure out how to use that to help someone. Real change doesn't happen from a distance.

[Jennifer Alm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful!

Consider when supporting....
1. Do I truly understand the community I'm supporting or have I been there?
2. Am I setting goals based on growth
3. Is money going to those who need it the most or a wealthy 'non profit' bank
4. Am I using my position to put people in a place to make money for themselves?
5. Do I see them as we or them?
6. Do I live them?