Skip to main content

Book Review: The Matter of Black Lives

Editor's Note: This review was originally published in Manhattan Book Review 

Jelani Cobb

In response to the increased clamor for a historical and intellectual grounding for America’s ever-present struggle toward social justice, editors Jelani Cobb and David Remnick present an anthology of more than forty essays, critiques, and journalistic pieces in The Matter of Black Lives: Writing from The New Yorker. The collection provides a retrospective on depictions and interpretations of Black art, culture, and activism, while also highlighting contemporary battles for the dignity of Black lives.

The Matter of Black Lives is a significant volume, both in quantity and quality. The essays, features, and commentaries selected by Cobb and Remnick span the decades and serve to expand the discourse on the political, cultural, and economic manifestations of the complex racial stratification in the United States. Searing portraits of notable Black artists such as singer Marian Anderson, rapper Kendrick Lamar, and artist Kara Walker are interspersed with the unflinching wit of Toni Morrison, Henry Louis Gates Jr., and Ta-nehisi Coates.

For students of civil rights movements, the anthology serves as a reminder of how long Black pain and tragedy have been around in the public sphere, even as our society relishes the fruits of Black labor and creativity. Through the esteemed pages of The New Yorker, it’s clear that every generation builds upon what the previous one has built, deepening the critique, hopefully getting us all a step closer to true and lasting racial reckoning.

 

Buy on Bookshop.org

 

 

Popular posts from this blog

Medicine Wheel for the Planet

Jennifer Grenz, PhD       Working toward ecological healing requires awareness of how Indigenous ancestral knowledge and living ways can complement Western scientific approaches to environmental restoration and protection practices. Dr. Jennifer Grenz (Nlaxa’pamux mixed ancestry) worked for more than two decades as a field researcher and practitioner for environmental nonprofit organizations, where she worked with different levels of government, including First Nations in Canada. "Medicine Wheel for the Planet" compiles Grenz’s most potent realizations about the lack of forward movement in addressing an impending ecological catastrophe.  A warming climate impacts not only human lives but also the natural balance that relies on reciprocal relationships rooted in deep connections to the land. She uses the metaphor of the four directions of the Indigenous “medicine wheel” to invite openness to Indigenous teachings, letting go of colonial narratives, merging lessons f...

Memento - Embracing the Darkness

Dennis "Dizzy" Doan Stories about overcoming and persevering through family dysfunction, poverty, and mental health challenges offer hope and the promise of better days. Dennis “Dizzy” Doan’s memoir Memento: Embracing the Darkness is one such story, with the added complexity of being raised in an immigrant Vietnamese family. Doan’s parents dealt with the mental and emotional aftermath of war, which forcibly uprooted them from their homeland. In the United States, they struggled to create a safe and stable life for their two sons. Doan shares his journey of finding himself, his craft, and eventually a successful tattoo business in Southern California despite personal strife and run-ins with the law. Doan is best known for developing the aesthetic language to combat anti-Asian hate that erupted during the COVID-19 pandemic. His art series titled “Model Minority” went viral, sparking conversation about Asian American identities and harmful stereotypes. In Memento, Doan showcase...

Enlighten Me

Editor's Note: This review was originally published in Los Angeles Book Review . Author Minh Lê Standing up for oneself seems like doing the right thing. Binh did just that in the face of a racist school bully who was poking fun at his Asian heritage. But physically assaulting another student goes against school policy, and it was Binh who got in trouble. Binh shares a silent retreat with his family and younger siblings. Along with other children, he learns about stories from the previous lives of the Buddha. The stories are interesting, but for Binh, it is difficult to sit still and clear his mind when he misses his Gameboy. While he struggles with silence, he learns important lessons about friendship, community, and being present. In the graphic novel "Enlighten Me," award-winning author Minh Lê and bestselling illustrator Chan Chau tell the story of a boy who gains a better understanding of himself as he works on quieting the mind and reflecting on dharma. Lê and Ch...