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Black Skinhead: Reflections on Blackness and Our Political Future
**A New York Times Editors' Choice Pick**
**One of Kirkus Reviews ' Best Nonfiction Books of 2022**
"Political activist Collins-Dexter’s essay collection is timely as well as pointed. In it, she argues that Democrats have taken Black voters for granted, and that the consequences of this mistake have already begun ― and will accelerate."
― The New York Times ," 15 Works of Nonfiction to Read This Fall"
For fans of Bad Feminist and The Sum of Us , Black Skinhead sparks a radical conversation about Black America and political identity.
In Black Skinhead , Brandi Collins-Dexter, former Senior Campaign Director for Color Of Change, explores the fragile alliance between Black voters and the Democratic party. Through sharp, timely essays that span the political, cultural, and personal, Collins-Dexter reveals decades of simmering disaffection in Black America, told as much through voter statistics as it is through music, film, sports, and the baffling mind of Kanye West.
While Black Skinhead is an outward look at Black votership and electoral politics, it is also a funny, deeply personal, and introspective look at Black culture and identity, ultimately revealing a Black America that has become deeply disillusioned with the failed promises of its country.
----------------------------------------------------
We had been told that everything was fine, that America was working for everyone and that the American Dream was attainable for all. But for those who had been paying attention, there had been warning signs that the Obamas’ version of the American Dream wasn’t working for everyone. That it hadn’t been working for many white Americans was immediately and loudly discussed, but the truth―and what I set out to write this book about―was that it hadn’t been working for many Black Americans either. For many, Obama’s vision had been more illusion than reality all along.
When someone tells you everything is fine, but around you, you see evidence that it’s not, where will the quest to find answers lead you? As I went on the journey of writing this book, I found a very different tale about Black politics and Black America, one that countered white America’s long-held assumption that Black voters will always vote Democrat―and even that the Democratic party is the best bet for Black Americans.
My ultimate question was this: how are Black people being led away―not towards―each other, and what do we lose when we lose each other? What do we lose when, to quote Kanye West, we feel lost in the world.
**One of Kirkus Reviews ' Best Nonfiction Books of 2022**
"Political activist Collins-Dexter’s essay collection is timely as well as pointed. In it, she argues that Democrats have taken Black voters for granted, and that the consequences of this mistake have already begun ― and will accelerate."
― The New York Times ," 15 Works of Nonfiction to Read This Fall"
For fans of Bad Feminist and The Sum of Us , Black Skinhead sparks a radical conversation about Black America and political identity.
In Black Skinhead , Brandi Collins-Dexter, former Senior Campaign Director for Color Of Change, explores the fragile alliance between Black voters and the Democratic party. Through sharp, timely essays that span the political, cultural, and personal, Collins-Dexter reveals decades of simmering disaffection in Black America, told as much through voter statistics as it is through music, film, sports, and the baffling mind of Kanye West.
While Black Skinhead is an outward look at Black votership and electoral politics, it is also a funny, deeply personal, and introspective look at Black culture and identity, ultimately revealing a Black America that has become deeply disillusioned with the failed promises of its country.
----------------------------------------------------
We had been told that everything was fine, that America was working for everyone and that the American Dream was attainable for all. But for those who had been paying attention, there had been warning signs that the Obamas’ version of the American Dream wasn’t working for everyone. That it hadn’t been working for many white Americans was immediately and loudly discussed, but the truth―and what I set out to write this book about―was that it hadn’t been working for many Black Americans either. For many, Obama’s vision had been more illusion than reality all along.
When someone tells you everything is fine, but around you, you see evidence that it’s not, where will the quest to find answers lead you? As I went on the journey of writing this book, I found a very different tale about Black politics and Black America, one that countered white America’s long-held assumption that Black voters will always vote Democrat―and even that the Democratic party is the best bet for Black Americans.
My ultimate question was this: how are Black people being led away―not towards―each other, and what do we lose when we lose each other? What do we lose when, to quote Kanye West, we feel lost in the world.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published September 20, 2022
31 people are currently reading
2444 people want to read
About the author
Brandi Collins-Dexter
1 book27 followersBrandi Collins-Dexter is the former Senior Campaign Director at Color Of Change, where she oversaw the media, culture, and economic justice departments. She led a number of successful corporate accountability campaigns ranging from getting R. Kelly dropped from RCA to pressuring financial companies to pull funding from over 100 hate groups. She has testified in front of Congress on issues related to race, technology and corporate accountability. Brandi is a regular commentator in the media on racial justice and was named a 2017 “person to watch” by The Hill and one of the 100 most influential African Americans by The Root in 2019. She holds a B.A. in history from Agnes Scott College, and a J.D. from University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School. She is a visiting fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy. Brandi comes from a long line of South Side Chicagoans and currently lives in Baltimore with her husband David and their cat, Ella.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
August 2, 2023
“…the instinct to dismiss 2016 as a fluke and embrace 2020 as an unmitigated success—particularly when it comes to Black voters—obscures the crisis at hand within the Democratic Party …the Democratic Party has taken black voters for granted …that fragile alliance is beginning to fracture…”
Political parties, like most relationships, are rarely a perfect fit. Any engaged voter in a two party system is sooner or later handed a ballot upon which all of the available options are objectionable. So what do we do?
“Of two evils, the lesser is always to be chosen.” ~Thomas à Kempis, 1418
For some time now, the assumption has been that the Black American electorate will, when faced with unpalatable choices, always err on the side of the Democratic Party. In the past, Black voter support for capital “D” candidates has been crucial to their success but, as laid out by author Brandi Collins-Dexter, there are signs that POC party loyalty is slowly slipping away.
“For decades, Black voters have walked in the steps of those who chose the Democratic Party, but… I am trying a new direction because what’s been done before no longer serves me or us as Black voters.”
The author’s arguments are compelling. In statistical analysis and personal interviews she shows that an increasing percentage of Black Democrats are becoming disenchanted with what they see as detrimental party rhetoric. While there are still many who are working for real changes in party policy, there are others, whom Collins-Dexter refers to as “Black Skinheads,” who are jumping ship. Some are supporting third party candidates. Others are opting out of political discourse, disconnecting from a perceived “lose-lose” two party debacle. And still others are aligning themselves with the Republican Party—deciding they are better off with overt GOP white superiority rather than covert Democratic racism.
“Every time someone in power tries to say everything is fine, there will always be a group of people that feels [sic] like it’s not. That will see that it’s not. This is the inherent byproduct of capitalism, which intrinsically relies on an economic caste system that will always produce a disempowered group at the bottom.”
Personally speaking, I get it. The DNC is sailing under a flag of self-deception. I myself left the party in 2016, deciding I would rather be an Independent voter than one aligned with an organization who couldn’t muster enough electoral college votes to defeat the most vile windbag that ever stood behind a podium. But… I’m not so far off my rocker that I would shift my allegiance to the political party that birthed that said windbag. As much as I disagree with the likes of Thomas Sowell and Ben Carson and the late Herman Cain, they are all bellwethers of a political shift that needs to be acknowledged and addressed sooner rather than later.
“…despite outward appearances, Republicans do actually recognize that to stay relevant, they have to court Black voters on some level. When you listen to the Republican’s rhetoric, it’s not a secret they have run all the numbers, and they understand that if they can get 20 to 25 percent of the Black vote, then it’s over. They will win every time. And so, they know they have to find ways to convince Black people to their side—ideally without losing the base of Republican voters drawn in by racist talking points.”
Political parties, like most relationships, are rarely a perfect fit. Any engaged voter in a two party system is sooner or later handed a ballot upon which all of the available options are objectionable. So what do we do?
“Of two evils, the lesser is always to be chosen.” ~Thomas à Kempis, 1418
For some time now, the assumption has been that the Black American electorate will, when faced with unpalatable choices, always err on the side of the Democratic Party. In the past, Black voter support for capital “D” candidates has been crucial to their success but, as laid out by author Brandi Collins-Dexter, there are signs that POC party loyalty is slowly slipping away.
“For decades, Black voters have walked in the steps of those who chose the Democratic Party, but… I am trying a new direction because what’s been done before no longer serves me or us as Black voters.”
The author’s arguments are compelling. In statistical analysis and personal interviews she shows that an increasing percentage of Black Democrats are becoming disenchanted with what they see as detrimental party rhetoric. While there are still many who are working for real changes in party policy, there are others, whom Collins-Dexter refers to as “Black Skinheads,” who are jumping ship. Some are supporting third party candidates. Others are opting out of political discourse, disconnecting from a perceived “lose-lose” two party debacle. And still others are aligning themselves with the Republican Party—deciding they are better off with overt GOP white superiority rather than covert Democratic racism.
“Every time someone in power tries to say everything is fine, there will always be a group of people that feels [sic] like it’s not. That will see that it’s not. This is the inherent byproduct of capitalism, which intrinsically relies on an economic caste system that will always produce a disempowered group at the bottom.”
Personally speaking, I get it. The DNC is sailing under a flag of self-deception. I myself left the party in 2016, deciding I would rather be an Independent voter than one aligned with an organization who couldn’t muster enough electoral college votes to defeat the most vile windbag that ever stood behind a podium. But… I’m not so far off my rocker that I would shift my allegiance to the political party that birthed that said windbag. As much as I disagree with the likes of Thomas Sowell and Ben Carson and the late Herman Cain, they are all bellwethers of a political shift that needs to be acknowledged and addressed sooner rather than later.
“…despite outward appearances, Republicans do actually recognize that to stay relevant, they have to court Black voters on some level. When you listen to the Republican’s rhetoric, it’s not a secret they have run all the numbers, and they understand that if they can get 20 to 25 percent of the Black vote, then it’s over. They will win every time. And so, they know they have to find ways to convince Black people to their side—ideally without losing the base of Republican voters drawn in by racist talking points.”
July 27, 2022
Was provided an ARC for an honest review!
This was my most highly anticipated read of the year, and I still found myself moved beyond my expectations. In the way it takes measure of our current political reality, and in how it assesses our political future, this book absolutely executes on the author’s commitment to tell a more complicated story than the ones usually afforded to the politics of Black people.
Those in power who name-check Black people without being accountable to the communities they tokenize are in for a rude awakening, and this book charts the relevant omens. It indicts the failures or shortcomings of the left and provides insight into the insidious ongoing victories of the right. But beyond that, it celebrates (and critiques!) how Black artists, workers, and community members have carved social, cultural, and political spaces both within and independent of those that would exclude them to define possible futures on their own terms. Whether readers agree or disagree with any of the viewpoints in this book (and absolutely, despite the persistent myth that Black voters are a monolith, there WILL be disagreement), we are compelled to acknowledge the truth in them and update our perceptions of the present to include them. Across the right-left spectrum, any agenda seeking to build towards a truly just vision must at its core speak to the needs of Black people, full stop. And online and offline, Black leaders, organizations, and communities, both those in mainstream political formations as well as the titular Black skinheads, are grappling with the messiness that kind of visioning entails.
I appreciated that at the moments I felt most put off by the views shared on the page, there were proxies in the text for that disagreement, anecdotes or interludes in the writer’s voice or in conversation with her loved ones that either narrowed or expanded beyond the initial ideas. The book had the rigor of academic research with the heart of a campaigner and someone with a lot of joy to share (interludes on gothic influences aside) in music and art. Across all the chapters and interludes, there is a staggering amount of data, interviews, music recommendations (duly added to my playlists), history, framing, pop culture insight, and deeply moving personal storytelling. The choice to place stories as told by Black loved ones, acquaintances, and interviewees at the center of the analysis makes for rewarding narrative and an intentional departure from the third-person false objectivity that often presides over political nonfiction writing.
Black Skinhead is challenging, and more than superficially so. If you are complacent, there are testimonials that will disturb you. If you are in despair, there are chapters that will call you to action. And if you are numb, you will find a gentle invitation back to feeling again.
“This is what I think we need to get to: the real work of healing ourselves in the midst of pushing back against all the systems that seek to destroy us. And there are many systems seeking to destroy us. But how do we get the twenty-second century in our vision while also accounting for the fights that envelop us right now?”
This was my most highly anticipated read of the year, and I still found myself moved beyond my expectations. In the way it takes measure of our current political reality, and in how it assesses our political future, this book absolutely executes on the author’s commitment to tell a more complicated story than the ones usually afforded to the politics of Black people.
Those in power who name-check Black people without being accountable to the communities they tokenize are in for a rude awakening, and this book charts the relevant omens. It indicts the failures or shortcomings of the left and provides insight into the insidious ongoing victories of the right. But beyond that, it celebrates (and critiques!) how Black artists, workers, and community members have carved social, cultural, and political spaces both within and independent of those that would exclude them to define possible futures on their own terms. Whether readers agree or disagree with any of the viewpoints in this book (and absolutely, despite the persistent myth that Black voters are a monolith, there WILL be disagreement), we are compelled to acknowledge the truth in them and update our perceptions of the present to include them. Across the right-left spectrum, any agenda seeking to build towards a truly just vision must at its core speak to the needs of Black people, full stop. And online and offline, Black leaders, organizations, and communities, both those in mainstream political formations as well as the titular Black skinheads, are grappling with the messiness that kind of visioning entails.
I appreciated that at the moments I felt most put off by the views shared on the page, there were proxies in the text for that disagreement, anecdotes or interludes in the writer’s voice or in conversation with her loved ones that either narrowed or expanded beyond the initial ideas. The book had the rigor of academic research with the heart of a campaigner and someone with a lot of joy to share (interludes on gothic influences aside) in music and art. Across all the chapters and interludes, there is a staggering amount of data, interviews, music recommendations (duly added to my playlists), history, framing, pop culture insight, and deeply moving personal storytelling. The choice to place stories as told by Black loved ones, acquaintances, and interviewees at the center of the analysis makes for rewarding narrative and an intentional departure from the third-person false objectivity that often presides over political nonfiction writing.
Black Skinhead is challenging, and more than superficially so. If you are complacent, there are testimonials that will disturb you. If you are in despair, there are chapters that will call you to action. And if you are numb, you will find a gentle invitation back to feeling again.
“This is what I think we need to get to: the real work of healing ourselves in the midst of pushing back against all the systems that seek to destroy us. And there are many systems seeking to destroy us. But how do we get the twenty-second century in our vision while also accounting for the fights that envelop us right now?”
July 21, 2022
I received this book from the publisher having never heard of it, but I am glad that I did read it. It is a different perspective that shows a 360 view of our current political party system from the Black perspective. Collins-Dexter throws in her own experiences about being a Black democrat while she also goes and interviews Black republicans. I don't want to spoil what she finds, but it is something that she was not expecting.
I like reading books from authors who are different from me, who have had different experiences than me; it can be very eye opening. In this book it was eye opening in so many different ways. Instead of Collins-Dexter shouting from the rooftops about how being a Black democrat is the only way to be, she breaks down both parties and ultimately comes to the conclusion that the two party system is maybe not the answer for so many Americans.
I am so glad this book landed in my mailbox. Thank you to Celadon Books for this copy in exchange for an honest review.
I like reading books from authors who are different from me, who have had different experiences than me; it can be very eye opening. In this book it was eye opening in so many different ways. Instead of Collins-Dexter shouting from the rooftops about how being a Black democrat is the only way to be, she breaks down both parties and ultimately comes to the conclusion that the two party system is maybe not the answer for so many Americans.
I am so glad this book landed in my mailbox. Thank you to Celadon Books for this copy in exchange for an honest review.
September 20, 2022
✨ ℙ𝕦𝕓 𝔻𝕒𝕪 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 ✨
Happy Pub Day @brandingbrandi 🎉
𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗕𝘆 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝘀-𝗗𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗿
𝟯𝟬𝟰 𝗣𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀
𝗣𝘂𝗯: 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁 𝟮𝟬, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮 - 𝑶𝒖𝒕 𝑻𝒐𝒅𝒂𝒚!
🎧 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸:
𝟭𝟭 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀 𝟯𝟵 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝘀
𝗡𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿
𝑩𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝑺𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒅: 𝑨 𝒑𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎 𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝑩𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒆𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒔.
I had no idea what to expect going into this. Before reading the synopsis, I thought perhaps it was another book like Candace Owens' Blackout. 😬 Thankfully I was VERY wrong!
Black Skinhead is written as a series of essays, and is both fascinating and educational. Told in a conversational tone, as if you're having a chat with a friend, Brandi Collins-Dexter (a self-described progressive independent), breaks down the disillusionment of Black voters, and why so many are seeking alternatives to the status quo.
To drive her message home, Collins-Dexter uses a combination of extensive research and analysis, personal experience and anecdotes, interviews, Black pop culture references (music, celebrities, fashion, etc), and her own insight and knowledge of Black American politics and culture.
Black Skinhead is a well-written, thorough, thoughtful, and enlightening read. I definitely recommend for anyone who enjoys learning and expanding their mind and knowledge. 💞
P.S. This is the book you should have read when you read Blackout by Candace Owens.👌
Thank you @celadonbooks, @macmillan.audio, and @netgalley for my gifted copies in exchange for my honest review.
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Happy Pub Day @brandingbrandi 🎉
𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗕𝘆 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝘀-𝗗𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗿
𝟯𝟬𝟰 𝗣𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀
𝗣𝘂𝗯: 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁 𝟮𝟬, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮 - 𝑶𝒖𝒕 𝑻𝒐𝒅𝒂𝒚!
🎧 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸:
𝟭𝟭 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀 𝟯𝟵 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝘀
𝗡𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿
𝑩𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝑺𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒅: 𝑨 𝒑𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎 𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝑩𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒆𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒔.
I had no idea what to expect going into this. Before reading the synopsis, I thought perhaps it was another book like Candace Owens' Blackout. 😬 Thankfully I was VERY wrong!
Black Skinhead is written as a series of essays, and is both fascinating and educational. Told in a conversational tone, as if you're having a chat with a friend, Brandi Collins-Dexter (a self-described progressive independent), breaks down the disillusionment of Black voters, and why so many are seeking alternatives to the status quo.
To drive her message home, Collins-Dexter uses a combination of extensive research and analysis, personal experience and anecdotes, interviews, Black pop culture references (music, celebrities, fashion, etc), and her own insight and knowledge of Black American politics and culture.
Black Skinhead is a well-written, thorough, thoughtful, and enlightening read. I definitely recommend for anyone who enjoys learning and expanding their mind and knowledge. 💞
P.S. This is the book you should have read when you read Blackout by Candace Owens.👌
Thank you @celadonbooks, @macmillan.audio, and @netgalley for my gifted copies in exchange for my honest review.
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.
September 7, 2022
Black Skinhead, by Brandi Collins-Dexter, is a refreshing and honest attempt to both understand and project into the future the variety of Black political thought.
There is a tendency among white political pundits to conflate the monolithic voting habits of the Black community with Black political thought and ideas. The Democratic party has largely taken this for granted and, without living up to most of their promises, assumed the votes would still be there. This complacency, to put it nicely, has made many voters choose to simply not vote while others feel more aligned with the GOP. In large part, seeing a number of Black Trump supporters led Collins-Dexter to delve into exactly why. What she discovered actually made sense even if it was still bothersome.
The ideas and concerns of the majority of voters she spoke with were very similar, it was what they were going to do about it that illustrates the fractured (fracturing?) state of Black community. Using popular culture, from music to professional wrestling (no, really! and it works!), we see how where there used to be debate and conflict but ultimately a coming together for the common good there is now the same siloing of people into their own worlds. Without the same type of community, across class and income levels, the common good that a community could agree on becomes many often-oppositional ideas of good. Most individuals are still thinking of the good of the Black community but without actual places (physical or virtual) where different viewpoints can be contested, a consensus can't be reached. Thus the shattering vision of a group of excited MAGA hat wearing young Black people.
My attempt at summarizing is likely lacking in nuance, but the book does a much better job. Don't hold my poor wording against the book.
I was especially intrigued by her analyses of popular culture. I personally think her assessment of what Kanye West "meant" by a couple of his comments is giving a little more credit to him than he deserves. I think he may have had a vague notion of what she fleshes out, but how she interprets it is where the real power comes from. I also found her explanation and contextualizing of drill music to be eye-opening. I was barely aware of it and had no context previously, so this was all new to me.
Her personal stories, especially those involving her father, really helped to make this a phenomenal work. Weaving the personal and the political, the local and the national, even the rural and the urban (and suburban). I want to come back to this book again in a couple months of letting the ideas ferment and see what my new takeaways will be.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
There is a tendency among white political pundits to conflate the monolithic voting habits of the Black community with Black political thought and ideas. The Democratic party has largely taken this for granted and, without living up to most of their promises, assumed the votes would still be there. This complacency, to put it nicely, has made many voters choose to simply not vote while others feel more aligned with the GOP. In large part, seeing a number of Black Trump supporters led Collins-Dexter to delve into exactly why. What she discovered actually made sense even if it was still bothersome.
The ideas and concerns of the majority of voters she spoke with were very similar, it was what they were going to do about it that illustrates the fractured (fracturing?) state of Black community. Using popular culture, from music to professional wrestling (no, really! and it works!), we see how where there used to be debate and conflict but ultimately a coming together for the common good there is now the same siloing of people into their own worlds. Without the same type of community, across class and income levels, the common good that a community could agree on becomes many often-oppositional ideas of good. Most individuals are still thinking of the good of the Black community but without actual places (physical or virtual) where different viewpoints can be contested, a consensus can't be reached. Thus the shattering vision of a group of excited MAGA hat wearing young Black people.
My attempt at summarizing is likely lacking in nuance, but the book does a much better job. Don't hold my poor wording against the book.
I was especially intrigued by her analyses of popular culture. I personally think her assessment of what Kanye West "meant" by a couple of his comments is giving a little more credit to him than he deserves. I think he may have had a vague notion of what she fleshes out, but how she interprets it is where the real power comes from. I also found her explanation and contextualizing of drill music to be eye-opening. I was barely aware of it and had no context previously, so this was all new to me.
Her personal stories, especially those involving her father, really helped to make this a phenomenal work. Weaving the personal and the political, the local and the national, even the rural and the urban (and suburban). I want to come back to this book again in a couple months of letting the ideas ferment and see what my new takeaways will be.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
September 26, 2022
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5. Thanks so much to @celadonbooks and @netgalley for the gifted advance review copy. All thoughts are my own.
I loved this series of essays on American politics, being black in America, the black voting block, and the ever-intriguing Kanye West.
As I have said before, I am a white woman reviewing a book about the black experience. I relate my feelings to you through a lens of whiteness, cognizant of the fact that I will never be able to experience this book, or the things in this book, in the same way that a member of the black community will experience them. Nevertheless, I hope that by adding my voice to the discussion, it will encourage others to continue to read diverse books about experiences different from their own.
There is an old expression that to “assume” makes an “ass” out of “u” and “me.” And that’s kind of what Collins-Dexter is saying here (albeit in a much more eloquent fashion). If the political establishment continues to assume that all black Americans will vote Democrat, it may end up feeling like an ass (given the donkey logo, it was bound to happen). She makes a great point and I (generally) think she’s right.
Speaking of asses, Collins-Dexter admirably tries to defend/reframe/add nuance to some of past presidential candidate Kanye West’s more ridiculous comments, and she sometimes succeeds! Note: I worship West’s musical ability, but when he speaks, he tends to insert his foot into his mouth at an alarming rate, saying things like slavery was a choice or interrupting Taylor Swift at the Grammys. Collins-Dexter seems to be particularly inspired by music, and the title of the book even comes from a Kanye West song.
Collin’s-Dexter shares a lot of personal feelings in this book, and those were my favorite parts. The essays on her emotions before a big speech, her feelings about how we can get away from the constant narrative of black trauma and suffering, thoughts on her own interracial marriage, and coming to terms with the death of her father were all powerful and poignant. I was surprised and disheartened when Collin’s-Dexter discussed feeling unsafe on Northwestern University’s campus at night due to her race. Northwestern is a private school located on the “north shore” of Chicago and not a place I associate with being racist, so it’s definitely food for thought for me.
Engaging and of the moment!
I loved this series of essays on American politics, being black in America, the black voting block, and the ever-intriguing Kanye West.
As I have said before, I am a white woman reviewing a book about the black experience. I relate my feelings to you through a lens of whiteness, cognizant of the fact that I will never be able to experience this book, or the things in this book, in the same way that a member of the black community will experience them. Nevertheless, I hope that by adding my voice to the discussion, it will encourage others to continue to read diverse books about experiences different from their own.
There is an old expression that to “assume” makes an “ass” out of “u” and “me.” And that’s kind of what Collins-Dexter is saying here (albeit in a much more eloquent fashion). If the political establishment continues to assume that all black Americans will vote Democrat, it may end up feeling like an ass (given the donkey logo, it was bound to happen). She makes a great point and I (generally) think she’s right.
Speaking of asses, Collins-Dexter admirably tries to defend/reframe/add nuance to some of past presidential candidate Kanye West’s more ridiculous comments, and she sometimes succeeds! Note: I worship West’s musical ability, but when he speaks, he tends to insert his foot into his mouth at an alarming rate, saying things like slavery was a choice or interrupting Taylor Swift at the Grammys. Collins-Dexter seems to be particularly inspired by music, and the title of the book even comes from a Kanye West song.
Collin’s-Dexter shares a lot of personal feelings in this book, and those were my favorite parts. The essays on her emotions before a big speech, her feelings about how we can get away from the constant narrative of black trauma and suffering, thoughts on her own interracial marriage, and coming to terms with the death of her father were all powerful and poignant. I was surprised and disheartened when Collin’s-Dexter discussed feeling unsafe on Northwestern University’s campus at night due to her race. Northwestern is a private school located on the “north shore” of Chicago and not a place I associate with being racist, so it’s definitely food for thought for me.
Engaging and of the moment!
December 16, 2024
Devastatingly prophetic. Recommend to the hosts of Pod Save America (derogatory)
January 17, 2024
How I read this: Free ebook copy received through Edelweiss
I feel like it's not my place at all to be rating this book, and while I will rate it, because as a reviewer I have to rate books that I got for review (that's the whole point of my reviewing it), please keep in mind that I am European, white and also I've never even been to the US. I am the most outsidery outsider there can be, but maybe in some cases that's also good - because while being an outsider that doesn't know too much about how US politics works, I still found this book very accessible and interesting, and thought it explained things well. On the other hand, some of the opinions I may have over things might not be very well informed, cause I am just not in the framework, and some things I will never really understand due to many of my environmental reasons. Please keep that in mind when reading my review, and please don't forget to seek out some reviews by Black people who are US citizens, because their voice and opinion matters above all in these topics.
This was an incredibly interesting book. The author brings up the original roots of the skinheads, which was a movement of working class white Brits who found power in Black music and felt like they were being left behind by everyone else, and how this abandonment subsequently left to them becoming what we now know skinheads to be. This translates to American Black people who have become disillusioned with the Democratic party quite well. At first glance, it doesn't make sense that Black people could support these values that seem to damage their own communities, but the author explains how disappointment and lack of political agency can affect communities.
I am not American, I was born and have always lived in Europe, so American politics has always seemed a little hazy to me. Basically, only the biggest news reaches me, and I don't know a lot of the intricacies. Reading this, I realized I never knew just how precarious the situation was, and how little choice voters had in quite a few of the most recent elections. Like, it's pretty crazy for me as a European person to think about a situation where you can only choose between two parties, and not one of them actually does anything for you (in my country, there are many parties; and we elect the president directly). And it's not like the situation is set to improve anywhere in the foreseeable future, because it seems nobody in the US really knows how to get out of this system (and maybe a lot of them don't even want to).
The author makes a good few observations about politics that I think are relevant not only to the Black community in the US, but all sorts of communities all over the world. Some of the things I can even see mirrored in my own country among white communities, but the issues caused and the reasons they arise are the same - people get radicalized and vote for weird options because the mainstream just doesn't deliver and doesn't even think they exist. This gets even worse in the age of the internet due to how information travels in people's communities.
Anyway, much more could be said about this book, it seemed well researched and it was definitely a great read. A bonus is the music recommendations! I am coming back from this read with some music I have never heard about and will definitely keep listening to.
I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
Book Blog | Bookstagram | Bookish Twitter
I feel like it's not my place at all to be rating this book, and while I will rate it, because as a reviewer I have to rate books that I got for review (that's the whole point of my reviewing it), please keep in mind that I am European, white and also I've never even been to the US. I am the most outsidery outsider there can be, but maybe in some cases that's also good - because while being an outsider that doesn't know too much about how US politics works, I still found this book very accessible and interesting, and thought it explained things well. On the other hand, some of the opinions I may have over things might not be very well informed, cause I am just not in the framework, and some things I will never really understand due to many of my environmental reasons. Please keep that in mind when reading my review, and please don't forget to seek out some reviews by Black people who are US citizens, because their voice and opinion matters above all in these topics.
This was an incredibly interesting book. The author brings up the original roots of the skinheads, which was a movement of working class white Brits who found power in Black music and felt like they were being left behind by everyone else, and how this abandonment subsequently left to them becoming what we now know skinheads to be. This translates to American Black people who have become disillusioned with the Democratic party quite well. At first glance, it doesn't make sense that Black people could support these values that seem to damage their own communities, but the author explains how disappointment and lack of political agency can affect communities.
I am not American, I was born and have always lived in Europe, so American politics has always seemed a little hazy to me. Basically, only the biggest news reaches me, and I don't know a lot of the intricacies. Reading this, I realized I never knew just how precarious the situation was, and how little choice voters had in quite a few of the most recent elections. Like, it's pretty crazy for me as a European person to think about a situation where you can only choose between two parties, and not one of them actually does anything for you (in my country, there are many parties; and we elect the president directly). And it's not like the situation is set to improve anywhere in the foreseeable future, because it seems nobody in the US really knows how to get out of this system (and maybe a lot of them don't even want to).
The author makes a good few observations about politics that I think are relevant not only to the Black community in the US, but all sorts of communities all over the world. Some of the things I can even see mirrored in my own country among white communities, but the issues caused and the reasons they arise are the same - people get radicalized and vote for weird options because the mainstream just doesn't deliver and doesn't even think they exist. This gets even worse in the age of the internet due to how information travels in people's communities.
Anyway, much more could be said about this book, it seemed well researched and it was definitely a great read. A bonus is the music recommendations! I am coming back from this read with some music I have never heard about and will definitely keep listening to.
I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
Book Blog | Bookstagram | Bookish Twitter
April 21, 2023
Very accessible and insightful. I enjoyed a lot of this. She gets into detail on music sometimes, which I do not get into as much as her, and there are memoir-y parts I’m not here for, but mostly it was a fresh, engaging, educational read.
This is mostly about Black political identity and whether the Democratic Party is serving Black people well enough to continue to get their votes. She says that Black people are more likely to vote with the group identity in mind than other groups, certainly more than White people. This results in a lot of Dem votes from Black people who might have VERY different views than the candidate they are voting for. There’s a range of political opinion amongst Black people that is not fully recognized by White Dems or Republicans for that matter.
In general each essay felt like it had its point and it delivered. The interludes were the only thing that I felt a little lost about in terms of the purpose of them - what makes them interludes and not chapters? Not enough to say, so they are labeled differently? 🤷♀️ But mostly the structure worked for me, and this is the kind of essay collection I have been looking for!
This is mostly about Black political identity and whether the Democratic Party is serving Black people well enough to continue to get their votes. She says that Black people are more likely to vote with the group identity in mind than other groups, certainly more than White people. This results in a lot of Dem votes from Black people who might have VERY different views than the candidate they are voting for. There’s a range of political opinion amongst Black people that is not fully recognized by White Dems or Republicans for that matter.
In general each essay felt like it had its point and it delivered. The interludes were the only thing that I felt a little lost about in terms of the purpose of them - what makes them interludes and not chapters? Not enough to say, so they are labeled differently? 🤷♀️ But mostly the structure worked for me, and this is the kind of essay collection I have been looking for!
dnf
July 18, 2025dnf @ 50%
I feel like the author's exploration of movement of Black and marginalized communities away from the Democratic party was incomplete and it felt like she was weirdly defending the social/cultural shift to conservatism through the example of Kanye West of all fucking people...I agree with her 100% that Democratic leaders have failed to produce material change and equity for Black voters despite viewing them as a fixed pillar of leftwing political campaigns, but her analyses felt off to me, especially when she claimed that Black leftists and Black conservatives are "two sides of the same coin." I am white so obviously I have no experience being Black in American politics but as someone who has been radicalized by the constant and seemingly institutional failures of the Democrats, moving more LEFT is normal. Moving to conservatism is not.
I feel like the author's exploration of movement of Black and marginalized communities away from the Democratic party was incomplete and it felt like she was weirdly defending the social/cultural shift to conservatism through the example of Kanye West of all fucking people...I agree with her 100% that Democratic leaders have failed to produce material change and equity for Black voters despite viewing them as a fixed pillar of leftwing political campaigns, but her analyses felt off to me, especially when she claimed that Black leftists and Black conservatives are "two sides of the same coin." I am white so obviously I have no experience being Black in American politics but as someone who has been radicalized by the constant and seemingly institutional failures of the Democrats, moving more LEFT is normal. Moving to conservatism is not.
May 31, 2023
Very impactful and thought provoking book which introduced a lot of new things I haven't learned or thought about as a white Canadian. I need more books like this in my life!
October 29, 2022
what an excellent book. i was scared 'black skinhead' was going to offer a bold title and come up light on content, an eventual bow to the liberal class, avoiding critique of the capitalist structure, like far too many books out there right now, but collins-dexter proved that not to be the case, page after page. unlike kendi's recent 'how to raise an antiracist' that feels like personal experience and criticism not meshing seamlessly, collins-dexter masterfully weaves her anecdotes into critical theory at large. "surely she won't mean black skinheads as in two-tone ska--" wait, she did! that's when i got hooked and her thesis of black skinhead morphing from oi, mod, ska, antiracist outsider to right wing or other political outsider really started to click. interestingly enough, the book discusses kanye west - a lot - and was released right before ye went on his current... "disruptive" media moment causing commercial fallout (i'm writing this oct. 2022, there's more questions than answers rn), which adds another layer to the meaning of collins-dexter's criticism. i think most important is the effort to bring nuance in 'black skinhead,' serving a historical critique as much a progressive or modern one. expansive, too, i never expected a black feminist soliloquy on professional wrestling, but there it is. and college football, sports being nationalistic, with decontextualized conditions. and adult entertainment. along with the importance of informal economies in general. there's such a charm to collins-dexter's writing, i think from just totally diving into being a nerd, and also like the coolest friend someone has; her personal story comes off endearing as much as her social criticism is astute. i've been recommending 'black skinhead' a lot irl, an easy recommendation to goodreads.
September 28, 2022
Black Skinhead by Brandi Collins-Dexter is a deep dive into the history of Black politics and Black culture. I feel like I learned many new ideas and beliefs held by people of color across the generations. Additionally, I learned how these long-held beliefs have shifted in recent years as they pertain to the US two-party political system.
What I enjoyed most about this book is the author's authenticity. Brandi is not overly pedantic in her descriptions or her opinions. She ties historical events to our current world struggles and continued systemic racism almost effortlessly. I attempted to understand her on a deeper level, but became increasingly distracted by all of the Kanye West references.
That's my only peeve with this entire book - way too much Kanye for my taste. I believe that he is a stand-out musician but his personal and political beliefs differ from mine and it's hard to get on his level with his multi-millionaire status and the publicly observed mental health issues that have caused him to lash out at the public as well as other celebrities in recent past. It's hard to relate to someone like him, though he will more than likely be remembered for his dedication to his craft and his unbridled voice in the music industry and the world over. Still, I appreciated the author's effort to connect past long-held beliefs and demonstrate the 360 change we see in politics today, especially in the Black community. Moreover, what Collins-Dexter does to inform her readers is explains WHY the shift has occurred, putting aside her own views and political beliefs.
Aside from the constant discussion involving Ye, I really enjoyed Brandi's perspective and listening to this audiobook, read the way she intended it to be received.
I am grateful to Netgalley and Celadon Books for the opportunity to listen to this advance audiobook version of Black Skinhead. I have great respect for Collins-Dexter after listening to her book.
#BlackSkinheadBook #CeladonReads
What I enjoyed most about this book is the author's authenticity. Brandi is not overly pedantic in her descriptions or her opinions. She ties historical events to our current world struggles and continued systemic racism almost effortlessly. I attempted to understand her on a deeper level, but became increasingly distracted by all of the Kanye West references.
That's my only peeve with this entire book - way too much Kanye for my taste. I believe that he is a stand-out musician but his personal and political beliefs differ from mine and it's hard to get on his level with his multi-millionaire status and the publicly observed mental health issues that have caused him to lash out at the public as well as other celebrities in recent past. It's hard to relate to someone like him, though he will more than likely be remembered for his dedication to his craft and his unbridled voice in the music industry and the world over. Still, I appreciated the author's effort to connect past long-held beliefs and demonstrate the 360 change we see in politics today, especially in the Black community. Moreover, what Collins-Dexter does to inform her readers is explains WHY the shift has occurred, putting aside her own views and political beliefs.
Aside from the constant discussion involving Ye, I really enjoyed Brandi's perspective and listening to this audiobook, read the way she intended it to be received.
I am grateful to Netgalley and Celadon Books for the opportunity to listen to this advance audiobook version of Black Skinhead. I have great respect for Collins-Dexter after listening to her book.
#BlackSkinheadBook #CeladonReads
March 22, 2023
But what can you really say? You can't say "this too shall pass" when it has been four seasons of mourning. You can't say "it will get better" when it feels like shit is getting worse. I think about this moment often whenever I read data about the COVID-era spikes in Black suicides and deaths of despair. It's tied to alienation, a loss of community, and a crisis of imagination for what a Black future can look like when we are forced constantly watch and process replayed videos of Black death and trauma.
I kept telling myself, Figure this shit out, bitch. You have to lead right now. They're waiting.
from Chapter 12: "The Stories We Live With: Reflections on Black Pain and Gothic Healing"
As I was writing this book, I wanted to capture all aspects of what it means to be a Black skinhead, a political outlier that moves outside of the mainstream lane of Black thought and perceived politics.
from Chapter 9: "Basement Politics: Black Women Fighting on the Front Lines of the Sex Industry and Rejecting Respectability Politics"
Brandi Collins-Dexter's Black Skinhead: Reflections on Blackness and Our Political Future is an excellent reflection on the variety of perspectives of Black voters, how, contrary to the common assumption, effective Black voters all vote the Democratic ticket. She wrestles with Kanye West, sex workers, journalists, young Black Republicans--and her writing is engaging and witty. As someone well outside the author's intended reader-demographic, I learned a lot about what I thought I knew and a lot of what I had no clue about. Collins-Dexter is able to articulate a situation or problem and carefully parse and analyze potential pitfalls and possible solutions. This is an amazing book.
One of the issues with strained race relations in the United States is few on the White side of the political aisle actively listen to what Black voters want. As she deftly shows, we cannot trust social media or news outlets to communicate the nuances and true needs of Black voters. This is where this book truly excels: Collins-Dexter is funny but serious, erudite and crass--she brings multiple angles to the topic and has that rare ability of an author to guide her reader through difficult terrain--both intellectual as well as emotional-- without boredom or sleight of sentence. She's remarkably informed and she's remarkably articulate. She balances her biography with her material well; I never had the impression she wanted to "wow" me with her life--every memory supports a main tenant of her argument.
I hope to see more from Brandi Collins-Dexter published soon. I don't agree with everything she argues, but I can't help but understand her point of view. Excellent reading.
If you had told me that in a conversation between a Black woman and someone who has to repeatedly deny being a Neo-Nazi and white nationalist I would be more on the side of the person who calls himself a "race realist," I would think you were nuts. But here we are. Welcome to my personal nightmare, where no one wins and we all go to hell."
from Chapter 10: "An Abomination of Obamanation: The Rise of the Pro-Black Conservative Movement and the Implications for Future Voting Patterns"
I kept telling myself, Figure this shit out, bitch. You have to lead right now. They're waiting.
from Chapter 12: "The Stories We Live With: Reflections on Black Pain and Gothic Healing"
As I was writing this book, I wanted to capture all aspects of what it means to be a Black skinhead, a political outlier that moves outside of the mainstream lane of Black thought and perceived politics.
from Chapter 9: "Basement Politics: Black Women Fighting on the Front Lines of the Sex Industry and Rejecting Respectability Politics"
Brandi Collins-Dexter's Black Skinhead: Reflections on Blackness and Our Political Future is an excellent reflection on the variety of perspectives of Black voters, how, contrary to the common assumption, effective Black voters all vote the Democratic ticket. She wrestles with Kanye West, sex workers, journalists, young Black Republicans--and her writing is engaging and witty. As someone well outside the author's intended reader-demographic, I learned a lot about what I thought I knew and a lot of what I had no clue about. Collins-Dexter is able to articulate a situation or problem and carefully parse and analyze potential pitfalls and possible solutions. This is an amazing book.
One of the issues with strained race relations in the United States is few on the White side of the political aisle actively listen to what Black voters want. As she deftly shows, we cannot trust social media or news outlets to communicate the nuances and true needs of Black voters. This is where this book truly excels: Collins-Dexter is funny but serious, erudite and crass--she brings multiple angles to the topic and has that rare ability of an author to guide her reader through difficult terrain--both intellectual as well as emotional-- without boredom or sleight of sentence. She's remarkably informed and she's remarkably articulate. She balances her biography with her material well; I never had the impression she wanted to "wow" me with her life--every memory supports a main tenant of her argument.
I hope to see more from Brandi Collins-Dexter published soon. I don't agree with everything she argues, but I can't help but understand her point of view. Excellent reading.
If you had told me that in a conversation between a Black woman and someone who has to repeatedly deny being a Neo-Nazi and white nationalist I would be more on the side of the person who calls himself a "race realist," I would think you were nuts. But here we are. Welcome to my personal nightmare, where no one wins and we all go to hell."
from Chapter 10: "An Abomination of Obamanation: The Rise of the Pro-Black Conservative Movement and the Implications for Future Voting Patterns"
March 23, 2023
What an insightful, informative, and engaging book. I can't tell you the number of "aha moments" I had while reading this book. @brandingbrandi did an exemplary job of presenting facts that allow readers to step outside their own political understanding while showing the reality of black voters and their circumstances.
"𝑩𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒅𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒅, 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒃𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒂 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒔𝒐𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝒄𝒊𝒓𝒄𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕'𝒔 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒐𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒐𝒖𝒔. 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒂 𝒑𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒕 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒔 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒏𝒐𝒏-𝒃𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒃𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒃𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒊𝒏 𝒄𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒕𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒂."
Although I am constantly learning and open to new information when it comes to the black experience in our nation, I learned that I STILL have preconceived notions about black voters. Prior to reading this book, I just could NOT comprehend the likes of those such as Kanye West and Candace Owens. Enter Ms. Collins-Dexter, & I get it now.
"𝑶𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚: 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔 𝒘𝒆 𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒔, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔 𝒘𝒆 𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒖𝒔."
And boy, do we get those stories delivered incorrectly all too often. I appreciate the author's willingness to be real with us; if readers can be open to this book's wealth of information about a social circle outside our own, we will be all the better for it.
Many thanks to @celadonbooks for this #gifted copy!
For more of my reviews, please check out my blog at www.mamasgottaread.blogspot.com or follow me on Instagram at www.instagram.com/mamasgottaread!
"𝑩𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒅𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒅, 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒃𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒂 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒔𝒐𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝒄𝒊𝒓𝒄𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕'𝒔 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒐𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒐𝒖𝒔. 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒂 𝒑𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒕 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒔 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒏𝒐𝒏-𝒃𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒃𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒃𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒊𝒏 𝒄𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒕𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒂."
Although I am constantly learning and open to new information when it comes to the black experience in our nation, I learned that I STILL have preconceived notions about black voters. Prior to reading this book, I just could NOT comprehend the likes of those such as Kanye West and Candace Owens. Enter Ms. Collins-Dexter, & I get it now.
"𝑶𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚: 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔 𝒘𝒆 𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒔, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔 𝒘𝒆 𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒖𝒔."
And boy, do we get those stories delivered incorrectly all too often. I appreciate the author's willingness to be real with us; if readers can be open to this book's wealth of information about a social circle outside our own, we will be all the better for it.
Many thanks to @celadonbooks for this #gifted copy!
For more of my reviews, please check out my blog at www.mamasgottaread.blogspot.com or follow me on Instagram at www.instagram.com/mamasgottaread!
May 16, 2023
Very strange how she's so willing to be critical of so many different facets of the D party's relationship with black people... yet she's so unwilling to truly be critical of the R party in the same way. Because of this the book comes across as little more than an appeal for black people to vote R regardless of their actual policies, stances, platforms, etc (setting aside that the biggest issue R's have with black people is the unabashed racism)
I think the most telling portion of the book was the conversation she had with her husband towards the end, where she shuts down his criticisms of her conclusions/analysis in a manipulative way (her own admission) with her unwillingness to engage with his arguments because they didn't serve the broader point she was attempting (& largely failing) to make.
I think the most telling portion of the book was the conversation she had with her husband towards the end, where she shuts down his criticisms of her conclusions/analysis in a manipulative way (her own admission) with her unwillingness to engage with his arguments because they didn't serve the broader point she was attempting (& largely failing) to make.
Read
October 2, 2022Blending personal narrative, research, and cultural references, Brandi Collins-Dexter's book is a thoughtful examination of current political discourse and why many Black voters are disillusioned with the Democratic Party. A must-read for anyone looking to better understand current American politics.
December 10, 2023
Brian and I listened to this book while road tripping from CA to AZ to CA. Book examines political leanings of black peoples pointing out you can’t assume they all are part of the Democratic Plantation. Both of us agreed with many of the points and enjoyed listening to the author talk the story.
October 26, 2022
Thanks to Celadon Books for the copy of this ARC.
“This is the thing about how our narratives are often taken from us and reinterpreted. We are stripped of our voices even when telling the stories of our own lives, families, and histories. We’re told we’ve never had anything, which plays into public pathologies of Black people as having not done enough to improve our own station in life, when the reality is many of us were actively deprived of property ownership and economic opportunities. But even when your mind doesn’t know, your body does. Those memories of fear and struggle live in your body for generations.”
This collection of essays is so unique, focusing on politics from a Black perspective and interwoven with the author’s own personal coming of age story. With many pop culture references and explorations of the world around her, Brandi Collins-Dexter explores the relationship between Black voters and the Democratic Party, and what the political future of Black voters looks like. This wasn’t totally what I expected, but I really appreciate how Brandi wrote this book to read well. Her story makes for a vibrant read while also addressing a difficult perspective that many (myself included) need to hear.
“This is the thing about how our narratives are often taken from us and reinterpreted. We are stripped of our voices even when telling the stories of our own lives, families, and histories. We’re told we’ve never had anything, which plays into public pathologies of Black people as having not done enough to improve our own station in life, when the reality is many of us were actively deprived of property ownership and economic opportunities. But even when your mind doesn’t know, your body does. Those memories of fear and struggle live in your body for generations.”
This collection of essays is so unique, focusing on politics from a Black perspective and interwoven with the author’s own personal coming of age story. With many pop culture references and explorations of the world around her, Brandi Collins-Dexter explores the relationship between Black voters and the Democratic Party, and what the political future of Black voters looks like. This wasn’t totally what I expected, but I really appreciate how Brandi wrote this book to read well. Her story makes for a vibrant read while also addressing a difficult perspective that many (myself included) need to hear.
June 2, 2023
September 24-
Had to table this… the first chapter hit too close to home and I don’t want my sadness to effect how amazing I think this book will be
June 2-
So this book was very enlightening to the Black politics and the unwritten rule that we have to vote blue.
LIKES:
1) it was eye opening. I had no idea how many Black people support Trump and are proudly MAGA. Were i may not like that, I did like learning their WHY.
2) introduced me to other news circuits that include more of a Black perspective on laws and politics.
3) Cardi B… again. She is definitely a lot more than she is portrayed on tv and in the media.
4) Black feminism. It always make my heart soar when j learn more about how to fight for my rights and who else is gonna be there with me!
5) representation. This author is mixed race (I believe) and married to a white man. I felt seen.
DISLIKES:
1) the Kanye love… I know this was written before his adidas issues, but still. She was really trying to connect and bring it back to Kanye and I’m not for that. Period
Huge thanks to Celadon for this ARC in exchange for an honest review
Had to table this… the first chapter hit too close to home and I don’t want my sadness to effect how amazing I think this book will be
June 2-
So this book was very enlightening to the Black politics and the unwritten rule that we have to vote blue.
LIKES:
1) it was eye opening. I had no idea how many Black people support Trump and are proudly MAGA. Were i may not like that, I did like learning their WHY.
2) introduced me to other news circuits that include more of a Black perspective on laws and politics.
3) Cardi B… again. She is definitely a lot more than she is portrayed on tv and in the media.
4) Black feminism. It always make my heart soar when j learn more about how to fight for my rights and who else is gonna be there with me!
5) representation. This author is mixed race (I believe) and married to a white man. I felt seen.
DISLIKES:
1) the Kanye love… I know this was written before his adidas issues, but still. She was really trying to connect and bring it back to Kanye and I’m not for that. Period
Huge thanks to Celadon for this ARC in exchange for an honest review
April 14, 2025
“Black Skinhead” is a provocative title made to turn heads. Honestly, it may be what got me to buy the book. However, after reading “Black Skinhead: Reflections on Blackness and Our Political Future” I wasn’t keen on the usage of the term “skinhead” at all.
Brandi Collins-Dexter first gives the reader a bit of back story of the term “skinhead.” She readily mentions that “today (it) is often associated with white nationalism.” Then she goes on to say that “the term was originally used in the 1960s to define an emergent post-World War II British multicultural working-class subculture rooted in Black--primarily Jamaican--music. The subculture presented a type of working-class count to the whimsical, happy-go-lucky and high-end mod version of England…
“Beyond aesthetic and musical taste, skinheads were united by a frustration with the status quo and a sense that the working class was being left behind. This resulted in a movement that, while cultural, was also inherently political. As economic conditions worsened and the rhetoric of scarcity ramped up, ethnonationalism increased, driven by a rising fear of being replaced by a new labor force--the Windrush generation and their children. This Is how skinhead came to carry the connotations it has today. But at its core, the skinhead movement was about being a disillusioned outsider, and it is this definition of the term that I have found so useful in understanding the current state of Black political identity.”
Even though Brandi makes sure to let it be known that she’s not using the term skinhead as it is currently understood, I think that’s like using a swastika and explaining that it has its origins in Hinduism. In other words, regardless of what it used to mean, it now has a popular and accepted meaning that cannot be overlooked. So, even though she uses the term skinhead to, presumably, attract readers then explain to them what she means, I’m just not a fan of using terms that are used to describe racists.
“Skinhead” aside, I think the book is OK. It’s Brani Collins-Dexter’s ode to Black people and a search for a means towards “Black justice,” Black unity, and Black autonomy, as well as a definition of herself. She’s a self-proclaimed Black feminist leftist who is at odds with the Democratic Party and liberals, while also being at odds with the GOP and conservatives. She loves Black people though she’s married to a white man (she made mention of this several times, so don’t look at me).
Even though I don’t fully agree with her ideology or her methodology, I can see that she truly wants what’s best for Black folks. As a result, she tries to find commonalities between Black people of various backgrounds and party affiliations. In doing so though she defends Kanye West (by the end of the book she distances herself from him) and lionizes Cardi B’s work in the sex trade.
“Black Skinhead” is a book that probably morally and ideologically aligns with very few people, but who does anyone 100% agree with anyway? I can safely say that I’d be at odds with Brandi on quite a few issues, but that’s never stopped me from reading another person’s viewpoints. In the end, “Black Skinhead” wasn’t really for me, but I wouldn’t dissuade anyone from reading it.
Brandi Collins-Dexter first gives the reader a bit of back story of the term “skinhead.” She readily mentions that “today (it) is often associated with white nationalism.” Then she goes on to say that “the term was originally used in the 1960s to define an emergent post-World War II British multicultural working-class subculture rooted in Black--primarily Jamaican--music. The subculture presented a type of working-class count to the whimsical, happy-go-lucky and high-end mod version of England…
“Beyond aesthetic and musical taste, skinheads were united by a frustration with the status quo and a sense that the working class was being left behind. This resulted in a movement that, while cultural, was also inherently political. As economic conditions worsened and the rhetoric of scarcity ramped up, ethnonationalism increased, driven by a rising fear of being replaced by a new labor force--the Windrush generation and their children. This Is how skinhead came to carry the connotations it has today. But at its core, the skinhead movement was about being a disillusioned outsider, and it is this definition of the term that I have found so useful in understanding the current state of Black political identity.”
Even though Brandi makes sure to let it be known that she’s not using the term skinhead as it is currently understood, I think that’s like using a swastika and explaining that it has its origins in Hinduism. In other words, regardless of what it used to mean, it now has a popular and accepted meaning that cannot be overlooked. So, even though she uses the term skinhead to, presumably, attract readers then explain to them what she means, I’m just not a fan of using terms that are used to describe racists.
“Skinhead” aside, I think the book is OK. It’s Brani Collins-Dexter’s ode to Black people and a search for a means towards “Black justice,” Black unity, and Black autonomy, as well as a definition of herself. She’s a self-proclaimed Black feminist leftist who is at odds with the Democratic Party and liberals, while also being at odds with the GOP and conservatives. She loves Black people though she’s married to a white man (she made mention of this several times, so don’t look at me).
Even though I don’t fully agree with her ideology or her methodology, I can see that she truly wants what’s best for Black folks. As a result, she tries to find commonalities between Black people of various backgrounds and party affiliations. In doing so though she defends Kanye West (by the end of the book she distances herself from him) and lionizes Cardi B’s work in the sex trade.
“Black Skinhead” is a book that probably morally and ideologically aligns with very few people, but who does anyone 100% agree with anyway? I can safely say that I’d be at odds with Brandi on quite a few issues, but that’s never stopped me from reading another person’s viewpoints. In the end, “Black Skinhead” wasn’t really for me, but I wouldn’t dissuade anyone from reading it.
![Profile Image for Kelly {SpaceOnTheBookcase].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1672255572i%2F4799500._UX200_CR0%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
September 20, 2022
Black Skinhead by Brandi Collins-Dexter is, without a doubt, a book that will grab your attention from the first time you hear it. I was very fortunate to get approved for a physical ARC with Celadon books. When I found out there was an audiobooks narrated by the author I also requested it and was approved quickly.
The book takes a hard look at black culture, it's history and place within the United States and the fragile relationship between black voters and the Democratic Party. The author lays out a strong foundation and gives examples of how black voters are assumed to vote for the Democrats and, in turn, the party just expects to receive the votes even if they aren't working in the best interests of the black community.
Another area where I felt the author did a phenomenal job was laying out examples of how black people are viewed through the scope of music and media. She gave an example of an interview done with a 4-year-old little boy who proclaimed he didn't fear anything and would one day own a gun when he grew up. What the news clip failed to show was that when the reporter asked if he'd get a gun he said yes because he was going to be a cop. Taken out of context, a news station chose to vilify and stereotype a young black boy instead of showcasing his love of law enforcement. The author asks the question, how much of what people think they know about black culture has been edited and spliced together to make people feel a certain way. The author also uses music, specifically rap music, to bolster the same point. We think nothing of the country singers who claim to sleep around, get drunk and go out trucking but let a rapper claim to shoot a gun and get high and the same information is taken as gospel.
As a white woman, I understand that I will never fully understand what it means to be black in the United States, but it is books like Black Skinhead that help me expand my perspective and gain awareness on topics that I'm not as familiar with. Even the loudest of allies can still learn more and help more and Black Skinhead is the type of book that will stay with me for a long time.
Amazing job to the author and thank you again Celadon for trusting me to review this book.
The book takes a hard look at black culture, it's history and place within the United States and the fragile relationship between black voters and the Democratic Party. The author lays out a strong foundation and gives examples of how black voters are assumed to vote for the Democrats and, in turn, the party just expects to receive the votes even if they aren't working in the best interests of the black community.
Another area where I felt the author did a phenomenal job was laying out examples of how black people are viewed through the scope of music and media. She gave an example of an interview done with a 4-year-old little boy who proclaimed he didn't fear anything and would one day own a gun when he grew up. What the news clip failed to show was that when the reporter asked if he'd get a gun he said yes because he was going to be a cop. Taken out of context, a news station chose to vilify and stereotype a young black boy instead of showcasing his love of law enforcement. The author asks the question, how much of what people think they know about black culture has been edited and spliced together to make people feel a certain way. The author also uses music, specifically rap music, to bolster the same point. We think nothing of the country singers who claim to sleep around, get drunk and go out trucking but let a rapper claim to shoot a gun and get high and the same information is taken as gospel.
As a white woman, I understand that I will never fully understand what it means to be black in the United States, but it is books like Black Skinhead that help me expand my perspective and gain awareness on topics that I'm not as familiar with. Even the loudest of allies can still learn more and help more and Black Skinhead is the type of book that will stay with me for a long time.
Amazing job to the author and thank you again Celadon for trusting me to review this book.
September 20, 2022
In Black Skinhead, Brandi Collins-Dexter brilliantly weaves through a multitude of touch points–social, cultural, and political–to investigate the Black Skinhead, defined as “a disillusioned political outlier who is underrepresented in mainstream media discourse.” Not only is this an exploration of the mindsets of Black voters who firmly vote from the Right, or independently, or not at all, but Collins-Dexter offers powerful commentary and interviews on topics such as media bias and misinformation on violence against Black lives, the impact of government policy on sex work, and populism from the lens of being a WWE fan enraptured by a moving promo by 1980’s star wrestler The American Dream.
This is exquisitely written–probably the best writing I’ve read this year. Collins-Dexter enters this subject matter with a mix of tenderness, open curiosity, and most importantly, a well-rounded approach to conveying the messages of those she may not entirely agree with. I learned so much that I had no clue about, like the community-focussed methodology of Black voters that is not necessarily devoted to the Democratic Party, the existence of drill music, and the extra cost and labour Black sex workers take on to ensure success, amongst much else. My favourite moments included a delve into the historically political lean of Playboy Magazine, a brief yet chilling dip into the subject of epigenetics (an essay I related deeply to), a reflection on what it means to be gothic, and an excellent essay connecting her analysis of the ending of Marvel’s Black Panther with the hardships of Black business owners in the Bay Area and the growing extreme wealth gap in the Black community. Through all this, she incorporates the personal, letting us in on family memories and hardships that had me tearing up from beginning to end.
I cannot say anymore that won’t just be a list of praise–it is simply stunning. At no point did it lull or lose my attention. Even if you think nonfiction isn’t for you, I implore you to give this a try–it is the apex of nonfiction.
A massive thank you to Celadon Books for this ARC.
This is exquisitely written–probably the best writing I’ve read this year. Collins-Dexter enters this subject matter with a mix of tenderness, open curiosity, and most importantly, a well-rounded approach to conveying the messages of those she may not entirely agree with. I learned so much that I had no clue about, like the community-focussed methodology of Black voters that is not necessarily devoted to the Democratic Party, the existence of drill music, and the extra cost and labour Black sex workers take on to ensure success, amongst much else. My favourite moments included a delve into the historically political lean of Playboy Magazine, a brief yet chilling dip into the subject of epigenetics (an essay I related deeply to), a reflection on what it means to be gothic, and an excellent essay connecting her analysis of the ending of Marvel’s Black Panther with the hardships of Black business owners in the Bay Area and the growing extreme wealth gap in the Black community. Through all this, she incorporates the personal, letting us in on family memories and hardships that had me tearing up from beginning to end.
I cannot say anymore that won’t just be a list of praise–it is simply stunning. At no point did it lull or lose my attention. Even if you think nonfiction isn’t for you, I implore you to give this a try–it is the apex of nonfiction.
A massive thank you to Celadon Books for this ARC.
September 8, 2022
In a curious way I have always wanted to know what is a skinhead? Then after reading Black Skinhead, I feel armed to have a full discussion on why Black people of all economic groups might feel disenchanted enough to become a skinhead. It is a voice missing from the dialogue. In an unmasked and raw reclaiming of self Brandi pulls the cover back on why she and others like her are not equally persuaded that voting democratic in all cases is the best way to gain much lost ground in a political fight against those intent on neglecting and suppressing Black voters rights and voices.
More broadly it is a recognition that far too many leaders only show up when it’s time to vote. Thus, leaving far too many people unrepresented on some of the most important issues affecting them in their daily lives, even after they spend hours waiting in line to vote for them. It is an acknowledgement that in a big tent party such as the democrats voices are easily lost.
Yet even those who anxiously run to the republican party find no solace and no recovery. This book requires all of us to be much more strategic in exercising our voice. Ms. Collins-Dexter’s dive into her own history and the gains and loss of resources in her community and family showcases why we must come to our own aide if we are to be saved and survive what certainly appears to be an attempt to turn all the past gains for women, minorities and even immigrant rights back into the 18th century.
She moves swiftly from story to story leaving no voice unrecognized, no story untold and no heart untouched. She is to be commended on her research and welcomed into the coiffures of young people telling like it is. I loved that I could read story after story and have them tied together in a thought provoking call to action. I learned much and I loved this book.
More broadly it is a recognition that far too many leaders only show up when it’s time to vote. Thus, leaving far too many people unrepresented on some of the most important issues affecting them in their daily lives, even after they spend hours waiting in line to vote for them. It is an acknowledgement that in a big tent party such as the democrats voices are easily lost.
Yet even those who anxiously run to the republican party find no solace and no recovery. This book requires all of us to be much more strategic in exercising our voice. Ms. Collins-Dexter’s dive into her own history and the gains and loss of resources in her community and family showcases why we must come to our own aide if we are to be saved and survive what certainly appears to be an attempt to turn all the past gains for women, minorities and even immigrant rights back into the 18th century.
She moves swiftly from story to story leaving no voice unrecognized, no story untold and no heart untouched. She is to be commended on her research and welcomed into the coiffures of young people telling like it is. I loved that I could read story after story and have them tied together in a thought provoking call to action. I learned much and I loved this book.
August 4, 2022
I have long admired Color of Change, where Brandi Collins-Dexter used to be a senior campaign director. So I was pleased to be able to read this book.
The book begins almost like a memoir or biography, telling her father's story. In doing so, it underlines the point that politics are personal. And as the author herself says, they are cultural as well.
This book is trying to do a lot. It is an examination of disillusionment with the Black American Dream. It is unflinching in its critique of the Obama White House and of the Democratic party. It draws on popular culture and equally on the author's experiences. I found the overall ideas included quite powerful.
However, I was not impressed by the execution. The arguments made weren't well organized. Interspersed between the chapters were Interludes. They seemed to hold content that didn't differ much from the chapters, and neither followed chronology or other clear structure. I think a stronger Introduction and flow could have improved the book greatly.
Likewise, I kept waiting for more on the interviews she had conducted of people from a variety of political identities. But they were a much less prominent part of the book than early chapters suggested. When they picked up again at the end of the book, she listened deeply and empathized even with those she didn't agree with. And she was able to portray their views in a way that encouraged me to do the same.
So I am left struggling to sum up my review. The book brings together many different ideas in ways I haven't seen before. Throughout, it made me think. But I felt like another round of editing could have made the book much more persuasive and powerful. And we need a book on this topic.
3.5 stars rounded up
The book begins almost like a memoir or biography, telling her father's story. In doing so, it underlines the point that politics are personal. And as the author herself says, they are cultural as well.
This book is trying to do a lot. It is an examination of disillusionment with the Black American Dream. It is unflinching in its critique of the Obama White House and of the Democratic party. It draws on popular culture and equally on the author's experiences. I found the overall ideas included quite powerful.
However, I was not impressed by the execution. The arguments made weren't well organized. Interspersed between the chapters were Interludes. They seemed to hold content that didn't differ much from the chapters, and neither followed chronology or other clear structure. I think a stronger Introduction and flow could have improved the book greatly.
Likewise, I kept waiting for more on the interviews she had conducted of people from a variety of political identities. But they were a much less prominent part of the book than early chapters suggested. When they picked up again at the end of the book, she listened deeply and empathized even with those she didn't agree with. And she was able to portray their views in a way that encouraged me to do the same.
So I am left struggling to sum up my review. The book brings together many different ideas in ways I haven't seen before. Throughout, it made me think. But I felt like another round of editing could have made the book much more persuasive and powerful. And we need a book on this topic.
3.5 stars rounded up
August 30, 2022
I received a copy of this book for free in a Goodreads giveaway.
This book is sort of a mix of memoir and political nonfiction, as the author writes about her own family history, disillusionment with the Democratic Party, and love of Kanye, while also conducting interviews with people across the political spectrum and writing about how the Obama administration came to be and yet also managed to disappoint many Black voters. The book is dense, covering the general dissatisfaction of Black voters with the Democratic Party and the political system of the United States in general from many different angles, from Black Panther to sex workers. The main issues I had with the book were structural things. The chapters seemed disorganized to me, and so the "interludes" that are sprinkled in between some of them didn't really make sense. Why weren't they just regular chapters? Many of them didn't seem particularly out of place, because I didn't feel like the chapter flow and organization was particularly tight and so the interludes weren't really breaking that up. There are many endnotes, but the numbers seem to be attached to the first word of a phrase, not the last, for some reason, which was distracting. There's also an overabundance of "[sic]"s in the text, which were distracting. Most of them seem to be because someone used "that" instead of "who," but the meaning of the original text was still clear, so the "[sic]"s were more distracting than helpful. Also, they were used frequently in casual conversation, where it seemed completely unnecessary. But I did appreciate this look into a part of American politics that isn't really covered in mainstream media all that often, even if I did find it a bit dense. I just wished that it were better-organized.
This book is sort of a mix of memoir and political nonfiction, as the author writes about her own family history, disillusionment with the Democratic Party, and love of Kanye, while also conducting interviews with people across the political spectrum and writing about how the Obama administration came to be and yet also managed to disappoint many Black voters. The book is dense, covering the general dissatisfaction of Black voters with the Democratic Party and the political system of the United States in general from many different angles, from Black Panther to sex workers. The main issues I had with the book were structural things. The chapters seemed disorganized to me, and so the "interludes" that are sprinkled in between some of them didn't really make sense. Why weren't they just regular chapters? Many of them didn't seem particularly out of place, because I didn't feel like the chapter flow and organization was particularly tight and so the interludes weren't really breaking that up. There are many endnotes, but the numbers seem to be attached to the first word of a phrase, not the last, for some reason, which was distracting. There's also an overabundance of "[sic]"s in the text, which were distracting. Most of them seem to be because someone used "that" instead of "who," but the meaning of the original text was still clear, so the "[sic]"s were more distracting than helpful. Also, they were used frequently in casual conversation, where it seemed completely unnecessary. But I did appreciate this look into a part of American politics that isn't really covered in mainstream media all that often, even if I did find it a bit dense. I just wished that it were better-organized.
September 13, 2022
This is one of those books that’ll stick with me for quite sometime. There were so many informative chapters that introduced me to new perspectives that I, as a white woman, will never fully comprehend. I know I’ll be reflecting on this information for a while, especially with midterms right around the corner.
After reading the synopsis, I was ready for a political book. But when I started, the first part is about Collins-Dexter’s dad, and ultimately, how this story came about. Her dad, Jimmy Collins, was a NCAA basketball star, NBA player, and long-time coach for University of Illinois at Chicago. He influenced this book so if anything, it felt like an ode to him with politics and history mixed in.
For the remainder of the book, the structure didn’t flow too well in my opinion. There were some memoir tidbits, followed up with interviews, historical context, and personal dialogue. It felt a bit all over the place and sort of repetitive in some chapters. Some information is needed multiple times for it to be digested, but at times I felt I was reading the same sentence over and over again.
But the content of the book was extremely eye-opening. From Kanye West, to how Black voters view themselves during elections, how Black voters are not all Democrats (nor should they be categorized that way), to sex workers, to MAGA supporters and so much more. It gave me so much to think about in a whole new perspective that I think everyone should be willing to try.
Given the information of this book and the topics that are covered, I know my review won’t do this justice. However, I will say it’s worth reading ahead of November.
Big thank you to Celadon books for the gifted copy! This is available September 20.
Content warnings: racism, death
After reading the synopsis, I was ready for a political book. But when I started, the first part is about Collins-Dexter’s dad, and ultimately, how this story came about. Her dad, Jimmy Collins, was a NCAA basketball star, NBA player, and long-time coach for University of Illinois at Chicago. He influenced this book so if anything, it felt like an ode to him with politics and history mixed in.
For the remainder of the book, the structure didn’t flow too well in my opinion. There were some memoir tidbits, followed up with interviews, historical context, and personal dialogue. It felt a bit all over the place and sort of repetitive in some chapters. Some information is needed multiple times for it to be digested, but at times I felt I was reading the same sentence over and over again.
But the content of the book was extremely eye-opening. From Kanye West, to how Black voters view themselves during elections, how Black voters are not all Democrats (nor should they be categorized that way), to sex workers, to MAGA supporters and so much more. It gave me so much to think about in a whole new perspective that I think everyone should be willing to try.
Given the information of this book and the topics that are covered, I know my review won’t do this justice. However, I will say it’s worth reading ahead of November.
Big thank you to Celadon books for the gifted copy! This is available September 20.
Content warnings: racism, death
October 18, 2022
BLACK SKINHEAD |
[thank you @celadonbooks for the gifted copy]
Is such a smart, bold, challenging book, and not challenging in that it's difficult to read, but challenging what you think you believe.
Black voters and are not a monolithic group. And there is no guarantee that they'll be forever as a majority tied to the Democratic vote. There is a growing disillusionment from many Black folks, who for different reasons do not believe that the Democrats' ideology fully aligns with their beliefs. For many generations, the unity and alignment in race has superseded any personal ideologies, but this is changing and some are seeing a possible way to carve out space for their conservative beliefs in a Republican camp or at the very least challenging the assumed status quo of voting behavior for voting their personal individualistic beliefs.
As Collins-Dexter makes clear it will not take a majority of Black Americans to switch party lines to make a big difference. It seems incredible to think though of Black Americans voting with Trump supporters, but ideologically, religiously there may be common ground.
The chapter An Abomination of Obamanation was incredible.
The chapter on Kanye though tried my limits. It felt like she was trying to take what Kanye said out of context and put it into a meaningful context but it feels like the same argument that people make when supporting Trump to defend how brilliant he is between the lines, how original his thought is if you only look below the surface and ignore what he's saying at face value. But the danger of all of that (assuming there is a deeper, valid truth) is that it creates heinous sound bites that most are not deciphering nor should we.
A book that has left a lot to think about and discuss! (4.25)
[thank you @celadonbooks for the gifted copy]
Is such a smart, bold, challenging book, and not challenging in that it's difficult to read, but challenging what you think you believe.
Black voters and are not a monolithic group. And there is no guarantee that they'll be forever as a majority tied to the Democratic vote. There is a growing disillusionment from many Black folks, who for different reasons do not believe that the Democrats' ideology fully aligns with their beliefs. For many generations, the unity and alignment in race has superseded any personal ideologies, but this is changing and some are seeing a possible way to carve out space for their conservative beliefs in a Republican camp or at the very least challenging the assumed status quo of voting behavior for voting their personal individualistic beliefs.
As Collins-Dexter makes clear it will not take a majority of Black Americans to switch party lines to make a big difference. It seems incredible to think though of Black Americans voting with Trump supporters, but ideologically, religiously there may be common ground.
The chapter An Abomination of Obamanation was incredible.
The chapter on Kanye though tried my limits. It felt like she was trying to take what Kanye said out of context and put it into a meaningful context but it feels like the same argument that people make when supporting Trump to defend how brilliant he is between the lines, how original his thought is if you only look below the surface and ignore what he's saying at face value. But the danger of all of that (assuming there is a deeper, valid truth) is that it creates heinous sound bites that most are not deciphering nor should we.
A book that has left a lot to think about and discuss! (4.25)
March 9, 2025
Y’all. This is a bad book. I know the author had great intentions and put time into this book but it’s just bad. She comes to bad conclusion, she contradicts herself constantly, and the broad brush definition she is using for skinhead makes no real sense. (I know the title has more to do with Kanye west than anything else).
For a small example of how she muddies her points/conclusions. She mentions enjoying reading playboy for its progressive leaning articles and then a few paragraphs later is blow away that her progressive and forward thinking mother would work with playboy. Girl your mom liked playboy for the same reason you did!! If she had written that she was surprised that her mom worked with playboy because she seems more buttoned up and demure that would make more sense then what she chose to be surprised about!
And the book is full of moments like that! Where she brings attention to something just to contradict or be surprised a few paragraphs later. Talking about conscience conservative black people rely on empirical evidence for their views but their online spaces are full of lies and misinformation. She walks right by useful and true conclusions for unknown reasons?? Republicans are not courting black voters, they are trying to outright to take away their right to vote, and failing that, cause enough disillusionment that we chose to not vote. And she comes so close to that point then just turns away! I will argue because she has fundamentally decided to believe the words people say and ignore their actions that contradict their words!
I feel bad for being a hater, because I really wanted to like this book and kept giving it chances, but it just keeps letting me down.
For a small example of how she muddies her points/conclusions. She mentions enjoying reading playboy for its progressive leaning articles and then a few paragraphs later is blow away that her progressive and forward thinking mother would work with playboy. Girl your mom liked playboy for the same reason you did!! If she had written that she was surprised that her mom worked with playboy because she seems more buttoned up and demure that would make more sense then what she chose to be surprised about!
And the book is full of moments like that! Where she brings attention to something just to contradict or be surprised a few paragraphs later. Talking about conscience conservative black people rely on empirical evidence for their views but their online spaces are full of lies and misinformation. She walks right by useful and true conclusions for unknown reasons?? Republicans are not courting black voters, they are trying to outright to take away their right to vote, and failing that, cause enough disillusionment that we chose to not vote. And she comes so close to that point then just turns away! I will argue because she has fundamentally decided to believe the words people say and ignore their actions that contradict their words!
I feel bad for being a hater, because I really wanted to like this book and kept giving it chances, but it just keeps letting me down.
August 2, 2023
I learned a lot!!: terms, p.o.v., current issues [of 2020's], and political talking points. I'll just say right here I'm not informed enough to properly expound on politics. At All. That's why I need a book like this. To break it all down for me. I don't have cable television, so I don't hear (see) the major news stories. I also don't get to watch David Brooks and Mark Shields discuss the left and right political talking points.
Now I know what a Conscious Black Conservative is and how their perspective is important when focusing a [hidden] lens on lives of black people in my community. (There are only a handful living in my-very-white-red-county-rural America.
Now I understand the ethnic trauma from modern policing tactics and how the whole system needs to be overhauled.
Now I understand the reasons for women-lead BLM type movements and the "woke" culture. I get it. There can be no "going back" to the way it was. There is no "normal" for white folks that we can "go back to"! Our minds and commitments need to change or we lose lives; we lose democracy. The United. States. doesn't mean anything if it doesn't mean basic freedoms for non-white people!
It starts with me. It starts with you.
Respect. Equity (not Equality. Look it up People). Community.
Thank you Goodreads and @celadonbooks.com for the giveaway #BlackSkinheadBook
Now I know what a Conscious Black Conservative is and how their perspective is important when focusing a [hidden] lens on lives of black people in my community. (There are only a handful living in my-very-white-red-county-rural America.
Now I understand the ethnic trauma from modern policing tactics and how the whole system needs to be overhauled.
Now I understand the reasons for women-lead BLM type movements and the "woke" culture. I get it. There can be no "going back" to the way it was. There is no "normal" for white folks that we can "go back to"! Our minds and commitments need to change or we lose lives; we lose democracy. The United. States. doesn't mean anything if it doesn't mean basic freedoms for non-white people!
It starts with me. It starts with you.
Respect. Equity (not Equality. Look it up People). Community.
Thank you Goodreads and @celadonbooks.com for the giveaway #BlackSkinheadBook
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