Why We Kneel, How We Rise

by Michael Holding

Through the prism of sport and conversations with its legends, including Usain Bolt, Adam Goodes, Thierry Henry, Michael Johnson, Ibtihaj Muhammad, Makhaya Ntini, Naomi Osaka and Hope Powell, Michael Holding explains how racism dehumanises people; how it works to achieve that end; how it has been ignored by history and historians; and what it is like to be treated differently just because of the colour of your skin.

Rarely can a rain delay in a cricket match have led to anything like the moment when Holding spoke out in the wake of the #BlackLivesMatter protests about the racism he has suffered and has seen all around him throughout his life. But as he spoke, he sought not only to educate but to propose a way forward that inspired so many. Within minutes, he was receiving calls from famous sports stars from around the world offering to help him to spread the message further. Now, in Why We Kneel, How We Rise, Holding shares his story together with those of some of the most iconic athletes in the world. He delivers a powerful and inspiring message of hope for the future and a vision for change, and takes you through history to understand the racism of today. He adds: 'To say I was surprised at the volume of positive feedback I received from around the world after my comments on Sky Sports is an understatement. I came to realise I couldn’t just stop there; I had to take it forward – hence the book, as I believe education is the way forward.'

Genres: Nonfiction, Sports, History, Politics, Race, Biography, Society

Audible Audio

First published June 24, 2021

Reviews

[Kavi Nair · Rating 5 out of 5]

During the summer of 2020, a few weeks after the murder of George Floyd, Michael Holding delivered an emotional and powerful speech to the Sky Sports viewers during a rain delayed morning of Test cricket. I am so glad that the man known as "Whispering Death" decided to use his platform as a legendary cricketer and commentator to speak out. His words on that rainy morning, where far from whispers, these powerful emotional words were heard all around the world and not just by the cricket community. It also gave rise to him writing this book and I am grateful for that as it has taught me so much, opened my eyes to some terrible things, but also most importantly given me hope that a better world can be forged from our dark history.

The pages of this book had me in tears numerous times. The dehumanization of people around the globe is truly heartbreaking and a lot of it has been covered up in the history that is taught in classrooms. It is however part of our history, and something that I believe we need to teach, acknowledge and learn from.

We teach children to praise and revere false heroes like Columbus and Cook. Classrooms teach of white heroes daily with black role models are few and far between. This is not a result of there being a lack of black role models, but rather a white washing of history enforced by those in power. To this day, those in power still want to push narratives that suit their agendas. As many people around the world have noted, and Michael suggests in this book. A decolonized version of history needs to be taught. This does not mean teaching a false edited history but rather and unedited history that teaches both sides of the story.

This book has taught me numerous things from attrocities across the globe to truly remarkable black people I have not heard of. It taught me of the atrocities committed by the Australian ruling powers on the native Aboriginal Australians. The horrific cultural assimilation policies that were enforced in the early 20th century. It has taught me the names of truly remarkable black people such as Lewis Howard Latimer, the inventor of the functional carbon filament light bulb. Katherine Johnson, the black female NASA mathematician who was instrumental in the success of the first US crewed space flights. These are role models that children of all colors need to be exposed to. Representation is critical and formative in young children, it gives them hope and belief that they are capable of the extraordinary.

Children deserve to grow up believing that being different is okay and having a darker shade of skin is something to be proud of and not something they resent. This is not only beneficial to black children, but also to white children. White children will also be taught that black people are smart, capable and innovative which will dismantle any ill formed preconceptions they might have and that may otherwise evolve into believing in white supremacy. No human being is born a racist.

I recommend this book to anyone and everyone, it is truly eye opening as it details our dark past but it also shines the light of hope. It is up to us to create a world where everyone is equal. We are far from that but we need to keep moving in the right direction.

[Clbplym · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredibly powerful book and I cannot recommend it highly enough. I grew up in awe of the West Indies cricket team and have enjoyed Holding’s TV commentary for years. When I saw his interview with Sky about BLM, I was very moved. He has spoken to many different sports stars in this book and makes his case passionately. There is hope at the end for change and this book will challenge everyone who reads it.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michael Holding covers much, both historical and contemporary and does a great job by drawing on his own experiences and the experiences of others involved in sport. Recommend reading.

[Stephen Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

8.5/10 sadly I fear those who need to read this book will never pick it up.

An extremely well written book by an extremely well educated man. This books shows the past present and hopefully the future of the equality movement
What has been done both good and bad, what is currently being done both good and bad and what needs to be done

Drawing from experiences of real life HEROS is a great way to show what is truly going on in the world.

[J.W. Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb,shocking (the truth being told),thought provoking,very relevant,well written and put together the disturbing facts of the lives of black people …if we thought the abolition of slavery was the end of the torment for black folks think again ..best factual book of 2021

[P McIntosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Should be compulsory text in schools.

[Debbi Barton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learnt so much from this book.

[Debz · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly powerful book written by one of the most respected voices in the cricket world. A deep rational introspection into why Black Lives Matter and the papering over of crucial segments of history. Prepare to be hit hard, angered and reduced to a tear or two...

[Bob Hurley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Balance?

Whilst I have always admired Michael Holding I felt this book some what biased and very one sided. Whilst understanding the level of discrimination suffered by people of colour I was disappointed that there seemed to be very little balance. The big bad white man was the perpetrator of all crimes and laws which held a coloured person back? Not saying in some situations the law was fair, because quite obviously it wasn't. However the ways laws continue to be broken and the perceived in justice reported begs a different question. Whenever will the big bad white man get it right?? Disappointed is the word.

[Carole · Rating 4 out of 5]

After talking during a rain break in a cricket test match about the Black Lives Matter movement, former West Indian cricketer Michael Holding is persuaded to elaborate on his experiences of racisim, and the result is this book. The author has done some more research and interviewed other prominent Black sports people on their experiences - many of which are similar. An important book that throws the spotlight on racism, looking back through history as well as forward to a hopeful more enlightened future. A bit repetitive towards the end, but an easy-to-read conversational tone with a serious message. Highly recommended.

[Richard Martin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I do not generally mind a chap taking a few liberties to make the best of his argument, but this author goes far too far... And I spent a lot of the time reading this absurd book wondering if I objected more to the author copying chunks of the text directly from the internet, or more to him copying a great deal that he must know to be untrue.
In normal times, this misguided book would not have seen the light of day, in these febrile times, the author will probably get the Nobel prize for literature!

[Vishy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michael Holding – Mikey to fans and admirers – is one of the greatest cricketers who ever played the game. He was a much admired and feared fastbowler during his playing days. A few years after he retired he got a call from someone asking him whether he would like to commentate on the game on TV. Mikey said 'Yes' and before long he became a well-respected and admired and popular commentator. Legend has it that female fans loved his voice and he was a big hit. I couldn't follow Mikey's cricket career, because I was too young at that time, but I followed him when he commentated during matches. The thing I loved about Mikey was that he was fearless. He didn't care what people thought, or if it would offend them – if he had opinion during the game he commentated on, he shared it. Sometimes, I didn't agree with him, especially when he criticized his home team, the West Indies (for me, it doesn't matter whether they win or lose, I'll always love the West Indies cricket team. I've loved them since I was a kid, and I'll love them till the end of my days. Before me, my dad loved them since he was a kid. It is a family tradition in my house 😊), but I always admired Mikey for being fearless. He was one of the few commentators who didn't kowtow to the Indian cricket board (the only other commentator I know who was similarly fearless was Ian Chappell – I love him too), and I always get goosebumps thinking about that.

So, sometime in 2020, Mikey was commentating during a test match in England, and play was cancelled that day due to rain. Such rainy days are good times for commentators in the studio to have a cricket conversation. Someone asked Mikey what he thought about the Black Lives Matter movement. It opened a dam and Mikey opened his heart out. Viewers who were disappointed that the day's play was rained off, were engrossed listening to Mikey, and soon the messages started pouring in. The next day Mikey was interviewed on a live TV news channel and he spoke more about it. People started telling Mikey that he shouldn't stop with this, but Mikey felt that he had said everything he wanted to say. At some point his friend who helped him write his memoirs a few years back, told him that with the voice and platform he had, he can write a book about this and that will reach more people. So Mikey decided to write this book.

In this book, Mikey interviews leading black and indigenous athletes of contemporary times, all of whom are legends in their fields, and asks them to share their experiences when they were discriminated against because of their race. Some of the famous athletes interviewed are Usain Bolt, Thierry Henry, Naomi Osaka, Michael Johnson, Ibtihaj Muhammad, Hope Powell, Adam Goodes, Makhaya Ntini. Mikey also shares his own experiences when he was the target of racism.

But Mikey doesn't stop with this. If he had done that, this book would have been a collection of interviews. He also talks about the history of Black people across the centuries till the present day and covers the recent violent incidents by the police against innocent Black people. It is essentially Black History 101. If you have read books about it before, you would know most of it. But, like me, if you have read about it in a scattered fashion, you'll find many new things in it. As Mikey says in his preface –

"Just finally, before we get started, I want to be clear : this is not a book of complaints. It is a book of facts. I hope it will enlighten, inspire, surprise, shock, move. And, above all, help to bring about real change."

If we are not familiar with the facts Mikey describes, it will make us angry, it will make our blood boil, we'll find them unbelievable, it will break our hearts, it will make us cry. All these happened to me. I knew some of the facts, but it was unbelievable that some of these bad things, pure evil things, were happening well into the 20th century. There were two chapters called 'Dehumanisation' and 'History Lesson' which were very hard to read, because what they described was heartbreaking. It was unbelievable to read about some of the things, that scientists and philosophers that we admire from previous centuries, had said.

Mikey describes every important word and concept be uses, in simple language, so that you don't have to Google or search for the dictionary if you don't understand them. For example, when talking about Jim Crow laws, be describes who exactly Jim Crow was, and what these laws exactly said. In another place Mikey describes what 'redlining' exactly means. This enhances the reading flow of the book and makes it a beautiful experience.

After talking about bad experiences by sporting legends and giving us a history lesson, Mikey also shows the way forward. He talks about how education is important, how teaching history which is unbiased and factual and which doesn't sweep the past below the carpet, is important, and how this will help in changing people's minds and help in making our shared future better and more equal for everyone.

'Why We Kneel, How We Rise' is a beautiful book, a powerful book, a heartbreaking book, an inspiring book. Mikey is famous for being fearless and for speaking his mind, and he does that in every page of this book. He sometimes turns his critical, unflinching gaze on himself, and describes how he sometimes failed to protest against racism and fight back, during his playing days. It is stirring to watch. The book is filled with anger, of course, the anger of the right kind, because of the inhuman things that happened, but it is not an angry book. Mikey's tone is neutral and pitch-perfect, and he doesn't make sweeping judgements and generalizations but sticks to the facts. I still don't know how he managed to do that, because in a book like this, it is easy to get into an Us Vs Them mode, but Mikey doesn't do that. His analysis is based on facts and it is nuanced. It is perfect. At the beginning of the book, he says this to make his point –

"this is not a story about hating white people. The word I used on Sky Sports was ‘brainwashed’. White or Black, pink or green, we have all been indoctrinated to believe that one colour is the purest and best. The further down the colour chart you go, the lazier the person, the more aggressive, untrustworthy, less intelligent. Of course it is ridiculous to blame ‘white people’ for that. They don’t know any better and have been to the same schools and colleges and lived in the same societies and cultures as the rest of us. You are a product of your environment. As I said on Sky that morning, this thing gets into your head and psyche almost by osmosis. It happens without you being aware."

Later in the book, he says this about Tony Greig, which I found very interesting –

"Tony Greig, the England captain, had said he intended to make us ‘grovel’. I wince at the word. Tony, as I realised once I got to know him much later when we worked as co-commentators, was not a racist. But he was ignorant of the slave era connotations of the word. Particularly spoken by a white South African who was only playing for England because the country of his birth was banned from international sport due to apartheid. It was incredibly insensitive. I may only have been twenty-two, wet behind the ears to the ways of the world and just be beginning to understand racism, but I knew what he said was wrong."

In another place, while talking about the informal quota system which is prevalent in some sporting teams he says this –

"but discrimination – positive or negative – to my mind does not work. What if that Black person who gets picked purely because of the colour of his or her skin, rather than his or her ability, is shown up to be hopelessly out of their depth? And this goes for any industry – not just sport. It is counterproductive. If you start filling positions in sport, business, industry or whatever because you need to tick a box based on ethnicity, gender or age, instead of employing the best person for the job, you don’t solve a problem, you create one. In fact, you create lots of problems. For a start that person might not be capable of doing the job and, in a high-profile area like sport, that person is embarrassed. How is that good for inspiring someone or being a role model?"

Very surprising, unexpected and beautifully said.

'Why We Kneel, How We Rise' won the William Hill prize in the UK in 2021. The William Hill prize is given every year to the best book on sport in the UK, and it is the sports book equivalent of the Booker Prize or the Pulitzer Prize. Typically a book on cricket or football wins this prize, because these are the two biggest team sports in the UK and both have a rich literature. But 'Why We Kneel, How We Rise' is no ordinary book on sport. It is much more than that. It looks at racism through the lens of sport, but then goes much beyond that. It is a book about our contemporary world and it is an important, powerful book. This book is a bestseller in cricket-playing countries, because of Mikey's background in cricket, but it is not just a cricket book. It deserves to be widely read by readers across the world. It is destined to become a classic.

I can't think of any sportsperson, present or past, who would have written this book. Sportspersons might make individual gestures on particular occasions or even share their experiences, but writing a full-length book like this, they'd avoid. Because it is filled with inconvenient truths and would offend a lot of people. Maybe Serena Williams might write a book like this after twenty years. I can't imagine anyone else doing it. But Mikey was brave and fearless and stuck his neck out and wrote this book. I don't know whether there were any repercussions. I'm sure he lost some friends because they were offended. But sometime after the book was published, Mikey suddenly announced that he was retiring as a cricket commentator. It came out of the blue and was totally unexpected. It was heartbreaking for fans like me. Somehow one felt that there was some connection between his book coming out and him retiring. They happened too close to each other to have been a coincidence. It was almost as if Mikey thought that this book was his parting gift to his fans and admirers. The truth might just be that Mikey wanted to spend more time playing with his grandkids, tending to his garden, and taking walks with his wife to the beach. I hope that is the truth. I want to believe in that.

Thank you for this precious gift, Mikey. We'll miss your fearless, wise commentary. Have fun playing with your grandkids 😊

Have you read 'Why We Kneel, How We Rise'? What do you think about it?

[Malcolm · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are probably few who tuned in to watch the rain delayed England-West Indies cricket test on 8 July 2020 who forget the powerful discussion about racism, both in cricket and more widely, where Michael Holding, Ebony Rainford-Brent and Nasser Hussain spoke so frankly about their experiences of the game or the powerful pre-recorded piece featuring Holding and Rainford-Brent unpacking their experiences and the institutional racism that shaped them. All this, of course, prompted the ‘not here’ crew, long with the ‘keep politics out of sport’ gang: it’s striking here that we don’t do much to note the sexist character of that response also, as seen in the character of the attacks on Rainford-Brent and her subsequent withdrawal from most of these discussions (something Holding notes in this powerful book).

Holding speaks with authority and gravitas, of one who has been around international elite sport for decades, who was among the finest cricketers of his era, and who dominated many of the finest batters of those times, in a West Indies team that was the dominant force in cricket. But he also speaks with the humility of someone who says frankly that he should have acted differently, and seems to recognise the limits of his knowledge, experience, and reach. The result is a superb engaging, widely accessible exploration of racism, not only in sport but powerfully as articulated through and experienced in sport.

In several single authored chapters he explores the historical experience and invention of blackness, whiteness, and race as social and historical phenomena. He writes powerfully about historical understandings and teaching, and explores the potentialities of the current landscape. These are vital and give power to the remaining eight chapters, based on interviews and longer discussions with current leading athletes to the extent that they are credited as co-authors (all respect to Holding for that, for acknowledging the voices we cannot do our work without). From football (soccer) he features Hope Powell and Thierry Henry, from Australian Football, Adam Goodes, from cricket, Makhanya Ntini, from athletics Michael Johnson and Usain Bolt, from fencing Ibtihaj Muhammad and from tennis, Naomi Osaka. This is a great mix of national contexts, sports, and refreshingly 3 of the 8 are women, and several are still active players in their sports. This gives the book a real sense of currency and breadth, reinforcing the points about the global and institutionalised charter of racism.

Holding’s historical knowledge is impressive, his ability to craft an insightful and powerful analysis compelling, his humility handing other people’s stories and lives inspiring, and his caution most welcome. He’s optimistic, but not over confident that the world is changing quickly or that it is not going to continue to be a long struggle. Amid all of this, we have a rebuttal to the ‘not here/keep away from politics’ responses that makes clear exactly why athlete activism is a currently powerful force and presence, why it’s not likely to go away soon, and why it matters – both the activism and the cause. And it’s just the thing for that recalcitrant uncle (or anyone else who refuses to see what’s going on). Justifiably a best seller.

[Ted Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic account of institutional racism from one of the world's greatest athletes.

I was in the mood for a good non-fiction and this really hit the spot. Michael Holding takes a generalised approach to the history and contemporary ramifications of institutionalised racism. It is effectively a good 101 for the subject, and would be useful for anybody as a good primer for the subject. Holding makes powerful arguments, taking care to highlight linguistic and cultural practices which are often taken for granted in white dominated spaces.

But anyone can pick up a dozen good books about this subject. What Holding brings to the discussion is, firstly, his unique perspective as one of the world's greatest bowlers and, secondly, a collaboration with other world leading athletes. For the former, Holding details his experiences in the West Indies cricket team, the way the team as a whole were treated and his own personal encounters with racism within the sport. It's an honest conversation, and Holding's writing treads a careful line between being fair to all parties, whilst still being bold in his points.

On the latter point, Naomi Osaka, Thierry Henry and Usain Bolt all shine in their discussions about racism. It is super work from Holding and shows a great deal of trust between himself and the other athletes. My favourite account came from his discussion with Ibtihaj Muhammad who makes insightful and precise points about the way Muslim women in sports are viewed. These conversations could have, with a different author, come across as a gimmick. But Holding allows them room to breathe, and continuously weaves the discussions into the following chapters of his book.

As for criticism, perhaps the only detraction would that the overall argument here is not novel. Holding recounts historical stories and contemporary actions which will be well known to any reader with a decent academic knowledge around institutionalised racism. But it is a point that needs to be made, again and again, that white supremacist ideology has permeated our society to such an extent that these stories and actions have got to be kept at the forefront of our consciousness. Holding argues himself, that the minute we being to become self-congratulatory or complacent around racism, is when it becomes an even more threatening problem. Moreover, Holding does make unique and detailed points that are specific to his own character, that elevates this into a phenomenal book.


I may be waffling a bit, or sounding a little too self-worthy. It's a fantastic book, and completely worth the time to anybody who is interested.

[Graham Brownett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having watched Mark Austin’s emotional interview with Michael Holding on SkyNews I was keen to read Why we Kneel, Now we Rise.

The book is ghost written by Ed Hawkins but it is clear that Holding is responsible for the content, he has utilised his vast experience as a top sportsman and broadcaster, his old and new contacts and has done a lot of research to produce a book that made me feel sad and shocked but also guilty that knowing racism permeates society I have never before appreciated just how much it hurts those affected.

Holding delves back to before the slave trade to find the origins of racism and the effects it is still having today. He is scathing of the US, the UK and Australia for their history of white supremacy and how it is still prevalent in today’s society, especially in the US where over 74 million people voted for an openly white supremacist Presidential candidate, the catalyst for leaving his home in Miami.

There are positives in the book too of how top sportsmen and women are making a difference and whilst he does not expect to see equality in his lifetime he is hopeful that his young daughter will.

Every so often a book comes along that you feel everyone should read and this one is certainly in that category.

[Ben W · Rating 5 out of 5]

A superb and impassioned book by one of the great sportsmen and sporting statesmen of his generation. I have nothing but respect for Mikey Holding for what he’s done in his career - this book is up there with any of his exquisite bowling spells or his effortlessly authoritative commentary style.

He happily uses and explains his understanding of the word “woke” and the phrases “cultural appropriation” and “white privilege”, and I’m so glad he does this. Too often there’s this tendency for people to shy away from speaking the truth for fear that they’ll be shouted down by “anti-woke” trolls. My hope is that his status as one of the most respected voices in what is - in the UK - an overwhelmingly white, privileged sporting context will make people who might otherwise dismiss these ideas take a second look. Surprised that there’s no 1 star, “I’m not racist but…er…it’s Marxist propaganda” type reviews but maybe they’ll come in time. I’m enjoying the kosher review section for now.

[Tania · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holding’s book is very good. His voice is clear and the contributions of other international athletes add weight and measure to his own experiences. It’s a valuable book for exploring Black achievements through history which are startling in their omission from education curricula. Holding has a chapter with Makhana Ntini discussing their rejection of positive discrimination, wanting solely meritoriously awarded positions, but for me the book highlights the need,and the proven benefits, of providing mandated representation in the present day.

[Peter Voice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really thought-provoking. Challenging too. Hard to believe some of the things that have been done in the past (some of it startlingly recent). Made me think about the ways in which unconscious bias is still out there, even perhaps in my own instincts, even though I see myself as wholly non-discriminatory. MH and his interviewees thankfully have an optimistic outlook, in spite of everything, mostly thanks to generational change

[Phil Aldis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Would recommend this book for everyone to read as an explanation of racism and white privilege. Very coherently and rationally explained. However, also a message of hope for the future and change.

[Sundar Ganapathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent hard hitting book from the voice of Cricket . Must read to understand history which is unedited.

[Georgina Laitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

But when people began to understand apartheid through a sporting perspective, it's my belief that it helped to really pressurise the powers that be to do something. Remember that the next time you hear someone say that taking a knee is virtue signalling or 'woke'. Give me a break. It raises awareness, it keeps the conversation going and reminds people that things have got to change.

Wow. I picked this up because of Naomi Osaka, I have so much respect for her. A number of other sports stars contributed to this book and every one of their stories was insightful. Michael Holding is patient and kind (more than I would be in his situation). He takes the time to explain everything he talks about and provides context and history. The main theme of this book is that a lack of education is a major contributor to racism. The title is perfect. Sport reflects society, sport can help us understand racial prejudice and injustice and play a part in fighting it. I learnt a lot. Highly recommend, even if you're not a sports fan.

This is a book that will stay with you. It will shock you, educate you and inspire you. It's the history of why we kneel, and the hope of how we rise.

There is so much in here. Parts of it are upsetting, you're given the brutal facts, but it's balanced and complimented with the Black accomplishments you likely didn't learn about in school, and the hope of the future and the progress that's already been made. It's maddening to see people still making excuses and refusing to face the fact that our history books are biased and our society discriminative. Even when it's spelled out to them in petitions to change the UK curriculum or take down statues of slave-owners, even when we are exposed to the information - "too many listened and danced [to the music of Burning Spear and Bob Marley] without actually hearing."

Alongside lack of education, fear is a big part of this broken system. Black people are often afraid of being abused, discriminated against, killed, "they are afraid of speaking out or being labelled a troublemaker". White people are afraid that if Black people get half a chance they might "rise up, take over and exact our revenge". I think that's such a powerful unconscious thought to address. If only a fraction of history repeated itself in reverse, that's a scary concept for white people. And when you learn the history, you can see why hate and anger would be justified. But that fear of the possible, the imaginary, can teach us a little about the very real events that have already happened and the real fear Black people live with.

Michael Holding explains how racism affects different places and people, what terms like white-privilege, white-washing, Black Lives Matter mean and the politics behind the movement. A very prominent example of white-washing is Jesus Christ. He was a Brown-skinned Middle Eastern Jewish man, but he is depicted as white all over the world. The book looks at why that matters and the effect it has. Also how racism and dehuminisation have been promoted under the guise of science and rooted in false scientific theory in order to justify slavery and horrific treatment, this sort of thinking is still prevalent. Only recently I read an article about race-based brain testing in the NFl.

Recent history that isn't common knowledge includes the horrifying state-sponsored abduction of Indigenous children in Australia. Did you know that the animals who served and died under British military command were commemorated with a statue thirteen years before African-Carribbean soldiers, and that the animal statue is in a more popular and prominent location. In 1834, Britain spent 40 per cent of its budget (taxpayers money) on compensating slave traders. At the 1885 Berlin Conference, European powers divided up the African continent with a ruler and pencil. The 1919 Amritsar Massacre involved British troops firing upon a peaceful and fleeing crowd until their ammunition ran out (Britain never formally apologised for the massacre but expressed "regret" in 2019). The 1943 Bengal famine was due to Churchill diverting food to British soldiers and the 1947 partition of India into India and Pakistan caused a refugee crisis and mass violence. 29 million Indians died of starvation during British rule. Marion Sims, a gynaecologist, operated on Black slaves without any form of pain relief. He then offered the techniques he had perfected to white women - with anaesthetic and for a fee. People remember. The Tuskegee experiment, a study on the effects of Syphilis when left untreated, caused the deaths of more than 100 Black men involved who were not informed of the nature of the experiment (by the end they could've been treated with Penicillin but weren't) and has been blamed for African-American scepticism about Covid-19 vaccinations. "Politicians keep on saying, 'The Black community doesn't trust the vaccine.' Perhaps more appropriately they should be saying, 'We have a history of abusing Black people, thus we have violated their trust.'"

This brings us nicely to the British Empire and the way its purpose and consequences have been taught in schools. It's not so much a lie as a deliberate indoctrination of British people against the horrors of what was committed in their name. [...] Some experts in the field say that the British have 'forgotten'. I'm not sure the wider population were ever conscious of what was happening in far-flung lands, let alone aware of the atrocities that were taking place.

There is a lot of South African history I didn't know, especially to do with apartheid and how sports stars were travelling, or not, into the country at that time. And so much Black history in general I learnt from this book. I already knew of the Harlem Hellfighters thanks to my brother's thorough WWII research, but reading more about them was fascinating. The story of the Smallpox vaccine and a slave called Onesimus surprised me, I knew nothing about that before this book, only the part involving Edward Jenner. There's Matthew Henson, the first of the crew said to have reached the North Pole in 1909, you've likely heard of Robert Peary who received many honours while Henson was ignored. How about Mary Seacole, who nursed alongside Florence Nightingale in the Crimean War (I knew this one, thanks Horrible Histories). Althea Gibson, who worked hard to be allowed to play alongside white players and became the first Black female winner of a tennis major title in 1956. These, and so many more, who are not household names but who shaped history.

We take a knee to remember the history of dehumanisation and to raise awareness that it is still happening. But these folks, and what they did, allow us to get up. They have inspired so many heroes of the present day and in their stories and experiences we can learn how more of us can rise.

If you teach a young Black kid about Septimius Severus, the first Black emperor of the Roman Empire, or show them how the Moors educated and enlightened Europe, or describe the bravery of the Black Rattlers or the brilliance of Lewis Howard Latimer, what do you think happens to their self-esteem? They walk taller and feel good. That person values themself. Just as the West Indians living in England did when their cricket team won Test matches. But what if they only learn about how they come from folks who were treated like cattle and were stripped of their identify? That is not very uplifting. The impact is two-fold. White kids are in the same class. And they're learning about all these great things that Black people did. They're learning they are as smart, as important, as innovative as themselves. And those early seeds of white being superior to Black are never given the chance to grow into something ugly. What happens if nothing changes? The white kids continue to leave class having been taught that all Black people ever did was be enslaved.

Powerful! Michael says about cultural appropriation, "That's a buzz phrase, among some others, that people get agitated about, but it's not something that bothers me at all." Being connected and inspired by each other is a good thing. Forgetting or rewriting history so Black people are forgotten is white-washing. He thinks statues of problematic people should be taken down, or at least put away in museums with the context they need, which I agree with. We are literally putting people up on a pedestal. Who we honour with statues and plaques, and how, deserves care and attention.

He is bothered by racial quotas which was interesting for me to hear because I've only heard quotas talked about from a white perspective trying to be helpful. It's good to listen to what people actually want for themselves. "It comes from a good place, no doubt. But Makhaya disagrees with it in cricket and the rugby World Cup-winning captain Siya Kolisi also disagrees with it. Kolisi said he believed the great Nelson Mandela would have been against it too. He is probably right. To paraphrase that other great man, Martin Luther King, he said black people deserve not to be judged on the colour of their skin but the content of their character. As Black people, we have to be true to that. We can't have it both ways - complain about inequality but then accept it if it suits us. [...] discrimination - positive or negative - to my mind does not work." Quotas also give people a reason to doubt, question and criticise you. For the people given jobs because of quotas there can be negative fallout. Hope Powell discusses doubting if her job offer was purely a box-ticking exercise, and whether to accept it if it was. Makaya Ntini was treated as an outsider and as if he didn't deserve his spot on the team, he says, "You've got to do it at grassroots level, at a provincial level. That's good. Give those people the opportunities. But when it comes to the top level, international, it has to be all on ability."

Holding stresses that we are not asking for history to be edited, like some people (Boris Johnson) accuse; it has already been edited to suit a particular narrative, we need the unedited version. I'd definitely like to read Why We Kneel, How We Rise again. Like I said earlier I learnt so much, what I mentioned in this review is just the tip of the iceberg. A logical, compassionate, informative and inspiring non-fiction read.

The eighteenth and nineteenth centuries shaped the Britain we know - and love, by the way, as I don't want anyone to think that I'm some sort of hater - and its role in the world. So teach it. And if you do that, you have an enlightened, educated society. One that understands the importance of 'bloody foreigners' to the nation's fabric, the impact of Black people and the importance of allies and people working together for common goals.

And what is wrong with being 'woke'? It seems people don't quite understand what woke means. The Oxford English Dictionary defines it as being 'alert to injustice in society, especially racism'. Please call me woke for ever.

[Humair Arshad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read, a book about the BLM movement, the history of racism and the treatment of black people.

[Saravanan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overview:
Almost immediately into the book, it almost felt like it’s going to be like the cryout or revolutionary kinda content that’s usually wrongly presented in movies(especially Tamil movies and particularly Ranjith/Mari-Selvaraj/Vetrimaaran made) but luckily I had the courage to continue reading it and surprisingly I did finish reading it in full, it’s a surprise for me because I really try & avoid these content which are made in films just to satisfy their audience base but after reading this book it wasn’t that feeling because it does carry that emotion & pain of what hardships those people of colour went through and how they overcame it and it is surprising about how politicians are making votes out of it from the author’s perspective, IDK how much of it is true but if we commo people think with our common sense by connecting the dots of the events that happened, we could say that most of the content in this book is nearly real and hence it felt really heart-burning at times when we’re told how black people were actually traded as slaves and the way they were treated.
Overall, it’s a must read for those who’re interested in the history or the evolution of the human race, particularly for those who likes this concept of whites vs blacks.

My Notes & excerpts from the book:
“I want to tell one story about a man from Jamaica who was one of the kindest men I have ever met. He was someone who preached love and understanding. And, one day, he’d had enough. This was in 1940s Jamaica, when there was a small white tourist enclave where Black people couldn’t go. Didn’t want to go anyway. His name was Evon Blake. He used to take me, his son Paul and my brother, Ralph Junior, on outings every now and again. He even took us on train rides, and I remember one very memorable trip to Port Antonio where we went for a fancy lunch at one of the big hotels. ‘Don’t drink while having your meal,’ he taught us. ‘And only tomato juice after.’ Man, I hated that thing. He owned a very successful magazine and was a hugely respected journalist and businessman. Anyway, one day he went down to the whites-only Myrtle Bank Hotel. He got his swimming costume on and he jumped in the swimming pool. All the white people jumped out. ‘Mr Blake, you have to get out,’ the panicked manager said. ‘No!’ shouted Evon. ‘Call the prime minister! Call God!’ Evon, one of the more financially independent Black men in Jamaica, had his own pool at home. But his accountant could swim at Myrtle Bank because he was white. Evon could not. He decided to change that.
Now, this happened in 1948 when racism against Black people was rife in Jamaica because of colonisation. The rumour at the time was that he was arrested and they drained the pool, cleaned it and then filled it back up. No white person would get in again until they’d done that because they thought he was somehow dirty. And I did not even find out myself until I was doing research for this book that the last part of the story was in fact just rumour. He was never arrested, the pool was never drained.”
Black man in the pool story

“Taylor Enterline, a 21-year-old Black student, was arrested during protests in Washington. She was held in jail on a $1 million bail. Riley June Williams, a 22-year-old white Trump supporter, was arrested for helping to steal Nancy Pelosi’s computer during the Capitol insurrection. She had planned to sell it to Russia. She was released to her mother. There are two justice systems at work here.”
Comparison of white vs black person arrests

“An example of just the sort of attitude you often get from people when you talk about equality is this. A friend of mine – an ex-friend, actually, because I no longer seek his counsel – said to me after I had made my Sky speech: ‘Why do you want to punish white people?’ Wow. I don’t. Black people don’t. We just want to be treated the same way. And it’s very interesting, isn’t it, that the idea of Black people being on the same level as white people gives rise to a feeling that somebody is being punished, or dealt a bad hand. One of the best placards I saw during the BLM protests addressed that very same point quite appropriately in my opinion. It read: ‘It is not a pie. Equality for us doesn’t mean less for you.’”
Zero sum, IOW

“They say this: why don’t we spend a chunk of the money for the police on other services like housing, community health, employment or education? Because, guess what, if you divert the money that way, social deprivation can be reduced and therefore crime goes down so you don’t need as many police.”


“The police had a unit called the Special Patrol Group, which would cruise around London looking for Black people to harass. Or maybe arrest under the 1824 Vagrancy Act, which allowed police to arrest anyone they suspected was about to commit a crime. Strangely, a lot of Black people found themselves in cuffs for just standing about. Later on in this book, you will see where that tactic stems from. The same was used just after the abolition of slavery.”
Vagrancy act in Britain

“She used to say, ‘Get yourself a piece of paper behind your name, Mikey.’ That is why at the start of this section I said I didn’t think professional cricket was a realistic career. My mom meant a certificate, a diploma, a degree, or whatever qualification I could muster. And I have always thought – and saw and heard with my own eyes and ears – that West Indian families and West Indian parents always push that. Education coupled with the way you presented yourself. You had to be smart in both senses of the word. For me, it was a way of life. For Hope, though, education and looking the part was a survival mechanism.
About education, about getting a degree.”
I think it is the same even today, in india atleast

“‘As for experiences in England, a player called me a Black “whatever”. My Black team-mate went for the girl that said it. My brother, who was watching, got involved. And it didn’t stop there; it went on after the game. As a manager for England, I can honestly say, on the sideline, I haven’t experienced it, thank God. I think I’ve been lucky. And I think maybe the reason it didn’t happen is because I guess I was a success in sports and people like to align themselves with success. So “she’s all right” – if I was doing really badly, there’s a possibility there might have been more. But I think because I did well, people want to associate themselves with things that are positive and going well.’”
How success is mask to hide your identity

“When I was growing up my father was what you might call the strong, silent type. He spoke to be listened to, not just to be heard. And I remember one day going to work with him – he was a master builder who would run construction sites – and he was the same there, too. But if something needed saying on the job, if something wasn’t right or someone had stepped out of line, boy, did you hear him. I have grown up to be very much like my father. You step on me, I have something to say. Otherwise I can keep my counsel. I have similar traits to my father because of what is known as learned behaviour. And you do too because of the relationship with your parents. That learning process begins as soon as a baby is born. One of the first developmental stages for infants is mimicking the faces cooing back at them in the cot. And, throughout those early developmental years, human beings are copying what they see from their parents or the significant people in their lives. We copy everything – speech intonation, facial expressions, the way we sit or stand or walk, eat our food. We react to situations in the same way, raising our voice in the same manner, throwing our arms in the air or showing delight. Our personality traits, ideologies and knowledge are borrowed, passed down from generation to generation.
Give or take, we become our parents.”
Learned behaviour

“If a slave was not sold at auction they were often just left to die. The cheapest slaves were bought with the sole intention of working them to death. Families were separated. Usually they were branded with their master’s initials. Malnourishment was so common that women’s menstrual cycles stopped. Slaves that displayed ‘difficult’ behaviour were sent to ‘seasoning camps’ where half of them would die. The working hours were from dawn until dusk. At harvest time it meant eighteen hours in the fields. Beatings, murder and rape were all everyday occurrences. Other punishments included having iron hooks hung around their necks with iron chains added to them. Olaudah Equiano, a former slave who published his own life story in 1789, wrote: ‘I have seen a negro beaten till some of his bones were broken for even letting a pot boil over.’”
Some cruel events during slavery era

“In Virginia it was written into the statute books that it was not a crime to kill a slave. This was known as the Casual Killing Act, a law required because of the sheer number of slaves dying as a result of, shall we say, the ‘overenthusiasm’ of owners meting out punishments for minor offences. There was also a spate of killings of Black children by white women. This was how the law book read in 1669, as reproduced in the 1975 work American Slavery, American Freedom by Edmund Morgan: If any slave resist his master (or other by his master’s order correcting him) and by the extremity of the correction should chance to die, that his death shall not be accompted felony. And if a slave should run away? Virginia law sorted that problem out three years later. The ‘act for the apprehension and suppression of runaways, Negroes and slaves’ stated: If any Negroe, mulatto, Indian slave, or servant for life, runaway and shall be pursued by the warrant or hue and cry, it shall and may be lawful for any person who shall endeavour to take them, upon the resistance of such Negroe, mulatto, Indian slave, or servant for life, to kill or wound him or them so resisting… And if it happen that such Negroe, mulatto, Indian slave, or servant for life doe dye of any wound in such their resistance received the master or owner of such shall receive satisfaction from the public.”
Pathetic law during slavery (shocking to know that Indian were also slaves)

“In an era where one race was considered not human, it was inevitable they would be used for medical experiments. James Marion Sims, a gynaecologist, operated on Black slaves without anaesthetic – or any form of pain relief – because, he said, they felt less pain than white people. He was also reported to have ideas (perfectly normal for the time) about developmental differences between Africans and white people, including that African ‘skulls grew too quickly around their brain’, making them less intelligent. Sims operated on at least ten women, one of them up to thirty times. There was no question of these women providing consent. They had no rights, so they suffered. And they suffered for profit. Sims would open a practice and offer the technique he perfected on white women – with anaesthetic and for a fee. Unfortunately, Sims also experimented on enslaved babies who suffered with neo-natal tetanus. This was a disease that he liked to blame on Black people for being stupid and work-shy.”
How cruel

“In an attempt to find a remedy, Sims would use a shoemaker’s awl to prise open the baby’s skull and move bones apart. While the baby was alive. This had a 100 per cent fatality rate. Not that it was his fault. He blamed the deaths on ‘the sloth and ignorance of their mothers and the Black midwives who attended them’. Sims is remembered as the father of modern gynaecology. And, indeed, lionised. There were six statues of him dotted around America. One of them could be found in Central Park, New York City, before protestors demanded its removal in 2018. Yes, 2018 for those who keep talking about ‘a long time ago’.
father of modern gynaecology”

“People say that Black people should ‘get over slavery’ because it was a long time ago. But its impact has touched every single one of us. And that is learned behaviour. Black people still suffer the mental scars of that era. It has been passed down through generations that they are worth less, that they are bottom of the pile and should just be grateful that they now have their freedom. It is a post-traumatic stress disorder. Internationally renowned researcher and educator Dr Joy DeGruy, whose brilliant talks you can find on YouTube (or you can buy her books) and encompass much of what we’ve discussed here, has termed it ‘post-traumatic slave disorder’. White people are suffering from it, too. How else do you explain the disease of white supremacy that still exists? Donald Trump in the White House, for goodness sake? Black people in America financially unable to improve their lot in life because they can’t get a bank loan because of the colour of their skin? Slavery was a horrific, brutal and chilling part of the dehumanisation. But it was just the opening act. We are watching it unfold still.”
Slavery impact still

“On 1 January 1863, US President Abraham Lincoln made it official that ‘slaves within any State, or designated part of a State… in rebellion… shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free’. The Americans were a little late to the party – the British freed more than 800,000 enslaved Africans in the Caribbean and other colonies twenty-nine years earlier. So, all over then. Done and dusted. Nothing to worry about. The trade in Black people was over and slavery was finished. Black people could, finally, live a life of freedom and be afforded the same opportunities as their former masters. If only it were that simple. At a stroke of a pen, a politician can amend a constitution or tweak a bill to receive assent. But laws do not change attitudes. And the hatred and dehumanisation of Black people in America and the colonies was so deep-seated that the notion that emancipation in America, or abolishment by Britain, would suddenly and dramatically improve the lives of Black people proved unsurprisingly false.”
Abraham Lincoln banning slavery

“the Black man couldn’t simply walk out of the plantation on that Tuesday morning to a new life. No way. The ‘former’ slave owners in the South and the lawmakers needed to come up with a new way to subjugate. Laws were introduced to make it illegal for a former slave to be without work. And how would a slave, often illiterate (because it was illegal to teach a slave how to read and write) and with skills only suited to slave work, get a job? If a Black man was found on the street he could be arrested and beaten. So they stayed on the plantations. Those who stayed, called sharecroppers, had to earn their freedom, and those who didn’t suffered a worse fate, which we will get to later. Sharecropping was when the masters gave the slaves the tools and the seeds to work the land and plant the crops. These were given in the form of a grant. Harvest a certain amount and your grant – or debt – is paid. Of course, the slave owners made sure the terms of this deal were grossly unfair to the slave and his or her family. Rarely was the debt ever paid”
Slavery in different form

There were other laws, too, which were called ‘Pig Laws’. An example was that if somebody stole a pig worth $1, they would go to jail for five years. Strangely, a lot of Black people were convicted of such crimes and barely any whites. Black people were also arrested for looking at a white woman, vagrancy and loitering, with up to twelve years in prison the punishment. And, as you can imagine, with the ‘freed slaves’ unable to get jobs as they couldn’t read or write, there was a lot of ‘loitering’. Sound familiar? England in the 1980s comes to mind. So basically, if you didn’t stay on the plantation, you were almost certain to end up in jail. The Black prison population swelled disproportionately in relation to the numbers of white criminals (nothing has changed on that score). So, what to do with all these Black prisoners? thought the powers that be in the South. Put them to work. It’s almost as if they had planned to convict Blacks on made-up crimes so they could get free labour again. It was called ‘convict leasing’. From county courthouses and jails, men were leased to local plantations, factories and railroads. And it was so successful that, by 1894, three quarters of the state revenue of Alabama came from convict leasing.
Convict leasing was not much different to slavery. Businessmen bought convict leases and the prisoner would only be free again once that fee had been paid off through work. But when prisoners were working to pay off those debts the paperwork that showed how much they owed was often ‘lost’, meaning they were never freed. Prisoners were often separated from their families and conditions were as bad – if not worse – in prison, with illness, malnutrition and torture rife.”
Pig laws and other punishments and other forms of slavery

“Most often people were lynched because their crime was to be Black, like Jack Turner, who was organising Black voters in Alabama in 1882. Lynched. Bud Spears complained about the lynching of a Black man in Mississippi in 1888. Lynched. Robert E. Lee, who heartbreakingly changed his name to that of the Confederate general thinking it would spare him, knocked on the door of a white woman in South Carolina in 1904. Lynched. Going to watch a lynching was a day out, like a family outing to a cricket or soccer match. Moms, dads and children. Thousands would turn up. Seventeen-year-old Henry Smith was tortured and burned on a 10-foot-high stage in Texas in 1893 with 10,000 spectating. Almost 20,000 watched Will Brown burned alive in Omaha in 1919. Photos were taken with white folk standing in front of the bodies smiling, laughing, pointing. Postcards of the event were sold. Like the lynching of Laura Nelson and her teenage son, LW, in Oklahoma, 1911. Both were ‘kidnapped’ from the county jail by a white mob, who raped Ms Nelson and then hung them both from a bridge over a river, deliberately close to the Black part of town as a warning message. Postcards of the hanging, with the mob standing proudly on the bridge, could be bought in novelty stores.”
Cruel. Lynching event

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thought provoking read with some surprising facts and data as well as some great input and insights from many black athletes. I liked the personal perspectives of Holding, one of West Indies great fast bowlers and his autobiographical approach. I thought the ‘how we rise’ section probably needed a bit more of an action plan and a bit more of a practical guideline for allies. Overall well worth reading.

[Daniel Sevitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much more nuts and bolts-y than I was hoping for. Of course the urgency of his original despair following the murder of George Floyd is still there, but this reads mostly like a commissioned work with a lot of ghostwritten padding. The best parts of the book are the interviews where a range of astonishing athletes tell their stories from Usain Bolt to Naomi Osaka to Michael Johnson. I would have done without the clumsy reminders that the interviews were taking place over Zoom and would have preferred more direct quotations and less reported speech. To use a cricketing metaphor, Holding is sending down some medium pace stuff with just enough movement to keep the reader focused, while I might have preferred some high quality bouncers forcing the reader to either duck or swing for the boundary.

It's a mediocre book based on an excellent, moving and timely speech - https://youtu.be/QrffW5au8lA

[Shatterlings · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to this on audible and sadly Michael just didn’t read it well, it was a struggle to get through. The concept is interesting, the parts where he talked to other sports stars were the best parts but I didn’t really get the extended history lesson.

[Santhosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being woke!

[Cazi3 · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re a bigot , ignoramus , small minded , uneducated, lack critical thinking skills, this book will definitely NOT ! Be for you. If you have little understanding of what white supremacy means and its long standing impact across the globe, have a gander. This book May, educate you, and give you a fairer understanding.

I listened to this book whilst on a Caribbean cruise, it was our first time on a cruise liner , sailing round 5 Caribbean islands including Barbados, Michael was born in Jamaica and has travelled the world. First impressions of the vessel was how huge it was. The passenger capacity around 4k of which 90 % were white American tourists, from the old to the very elderly. 99% of staff were people of colour many from the Philippines and Asia, the dynamics stood out. The name D Trump as mentioned in the book was overheard in many a conversation in dinning halls and restaurants aboard, most in favour of him. Sentiments generally thinking DT is good for the USA . As a person of colour It remains to be seen.

Michael’s book was inspired after the George Floyd’s murder, by law enforcement whilst a passerby filmed the event in real time. Michael felt obliged to speak out about his own life’s journey with racism, his family and professional cricket career. He spoke with other famous black stars on the subject. He speaks of his upbringing with much fondness and some sadness in turn.

He takes us on a journey of racial identity throughout history and how a social construct of brain washing has set people of colour apart and kept them down, for hundreds of years. We learn of the hidden achievements of the 361 black regiment, black inventors, historic achievements and so much more. There are times when hearing his words I lost heart, as I cannot see a way out , and yet whilst my life has been made easier from brave historical figures who risked theirs to make a difference today, I too, have had many a first hand experience of what lies beneath my skin colour.

Some of the words written within the book moved me to tears . I quote one such sentiment:

“Isn’t it sad that we who have been the victims of so much violence , Now whites fear violence from us.

We do not have a history of killing white people. White people have a history of killing us! And what you fear! It is a deep guilt that white folks suffer.

You are now afraid that if we ever come to power we will do to you what you and your fathers have done to us., and I think you are judging us by that state of your own mind ! and that is not necessarily the mind of black people! “ by Farah Khan

Whilst I agree to some extent with his sentiment. I have my own feelings on the matter.

I feel as people of colour we are a constant reminder of what has been created to keep us! in our/their place. The white mans burden of conscience is every where they go and manifests itself in many ways: Anger , fear , hatred but most of all a constant reminder when they see a black person, we are some how inferior to them!
That being said. With all the disadvantages and obstacles we continue to face, black folk can still be the best in all aspects of the white mans life , so jealousy might also play apart in our struggles. We are a constant reminder of how in real terms we are more than equal to them in so many ways. From hidden historic inventors and creators of so much, to modern day in your face legends thanks in part to social media, it’s all out there for the world to see, The best and worst in human nature. Love us or hate us, Black people from all over the world are survivors who have faced more adversities than any other race on the planet.

Lastly Micheal raises hope for the future, which begins with the hope of a true version of our history taught throughout our schools. This has been possible for the holocaust survivors and recognised for decades. Why not for true black history starting with Christopher Columbus and the infamous J Cook ! I would go further and start with the admission from heads of states and governments and their part historically in the coverup of our past, especially the British colonies and the billions made, off the backs of our ancestors, whose slave masters families were recompensed right up to 2015 costing the Britsh government 300 billion pounds , of which my hard honest earned tax paid has gone towards. I can’t imagine a world where equality for every race is the order of the day, who knows what future history will look like but as Michael hopes let’s start with our children learning the truth ..
An emotional well earned 5*

[Emon Mahmud · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like any young boy of my generation, we grew up watching football and became cricket fans, as we grew older. My favorite time pass is browsing through sports channels. So when suddenly sports people all over the world started taking a knee it came as a shock; like suddenly what’s going on?

By the time the players started taking knees most of us were already familiar with the term “Black Lives Matter (BLM)” movement. The word BLM started buzzing in the middle of the pandemic in 2020 after the video footage of the death of George Floyd shattered the whole world. George Floyd was an African-American man who was murdered by a police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.

Within a few days, all Internet staff was overwhelmed with the protest against police brutality. Stories started coming up but unfortunately, it did not stop there. Killings of colored people, racial biases on black people continued along with the movement itself. But this racial biases did it all started suddenly on the night of May 2020 when officer Derek Chauvin pinned George Floyd by pressing his knee over his neck? What made the officer ignore the repeated plea by a dying man “I can’t breathe”? Why did the onlookers decide to video the complete incident but did not confront the police officer and help Floyd? Why does he feel it's okay to video and post it and that is enough? I mean why?

Michael Holding is a Jamaican-born BLACK cricketer who played for the West Indies cricket team and later became cricket commentator for Sky Sports. After the death of George Floyd when the BLM movement swept the world; Michael Holding gave an interview during a rain-delayed test match. I would request you to watch that 14:49min video to understand how it feels to be a black person in this world. How the so-called civilized world has treated them, how we knowingly or unknowingly have been supporting the brainwashed white supremacy for as long as I can recall. Michael Holding received tremendous responses from around the globe after the video went viral.It is after that he started discussing the topic with family friends and fellow sports person and finally decided to write the book “WHY WE KNEEL, HOW WE RISE”. To understand the racism of today, Holding explores history – the uncomfortable and unedited history that has been ignored and buried to the ground for far too long. He tells the stories left untold about the accomplishments of Black people throughout history and emphasizes the importance of education as a tool to achieve equality. Through his conversations with sporting legends, Holding explains how racism dehumanizes people and how it feels to be treated differently due to the color of your skin.

The book was a history lesson, a paradigm shift for me. Holding took his readers for a journey into the shameful history of mass brutality that has been going on for centuries. I got to know the dark side of many childhood heroes and also got introduced to many new heroes of Mankind. It’s a systematic approach to dehumanizing black people. If you think we are immune from this because we live in a third-world country, you are wrong my friend. The core of the BLM movement is the racial biases against black people but the true essence is far deeper rooted.

The book implored my thought process cause it shocked me to the core when I read about all the systematic deletion of Black History from our past, present, and future. It will make you furious, it will make you angry, it will make you think, it will make you question the obvious. I love a book when it makes me think when it forces me to learn more on the topic. Holding and another fellow sportsperson all emphasized that it’s only through education we can ensure equality for all. It's not enough to read this book only, it's necessary to share and spread all these stories, it's important to have the conversation cause education comes in different forms.

Weeks after I finished reading this book a US court found three white men were found guilty of murdering Ahmaud Arbery. Ahmaud was a 25-year-old Black American who was chased and gunned down by three white men in his neighborhood when he went out for a walk after dinner. Yes, you read it right when he was brutally killed; his family was waiting for him to return just after a short walk!!!

I can’t even process myself enough to think how these families cope with this grief or what George Floyd might have been thinking when his repeated plea for help was refused when his lungs were grasping for air and he could not breathe anymore and his vision got blurred whose face was it that he wanted to see for the last time?

Michael Holding believes “We’ve got a chance”. Do you believe the same?