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Activist: Portraits of Courage
A speech on the radio. A high school literature class. A promise made to a mother.
Activism begins in small ways and in unexpected places. In this inspiring book, over forty activists from Billie Jean King to Bernie Sanders and Angela Davis to Edward Snowden recount the experiences that sparked their journeys and share the beliefs that keep them going. These are citizens who met challenge with action. Their visions for peace, equality, and justice have reshaped American society—from voting to reproductive rights, and from the environment to the economy.
Activism begins in small ways and in unexpected places. In this inspiring book, over forty activists from Billie Jean King to Bernie Sanders and Angela Davis to Edward Snowden recount the experiences that sparked their journeys and share the beliefs that keep them going. These are citizens who met challenge with action. Their visions for peace, equality, and justice have reshaped American society—from voting to reproductive rights, and from the environment to the economy.
300 pages, Hardcover
Published October 8, 2019
25 people are currently reading
983 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
January 16, 2020
I received a free copy of this beautiful hardbound book through Librarything, in exchange for an honest review.
I was surprised when I received this book- I'd pictured it much smaller in scope and in size! This is like a coffee table book, with 300 pages of shortened biographies and lovely portraits of different people who are or were activists. Many of the names are well known people -like Billie Jean King, Harry Belafonte, Reverend Sharpton. But others are unknowns, people who quietly stepped forward to protest something, to expose injustice, to demand change, sometimes in smaller but effective and powerful ways.
In the intro, Ottesen refers to her extensive interviewing and researching for this book- how she hopes it will "resonate across ideological lines.. regardless of one's specific beliefs or paths."
I appreciate her hope about this, but I think she should have made more of an attempt to include a broader spectrum of people- not just individuals who are liberal in ideology. She included one conservative person from the Tea Party, one activist for March for Life, and one Catholic nun (who might be considered leftist-leaning by most practicing Catholics.) Everyone else was pretty much liberal in their views.... and there were no children included either. ..which made me wonder what the nature of activism is. Is it something just liberal Democrats do? Is activism restricted to those who vote blue? To adults only? I don't think so. I would have liked a more balanced coverage on this topic. Where are the soldiers, the Marines, the women who fight for the rights of the unborn, the men who advocate for freedom of religion? There are many activists who are priests, rabbis, ministers, counselors and nuns. They were largely missing from this book.
Despite this imbalance, I did appreciate learning about the individuals included here. I am thankful and honored that many of the privileges I enjoy today are because of these people's bravery in stepping forward and speaking out, writing to legislators, protesting peacefully, and organizing others and sharing information to help those in need.
One of my favorite portraits was of Bonnie Raines. I had not heard of her before. Together with her late husband John and several others, she broke into an FBI office to steal documents in order to expose their illegal activities and abuses of power. Raines and her crew were never caught! 42 years later their story came out and a book was written detailing their activities.
Another favorite was Edward Snowden. I can't help but be in awe of his bravery in exposing the mass surveillance of the NSA . He could easily have been assassinated for what he did. He could have kept his mouth shut, taken the easy road, but at great risk he decided to speak out. I'm grateful for whistle blowers like him, who risk their lives to do what is right, to expose something corrupt, something hidden and dangerous for the sake of others.
The photography in this book is beautiful. Black and white portraits have a more dramatic effect- every photo is nicely done.
A very informative and lovely book, despite its imbalances.
I was surprised when I received this book- I'd pictured it much smaller in scope and in size! This is like a coffee table book, with 300 pages of shortened biographies and lovely portraits of different people who are or were activists. Many of the names are well known people -like Billie Jean King, Harry Belafonte, Reverend Sharpton. But others are unknowns, people who quietly stepped forward to protest something, to expose injustice, to demand change, sometimes in smaller but effective and powerful ways.
In the intro, Ottesen refers to her extensive interviewing and researching for this book- how she hopes it will "resonate across ideological lines.. regardless of one's specific beliefs or paths."
