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My Mother. Barack Obama. Donald Trump. And the Last Stand of the Angry White Man.
Written in the tradition of works by Joan Didion, bell hooks, Toni Morrison, and Eve Ensler, a provocative and soul-searching “autobiography of America”—the past, the present, and the future Kevin Powell wants for us all, through the lens and lives of three major his mother, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump.
Ten short years ago, Barack Obama became president of the United States, and changed the course of history. Ten short years ago, our America was hailed globally as a breathtaking example of democracy, as a rainbow coalition of everyday people marching to the same drum beat. We had finally overcome.
But did we?
Both the presidencies of Obama and Donald Trump have produced some of the ugliest divides in horrific racial murders, non-stop mass shootings, the explosion of attacks on immigrants and on the LGBTQ community, the rise of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, a massive gap between the haves and the have-nots, and legions of women stepping forth to challenge sexual violence—and men—in all forms.
In this gripping new collection of thirteen essays, My Mother. Barack Obama. Donald Trump. And the Last Stand of the Angry White Man. , Kevin Powell interweaves brutally honest personal stories with the saga of America, then and now. Be it politics, sports, pop culture, hip-hop music, mental health, racism, #MeToo, or his very complicated relationship with his mother, these impassioned essays are not merely a mirror of who we are, but also who and what Powell thinks we ought to be.
Ten short years ago, Barack Obama became president of the United States, and changed the course of history. Ten short years ago, our America was hailed globally as a breathtaking example of democracy, as a rainbow coalition of everyday people marching to the same drum beat. We had finally overcome.
But did we?
Both the presidencies of Obama and Donald Trump have produced some of the ugliest divides in horrific racial murders, non-stop mass shootings, the explosion of attacks on immigrants and on the LGBTQ community, the rise of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, a massive gap between the haves and the have-nots, and legions of women stepping forth to challenge sexual violence—and men—in all forms.
In this gripping new collection of thirteen essays, My Mother. Barack Obama. Donald Trump. And the Last Stand of the Angry White Man. , Kevin Powell interweaves brutally honest personal stories with the saga of America, then and now. Be it politics, sports, pop culture, hip-hop music, mental health, racism, #MeToo, or his very complicated relationship with his mother, these impassioned essays are not merely a mirror of who we are, but also who and what Powell thinks we ought to be.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published September 4, 2018
About the author
Kevin Powell
48 books75 followersKevin Powell is an American writer, activist, and television personality whose work spans journalism, literature, politics, and grassroots social change. With a career defined by outspoken advocacy for justice and deep engagement with Black culture and history, Powell has published 14 books, including The Education of Kevin Powell: A Boy's Journey into Manhood and When We Free the World. He was a senior writer for Vibe magazine during its formative years and played a key role in shaping its editorial voice, especially in profiling hip-hop culture and icons like Tupac Shakur.
Born in Jersey City, New Jersey, Powell was raised in poverty by a single mother and became the first in his family to graduate high school. He went on to study at Rutgers University through the Educational Opportunity Fund, focusing on political science, English, and philosophy. His academic and personal awakening to Black literature and politics led him to become an activist and organizer for causes such as anti-apartheid movements, voter registration drives, and Jesse Jackson’s presidential campaign.
Powell's public profile rose nationally as an original cast member of MTV’s The Real World: New York in 1992. He used his time on the show to engage viewers in conversations about race, identity, and masculinity. That same year, he joined Vibe magazine and became one of its most prominent voices, covering major figures in Black music and culture. His interviews with Tupac Shakur remain among the most defining pieces written on the late rapper.
Beyond journalism, Powell has contributed to The New York Times, Esquire, The Washington Post, Essence, TIME, and more. His writing connects contemporary social issues with historical and cultural narratives, particularly around race, gender, and identity. His essays and reflections often draw from personal experiences, including past struggles with violence and transformation through therapy, education, and activism.
Powell’s commitment to social justice extends into community organizing and political engagement. He ran twice as a Democratic candidate for Congress in Brooklyn, New York, in 2008 and 2010, centering his campaigns on transparency, equity, and grassroots empowerment. He has worked internationally, lecturing and leading workshops, and served as the U.S. ambassador for the Dylan Thomas Centennial.
In addition to curating historical and literary anthologies, Powell continues to publish poetry, most recently Grocery Shopping with My Mother, which was also released as a spoken word album and received a 2024 GRAMMY nomination. His archive is held by Cornell University, reflecting his influence as a public intellectual and chronicler of Black life.
Throughout his multifaceted career, Powell has remained dedicated to redefining manhood, uplifting marginalized voices, and challenging systems of oppression through the written word and public service.
Born in Jersey City, New Jersey, Powell was raised in poverty by a single mother and became the first in his family to graduate high school. He went on to study at Rutgers University through the Educational Opportunity Fund, focusing on political science, English, and philosophy. His academic and personal awakening to Black literature and politics led him to become an activist and organizer for causes such as anti-apartheid movements, voter registration drives, and Jesse Jackson’s presidential campaign.
Powell's public profile rose nationally as an original cast member of MTV’s The Real World: New York in 1992. He used his time on the show to engage viewers in conversations about race, identity, and masculinity. That same year, he joined Vibe magazine and became one of its most prominent voices, covering major figures in Black music and culture. His interviews with Tupac Shakur remain among the most defining pieces written on the late rapper.
Beyond journalism, Powell has contributed to The New York Times, Esquire, The Washington Post, Essence, TIME, and more. His writing connects contemporary social issues with historical and cultural narratives, particularly around race, gender, and identity. His essays and reflections often draw from personal experiences, including past struggles with violence and transformation through therapy, education, and activism.
Powell’s commitment to social justice extends into community organizing and political engagement. He ran twice as a Democratic candidate for Congress in Brooklyn, New York, in 2008 and 2010, centering his campaigns on transparency, equity, and grassroots empowerment. He has worked internationally, lecturing and leading workshops, and served as the U.S. ambassador for the Dylan Thomas Centennial.
In addition to curating historical and literary anthologies, Powell continues to publish poetry, most recently Grocery Shopping with My Mother, which was also released as a spoken word album and received a 2024 GRAMMY nomination. His archive is held by Cornell University, reflecting his influence as a public intellectual and chronicler of Black life.
Throughout his multifaceted career, Powell has remained dedicated to redefining manhood, uplifting marginalized voices, and challenging systems of oppression through the written word and public service.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 4, 2018
That is quite a title right? Although there is plenty of talk about his mother and what Kevin Powell refers to as their complicated relationship, there is much less about Obama and very little of Trump. The challenge of essay collections, if the collection is not conceived originally as a whole book project as opposed to collecting pieces that have been written and previously published and then brought together to form a book is you get a lot of overlap, and you often find yourself muttering, he said that already.
This book doesn’t greatly suffer from repetition, and what there is; is easily acceptable, because some of what he says bears repeating. And the essays that appeared elsewhere in some form all fall into the time period between 2015-2018. So, it’s not like you’ll find some divergent thoughts separated by many years that easily could explain growth of mind and deeper examination of initial impressions.
There are thirteen essays here and perhaps the thirteen is symbolic for the thirteen books that he has written. Kevin Powell has been an activist often speaking loudly in alliance with women empowerment issues. The fact he has thirteen books I found surprising, because I didn’t realize he had been that productive. Here, he wants the reader to know, “reflecting much of what I have experienced and learned since I was that puny kid-writer so many chapters ago...... And I have digested the reactions to what I have penned the past few months, via email, via social media, after my speeches, in random spaces. I feel I have found my voice again.”
That voice is most lucid when he is challenging current politics and social situations as he does in the essay:Will Racism Ever End? Certainly a question that is becoming more urgent as the social gaffes continue to pile up like mountains of waste. Kevin is insistent that whites must be as engaged in this work as much as others if not outright leading the effort to end racism.
“I can hear my White sisters and brothers say now, as many often declare to me when this uncomfortable dialogue occurs, “But I did not own slaves, I had nothing to do with that” or “My relatives did not do that.” It does not matter if you or your long-gone relatives were directly involved or not, or if you believe that “that is in the past.” The past, tragically, is the present, because we’ve been too terrified to confront our whole history and our whole selves as Americans.”
He also is at the top of the game when he writes about hip-hop and that culture. His writing career was birthed at Vibe magazine an early chronicler of hip-hop culture and rap music. His essay A Letter To Tupac Shakur is one of the highlights of the book. The loving critique and challenge to Jay-Z in Jay-Z and the Remaking Of His Manhood is also a very strong piece.
He writes very lovingly of his mother and obviously he is extremely grateful for her tremendous sacrifice in making and shaping Kevin Powell to the man he has become. He has done a great job with this offering, challenging his country, his brothers and sisters to always be better and do better. It would do you well to read and share this book with your friends and family and take what you need to make positive changes that will lead to positive contributions to this thing called life, perhaps being in and of service to a greater good. Highly Recommended. Thanks to Atria Books and Netgalley for advanced DRC. Book will drop Sept. 4, 2018
This book doesn’t greatly suffer from repetition, and what there is; is easily acceptable, because some of what he says bears repeating. And the essays that appeared elsewhere in some form all fall into the time period between 2015-2018. So, it’s not like you’ll find some divergent thoughts separated by many years that easily could explain growth of mind and deeper examination of initial impressions.
There are thirteen essays here and perhaps the thirteen is symbolic for the thirteen books that he has written. Kevin Powell has been an activist often speaking loudly in alliance with women empowerment issues. The fact he has thirteen books I found surprising, because I didn’t realize he had been that productive. Here, he wants the reader to know, “reflecting much of what I have experienced and learned since I was that puny kid-writer so many chapters ago...... And I have digested the reactions to what I have penned the past few months, via email, via social media, after my speeches, in random spaces. I feel I have found my voice again.”
That voice is most lucid when he is challenging current politics and social situations as he does in the essay:Will Racism Ever End? Certainly a question that is becoming more urgent as the social gaffes continue to pile up like mountains of waste. Kevin is insistent that whites must be as engaged in this work as much as others if not outright leading the effort to end racism.
“I can hear my White sisters and brothers say now, as many often declare to me when this uncomfortable dialogue occurs, “But I did not own slaves, I had nothing to do with that” or “My relatives did not do that.” It does not matter if you or your long-gone relatives were directly involved or not, or if you believe that “that is in the past.” The past, tragically, is the present, because we’ve been too terrified to confront our whole history and our whole selves as Americans.”
He also is at the top of the game when he writes about hip-hop and that culture. His writing career was birthed at Vibe magazine an early chronicler of hip-hop culture and rap music. His essay A Letter To Tupac Shakur is one of the highlights of the book. The loving critique and challenge to Jay-Z in Jay-Z and the Remaking Of His Manhood is also a very strong piece.
He writes very lovingly of his mother and obviously he is extremely grateful for her tremendous sacrifice in making and shaping Kevin Powell to the man he has become. He has done a great job with this offering, challenging his country, his brothers and sisters to always be better and do better. It would do you well to read and share this book with your friends and family and take what you need to make positive changes that will lead to positive contributions to this thing called life, perhaps being in and of service to a greater good. Highly Recommended. Thanks to Atria Books and Netgalley for advanced DRC. Book will drop Sept. 4, 2018
September 9, 2018
See the full review at A Review of Kevin Powell's Latest Book.
This year I have committed to reading and reviewing books mainly by womxn writers but when I received an advanced proof of Kevin Powell’s latest book, My Mother. Barack Obama. Donald Trump. And the Last Stand of the Angry White Man., I decided to make an exception.
Despite Kevin Powell having authored 12 previous books, this is the first one of his I am reading. I initially encountered Powell during his time on The Real World in the 90s and kept loose tabs on his writing career since. I have enjoyed some of his essays in Vibe and other outlets throughout the years so was excited to read this new book.
The book is a collection of 13 of Powell’s articles and blog posts from the last couple of years. The essays are cogent reminders and reflections of events from pop culture to politics, from Tupac and Prince, to gender and masculinity, to mental health and police brutality, all through the eyes of Kevin Powell.
...
On the whole, I really dig Kevin Powell’s writing and certain elements really resonate with me. One is the variety of styles with which he is willing to experiment, be it a conversational blog style as in “Why is Baltimore Burning?,” a letter format as in “Letter to a Young Man” and “A Letter to Tupac Shakur,” or an impassioned essay like his “Will Racism Ever End? Will I Ever Stop Being a Ni**er?”
I appreciate the repetition, timing, and poetic phrasing in his work which is reminiscent of the cadence of his heroes Malcolm X or Muhammad Ali, or of the musical qualities of Black preachers I heard one chilly Sunday morning in Alabama. I covet the pure and unabashed passion with which Kevin Powell writes. He’s not afraid to show his sensitivity which gives me hope for the future of (cishet men’s) writing. I also appreciate Powell’s ability to write broadly and deeply about a subject, taking his time to display his detailed and thorough understanding, while still making it accessible to the general public.
There is usually a lot of meat to what Powell writes. He ties personal experiences in with his subjects; he refers to other events, current and historical, and he weaves in music, art, politics, and more so that his pieces can feel like experiences. The essay, “Hamilton, OJ Simpson, Orlando, Gun Violence, and What the 4th of July, Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, and the Dallas and Baton Rouge Police Shootings Mean to Me,” is so much more than a summary of his experience attending the play Hamilton on Broadway and what it meant to him. And there is a paragraph (pages 146-147 in the advanced proof copy) in his piece about JAY-Z’s album 4:44 that is the epitome of how I wish I could pen a review. Powell not only entices you to understand where he is coming from on a topic, but he challenges you to critically reflect on where you stand on it and why.
It probably won’t be surprising that one of the essays I most enjoyed is entitled, “Re-defining Manhood: Harvey Weinstein and How his Toxic Manhood is our Toxic Manhood, too.” In this piece, Powell takes responsibility for his own transgressions – that time he pushed a former girlfriend into a bathroom door – and explains how male privilege takes hold of boys early on and subsequently develops into ubiquitous notions of toxic manhood as they grow up. He discusses the #MeToo movement and how actions of men like Harvey Weinstein, men like Kevin Powell, and all men, can harm and wound women in ways that must end and can only end when men take action to help support women and fight against sexual violence and harassment.
...
Kevin Powell’s latest book is a collection of reflective and impassioned essays from a veteran observer and chronicler of music, politics, race, gender, and current events. It will appeal to wide audiences and may be most enjoyably read in multiple sittings so the reader can digest and reflect upon each piece. Individual readings could readily be assigned in special topics or intro courses covering race, and other sociocultural issues, politics, and gender and women’s studies. This book is recommended.
This year I have committed to reading and reviewing books mainly by womxn writers but when I received an advanced proof of Kevin Powell’s latest book, My Mother. Barack Obama. Donald Trump. And the Last Stand of the Angry White Man., I decided to make an exception.
Despite Kevin Powell having authored 12 previous books, this is the first one of his I am reading. I initially encountered Powell during his time on The Real World in the 90s and kept loose tabs on his writing career since. I have enjoyed some of his essays in Vibe and other outlets throughout the years so was excited to read this new book.
The book is a collection of 13 of Powell’s articles and blog posts from the last couple of years. The essays are cogent reminders and reflections of events from pop culture to politics, from Tupac and Prince, to gender and masculinity, to mental health and police brutality, all through the eyes of Kevin Powell.
...
On the whole, I really dig Kevin Powell’s writing and certain elements really resonate with me. One is the variety of styles with which he is willing to experiment, be it a conversational blog style as in “Why is Baltimore Burning?,” a letter format as in “Letter to a Young Man” and “A Letter to Tupac Shakur,” or an impassioned essay like his “Will Racism Ever End? Will I Ever Stop Being a Ni**er?”
I appreciate the repetition, timing, and poetic phrasing in his work which is reminiscent of the cadence of his heroes Malcolm X or Muhammad Ali, or of the musical qualities of Black preachers I heard one chilly Sunday morning in Alabama. I covet the pure and unabashed passion with which Kevin Powell writes. He’s not afraid to show his sensitivity which gives me hope for the future of (cishet men’s) writing. I also appreciate Powell’s ability to write broadly and deeply about a subject, taking his time to display his detailed and thorough understanding, while still making it accessible to the general public.
There is usually a lot of meat to what Powell writes. He ties personal experiences in with his subjects; he refers to other events, current and historical, and he weaves in music, art, politics, and more so that his pieces can feel like experiences. The essay, “Hamilton, OJ Simpson, Orlando, Gun Violence, and What the 4th of July, Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, and the Dallas and Baton Rouge Police Shootings Mean to Me,” is so much more than a summary of his experience attending the play Hamilton on Broadway and what it meant to him. And there is a paragraph (pages 146-147 in the advanced proof copy) in his piece about JAY-Z’s album 4:44 that is the epitome of how I wish I could pen a review. Powell not only entices you to understand where he is coming from on a topic, but he challenges you to critically reflect on where you stand on it and why.
It probably won’t be surprising that one of the essays I most enjoyed is entitled, “Re-defining Manhood: Harvey Weinstein and How his Toxic Manhood is our Toxic Manhood, too.” In this piece, Powell takes responsibility for his own transgressions – that time he pushed a former girlfriend into a bathroom door – and explains how male privilege takes hold of boys early on and subsequently develops into ubiquitous notions of toxic manhood as they grow up. He discusses the #MeToo movement and how actions of men like Harvey Weinstein, men like Kevin Powell, and all men, can harm and wound women in ways that must end and can only end when men take action to help support women and fight against sexual violence and harassment.
...
Kevin Powell’s latest book is a collection of reflective and impassioned essays from a veteran observer and chronicler of music, politics, race, gender, and current events. It will appeal to wide audiences and may be most enjoyably read in multiple sittings so the reader can digest and reflect upon each piece. Individual readings could readily be assigned in special topics or intro courses covering race, and other sociocultural issues, politics, and gender and women’s studies. This book is recommended.
January 13, 2019
Jemele Hill's blurb says it all for me:
He masterfully uses his own life experiences to force us to take an uncomfortable look at how we've been conditioned to adopt, accept, and extend the unfortunate American traditions of hate and violence.
He masterfully uses his own life experiences to force us to take an uncomfortable look at how we've been conditioned to adopt, accept, and extend the unfortunate American traditions of hate and violence.
November 27, 2018
Interesting take on racism today. I sort of skimmed through it, but focused on the last essay. As a white woman, I really can't empathize with Powell's hardships through life. One statement did stand out, however: Obama’s base support, White, Black, Latinx, Asian,Native American, Arab, Jewish, Muslim, Christian, straight, queer, able-bodied, disabled, young, old, poor and the super wealthy, essentially became the rainbow coalition that Hampton and Jackson had envisioned, and it also resembled the beloved community that Dr. King spoke of, marching Barack Obama straight to the 2008 Democrat nomination over a highly surprised Hillary Clinton and the Clinton machine.
He went on later to note that it was the bigotry of the "angry white man" that was triggered by Obama's presidency, yet they blame Obama for the rise in racism. I've never considered Obama as racist. I felt Michelle was angry when she first entered the WH, and this was picked up by those same "angry white men" who opposed a black president. Trump emboldened those men and women who felt disenfranchised during Obama's presidency, and he continues to encourage their racism.
He went on later to note that it was the bigotry of the "angry white man" that was triggered by Obama's presidency, yet they blame Obama for the rise in racism. I've never considered Obama as racist. I felt Michelle was angry when she first entered the WH, and this was picked up by those same "angry white men" who opposed a black president. Trump emboldened those men and women who felt disenfranchised during Obama's presidency, and he continues to encourage their racism.
January 24, 2019
I loved this collection of essays by Kevin Powell. Because I know nothing about Hip-Hop I started to skim the essays on JAY-Z and Tupak, but I quickly realized that Powell turns his sharp gaze on everything and draws all the cords together. His insights about how music and athletics reflect truths about our culture are dead on. He gives voice to what it feels like to be a Black man in America, but his essays go way beyond that. He tries to get to the heart of what it means to be human.
March 15, 2023
It is at times like this that I wish GoodReads permitted fractional votes. I would likely give this 3.5, instead of 3. It is better than "liked it," but not nearly up to "really liked it." I confess that part of the problem could be with the reader, as I seldom invest my time to collections of short stories or collections of essays, although they both are worthy forms, and I do read individual selections among them still from time-to-time.
With that said, Powell does not really deliver on the promise of his title, even though it is also the title of one of his essays. A major portion of the problem is that Powell has a good deal of difficulty seeing past himself. He is central to virtually all of his essays in this collection, but is not content to stop there. He then projects his problems and personal failings onto all of society. Just because he had anger issues and did not know how to respect women does not make it true for all of society.
He also has questionable heroes. Some of the people about whom he writes had mixed qualities, but he deliberately ignores their faults in order to portray them as ideals and heroes. That is also a reflection on the times in which he is writin
g, as there is great political division in this country, and a tendency to go to extremes. We cannot admit any weakness or flaw in an idea, or person, or position without claiming that it is all bad. Society today is unwilling to explore the nuances of which the world is comprised. Despite the demonization so prevalent today, no one is truly all bad or all good, but Powell nonetheless allows himself to be drawn to the extremes.
You have to be distrustful of someone who claims the reference to Broadway as "The Great White Way" is an overt expression of racism, and ignores the true origin of the nickname. Powell tends to see racism and sexism wherever he looks. When reading his essays, however, a discerning reader may become aware that the problem is not racism or sexism or nationalism, etc. It is far more basic. What the human race suffers from, and has virtually always suffered from, is "Themism."
We have always suffered from the problem of Us vs. Them. It does not matter what it is which divides the two groups. It may, in fact, be racism or sexism. It is just as likely, however, to be a financial divide, or an educational gap, or the imaginary caste systems we invent over types of employment, etc. Continually harping on this and seeing things only through the lens of discrimination, one tends to see problems even where they do not exist. We then turn benign situations into problems but misinterpreting them through this fractured lens.
In response to his essays I make this modest proposal. Practice the fine art of the benevolent assumption. I suggest that if we assume others are acting out of a desire to do good, and we try to see their actions in that light, we may well come to appreciate our differences in a way that is not possible when we are constantly attacking others for evil motives which most do not possess. There is more to be said on this subject, but this is not the time and place. I only hope that Powell, and others like him, could try this change of perspective in order to open more dialogues.
With that said, Powell does not really deliver on the promise of his title, even though it is also the title of one of his essays. A major portion of the problem is that Powell has a good deal of difficulty seeing past himself. He is central to virtually all of his essays in this collection, but is not content to stop there. He then projects his problems and personal failings onto all of society. Just because he had anger issues and did not know how to respect women does not make it true for all of society.
He also has questionable heroes. Some of the people about whom he writes had mixed qualities, but he deliberately ignores their faults in order to portray them as ideals and heroes. That is also a reflection on the times in which he is writin
g, as there is great political division in this country, and a tendency to go to extremes. We cannot admit any weakness or flaw in an idea, or person, or position without claiming that it is all bad. Society today is unwilling to explore the nuances of which the world is comprised. Despite the demonization so prevalent today, no one is truly all bad or all good, but Powell nonetheless allows himself to be drawn to the extremes.
You have to be distrustful of someone who claims the reference to Broadway as "The Great White Way" is an overt expression of racism, and ignores the true origin of the nickname. Powell tends to see racism and sexism wherever he looks. When reading his essays, however, a discerning reader may become aware that the problem is not racism or sexism or nationalism, etc. It is far more basic. What the human race suffers from, and has virtually always suffered from, is "Themism."
We have always suffered from the problem of Us vs. Them. It does not matter what it is which divides the two groups. It may, in fact, be racism or sexism. It is just as likely, however, to be a financial divide, or an educational gap, or the imaginary caste systems we invent over types of employment, etc. Continually harping on this and seeing things only through the lens of discrimination, one tends to see problems even where they do not exist. We then turn benign situations into problems but misinterpreting them through this fractured lens.
In response to his essays I make this modest proposal. Practice the fine art of the benevolent assumption. I suggest that if we assume others are acting out of a desire to do good, and we try to see their actions in that light, we may well come to appreciate our differences in a way that is not possible when we are constantly attacking others for evil motives which most do not possess. There is more to be said on this subject, but this is not the time and place. I only hope that Powell, and others like him, could try this change of perspective in order to open more dialogues.
August 25, 2023
The author is a pop culture journalist who has interviewed some of the most influential (and controversial) public figures in modern time. Most of the essays in this book focus on famous musicians and athletes. The author tells the celebrities' life stories and offers his thoughts on how American culture shaped the celebrities and propelled them to stardom. There are essays on Prince, Tupac, Cam Newton, JAY-Z, Muhammad Ali, O.J. Simpson, Harvey Weinstein, and more.
This book confirmed that I'm not interested in famous people. The author does deep dives into their personal lives and work, and I had a hard time staying engaged. I think I would've gotten more out of the essays if I was already a fan of the people in them. The author does a lot of name dropping. I don't know the majority of the people he mentions, so I felt my brain shutting down. Too many names!
I was interested in the author's observations about how racism, sexism, and money influence people's lives. For example, he talks about how there are a lot of Black entertainers and athletes, but the people controlling those industries from behind the scenes are overwhelmingly white. Are the Black entertainers able to be their authentic selves, or is this a minstrel show? Are they "preforming" Blackness in ways that are scripted by white people to please white audiences?
I've never thought about that stuff because I pay zero attention to sports or music.
I think you'd like this book if you love sports or music and want to know how those industries influence (and are influenced by) American culture.
This book confirmed that I'm not interested in famous people. The author does deep dives into their personal lives and work, and I had a hard time staying engaged. I think I would've gotten more out of the essays if I was already a fan of the people in them. The author does a lot of name dropping. I don't know the majority of the people he mentions, so I felt my brain shutting down. Too many names!
I was interested in the author's observations about how racism, sexism, and money influence people's lives. For example, he talks about how there are a lot of Black entertainers and athletes, but the people controlling those industries from behind the scenes are overwhelmingly white. Are the Black entertainers able to be their authentic selves, or is this a minstrel show? Are they "preforming" Blackness in ways that are scripted by white people to please white audiences?
I've never thought about that stuff because I pay zero attention to sports or music.
I think you'd like this book if you love sports or music and want to know how those industries influence (and are influenced by) American culture.
September 15, 2018
I liked this book... I really did, but coming off of rereading Assata (an Autobiography of a revolutionary), The Aretha Franklin biography, and knowing so much of Kevin’s work I’m concerned that this was a bunch of short essays about what he thinks about current pop culture as a whole. It’s just thrown together in a book. It’s in Kevin’s voice, and it feels familiar. You get a lot of what he’s trying to say, but I’m not really sure that we needed a book on the lens through which Kevin Powell sees the modern world.
His voice is and will always be relevant. He is an excellent story teller, but we have read/heard his story about pushing the young lady into the door and his past of toxic masculinity. We didn’t need it in this book. Just like we didn’t really need more of the Tupac talk, even though I love when Kev talks about Pac.
We want to hear about the depths of Kevin’s spiritual journey. His experience as a yogi. Stories from the trails he hikes. How he met his wife. How his shift from toxic masculinity led to a much healthier relationship to women and how it has blessed his marriage. That’s what we want from Kevin. Love you man.
His voice is and will always be relevant. He is an excellent story teller, but we have read/heard his story about pushing the young lady into the door and his past of toxic masculinity. We didn’t need it in this book. Just like we didn’t really need more of the Tupac talk, even though I love when Kev talks about Pac.
We want to hear about the depths of Kevin’s spiritual journey. His experience as a yogi. Stories from the trails he hikes. How he met his wife. How his shift from toxic masculinity led to a much healthier relationship to women and how it has blessed his marriage. That’s what we want from Kevin. Love you man.
March 17, 2025
This was a complex read for me reading a book by a man who admittly has assaulted women and been complicit in assault wasn't something I would normally do but I'm glad I did. We can't never move as a society if men especially "violent" men don't learn and speak put against men. I thought I was gonna hate this the minute he described what he did to his ex but, Kevin shocked me with how he's grown and the work he's done. His actions are not okay but his growth is amazing and gives hope to me that more men will grow and that these men will hold other accountable
December 14, 2019
A very interesting and insightful book about contemporary race issues in the US. Very well written and thoughtful. I think this book will age well --- looking forward to reading it again in 20 years.
September 15, 2020
Abandoned
June 6, 2025
Fairly easy contrast but premise is today's reality.
December 14, 2019
Excellent read.
July 10, 2019
Life altering.
As a long time fan and friend of Mr. Powell, I am always inspired by his willingness to bring a perspective that white men don't have access to,given the bubble we live in.
His writing about his mother and the trauma of being black in America is confronting to listen to and is the story of millions of unheard voices. I am still rocked to my core.
I request that every man reads this book - or better yet listens to it.
Hear your brother's pain.
Really hear it.
As a long time fan and friend of Mr. Powell, I am always inspired by his willingness to bring a perspective that white men don't have access to,given the bubble we live in.
His writing about his mother and the trauma of being black in America is confronting to listen to and is the story of millions of unheard voices. I am still rocked to my core.
I request that every man reads this book - or better yet listens to it.
Hear your brother's pain.
Really hear it.
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