I appreciate her hope about this, but I think she should have made more of an attempt to include a broader spectrum of people- not just individuals who are liberal in ideology. She included one conservative person from the Tea Party, one activist for March for Life, and one Catholic nun (who might be considered leftist-leaning by most practicing Catholics.) Everyone else was pretty much liberal in their views.... and there were no children included either. ..which made me wonder what the nature of activism is. Is it something just liberal Democrats do? Is activism restricted to those who vote blue? To adults only? I don't think so. I would have liked a more balanced coverage on this topic. Where are the soldiers, the Marines, the women who fight for the rights of the unborn, the men who advocate for freedom of religion? There are many activists who are priests, rabbis, ministers, counselors and nuns. They were largely missing from this book.
Despite this imbalance, I did appreciate learning about the individuals included here. I am thankful and honored that many of the privileges I enjoy today are because of these people's bravery in stepping forward and speaking out, writing to legislators, protesting peacefully, and organizing others and sharing information to help those in need.
One of my favorite portraits was of Bonnie Raines. I had not heard of her before. Together with her late husband John and several others, she broke into an FBI office to steal documents in order to expose their illegal activities and abuses of power. Raines and her crew were never caught! 42 years later their story came out and a book was written detailing their activities.
Another favorite was Edward Snowden. I can't help but be in awe of his bravery in exposing the mass surveillance of the NSA . He could easily have been assassinated for what he did. He could have kept his mouth shut, taken the easy road, but at great risk he decided to speak out. I'm grateful for whistle blowers like him, who risk their lives to do what is right, to expose something corrupt, something hidden and dangerous for the sake of others.
The photography in this book is beautiful. Black and white portraits have a more dramatic effect- every photo is nicely done.
A very informative and lovely book, despite its imbalances.
November 5, 2019
I have listed to the audio book plus I am not form USA
So I am felt like this was American view and more than that it repiet itself and all of them were kind of success but I felt boring
So I am felt like this was American view and more than that it repiet itself and all of them were kind of success but I felt boring
November 20, 2019
Fantastic! A must for every public, high school and middle school library.
January 19, 2020
Activist: Portraits of Courage is filled with beautifully shot portraits and memorable, albeit short, interviews with some legendary grassroots organizers; and lesser-known folks, as well.
Pros: These portraits were legitimately beautiful, and a few stories stuck out to me in particular. I loved learning more about lesser-known activists whose paths I might've never crossed had I not read this book.
Cons: I understood why there had to be GOPers included in this book, but I wish there weren't; it rang hollow when I was supposed to compare the trajectories of careers like John Lewis' with some folks that uphold white supremacy through their support of the Tea Party, ya know? Also I would've loved more in-depth testimonials from a lot of these activists.
Overall: 3/5 stars! A quick, inspiring read which provided me with more opportunities to follow these activists' paths in other ways.
Pros: These portraits were legitimately beautiful, and a few stories stuck out to me in particular. I loved learning more about lesser-known activists whose paths I might've never crossed had I not read this book.
Cons: I understood why there had to be GOPers included in this book, but I wish there weren't; it rang hollow when I was supposed to compare the trajectories of careers like John Lewis' with some folks that uphold white supremacy through their support of the Tea Party, ya know? Also I would've loved more in-depth testimonials from a lot of these activists.
Overall: 3/5 stars! A quick, inspiring read which provided me with more opportunities to follow these activists' paths in other ways.
November 8, 2019
Inspiring vignettes which portray a diverse group of amazing individuals, all united by a common theme Reading this book, instilled in me new hope for the future.
January 10, 2020
I received a free copy of KK Ottesen's book "Activist: Portraits of Courage" from LT's Early Reviewers program. The book as about 40 vignettes, along with portraits, about people who fought for what they believe is right -- from AIDS activism to civil rights to advocacy for the disabled.
I enjoyed the book over all and found the stories and quotes really inspiring. (Especially moving were the activists talking about times their efforts failed and how important it is to keep trying.) The portraits are really add to the book (except for poor John Lewis... ) but I didn't care for the black and yellow color scheme though-- the couple of pages that had yellow on white were tough to read.
I enjoyed the book over all and found the stories and quotes really inspiring. (Especially moving were the activists talking about times their efforts failed and how important it is to keep trying.) The portraits are really add to the book (except for poor John Lewis... ) but I didn't care for the black and yellow color scheme though-- the couple of pages that had yellow on white were tough to read.
December 31, 2019
This is a very good book, written by the subjects of her photographs. Excellent portraits (in photo and prose) of movers and shakers of the late 20th, early 21st century. They tell what made them activists, why they continue in spite of the many discouragements, and their view of life in our culture. They come from different backgrounds, different causes and different politics. John Lewis, Clyde Bellecourt, Bernie Sanders, Ai-Jen Poo, and Gabrielle Giffords are just a few of the 41 activists who share their story. A fascinating read, and a good look at history.
March 12, 2020
Intriguing interviews and luminous portraits make this an interesting read. The subjects mostly skew to the left, but I can pretty much guarantee you won't agree with everyone in this book. Many are inspiring though, so take your pick.
February 27, 2021
Really great book to expand your awareness of activists who have helped (and continue to) shape the world we currently inhabit. I appreciate hearing about, not what they've accomplished but why they felt it needed accomplishing.
February 23, 2020
Balanced in terms of represented perspectives and filled with inspiring,informative and energizing content.
March 21, 2020
Lovely book! The portraits and layout of this book are beautiful. I liked how this book showed many sides of activism, in many different political parties, topics, and time periods.
March 9, 2021
I absolutely loved this! I highly recommend both the audiobook and the print book! This might be my new go-to gift to give.
March 29, 2025
In this time when activism is needed more than ever, this is an excellent book about the stellar leaders who have shown us the way. Highly recommended!
March 23, 2020
When I saw Activists: Portraits of Courage (Chronicle Books, 9781452182773, 2019) by KK Ottesen on Goodreads Giveaway list I was beyond excited. I did not think I was going to win, but I hoped and hoped. When I won I was beyond excited.
I waited for the book to come in the mail and when it arrived it took everything in me not to rip open the packaging. Here it was. I sat down and flipped open the book and the first story it opened to was a rainbow story. How apropos.
Natalie Maines tells her story and as most transgender kids will tell you - it is never a pretty one. Maines is now playing a superhero on television’s Super Girl. It is is not her words though that have stayed with me, but her father’s:
“...the real superheroes are the trans kids who get out of bed every day knowing they’re going to have a bad day.”
I have had this book for a couple of months because to be honest, for me, this was not a book to just breeze through and write a review. This is a conversation piece. These stories are journeys of the past and present - not just journeys but lessons.
Ottesen does full profiles and in-depth thoughts and quotes as to the hows and whys everyday people and some famous ones too decided to fight for us - all of us.
You know me by now, I wanna have multiple dinner parties and pick a random story and have a conversation. Do you want to be inspired? Do you want to have a conversation? Do you want to see where we came from? Do you want to see where we are going?
Read Activist.
I received this book for free in a Goodreads Giveaway and give my opinion without prejudice and voluntarily.
I waited for the book to come in the mail and when it arrived it took everything in me not to rip open the packaging. Here it was. I sat down and flipped open the book and the first story it opened to was a rainbow story. How apropos.
Natalie Maines tells her story and as most transgender kids will tell you - it is never a pretty one. Maines is now playing a superhero on television’s Super Girl. It is is not her words though that have stayed with me, but her father’s:
“...the real superheroes are the trans kids who get out of bed every day knowing they’re going to have a bad day.”
I have had this book for a couple of months because to be honest, for me, this was not a book to just breeze through and write a review. This is a conversation piece. These stories are journeys of the past and present - not just journeys but lessons.
Ottesen does full profiles and in-depth thoughts and quotes as to the hows and whys everyday people and some famous ones too decided to fight for us - all of us.
You know me by now, I wanna have multiple dinner parties and pick a random story and have a conversation. Do you want to be inspired? Do you want to have a conversation? Do you want to see where we came from? Do you want to see where we are going?
Read Activist.
I received this book for free in a Goodreads Giveaway and give my opinion without prejudice and voluntarily.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews