Memoirs: Black History Month 2024

There is such a wide variety with this group, it follows that there are some I liked more than others.

The other thing is that sometimes the lines blur. 

There are ways in which Ibram X. Kendi's How to Be an Antiracist was so personal that it was almost a memoir. 

I almost put Frederick Douglass's autobiography in history, because it contains so much history (as many of them do). Since it is his personal story -- while also showing a broader landscape that he was a key part of -- it belonged here.

The Pretty One: On Life, Pop Cultere, Disability, and Other Reasons to Fall in Love With Me by Keah Brown

I first heard Keah Brown speak at AffectConf, so of course I wanted to read her book.

Brown was born with cerebral palsy, and a twin who did not have it. That did not help with body image issues, yet so much of it sounded familiar (especially for women), even without having those issues. Kind of more bubbly and cute than deep (maybe that is my age speaking), but still with a lot to relate to.

Piccolo is Black: A Memoir of Race, Religion, and Pop Culture by Jordan Calhoun

Brown delivers on pop culture much better than Calhoun. The order of the sub-title does put pop culture last (though I would say religion -- featured second -- is featured more prominently than the first-mentioned race), but the main title sounds like there is going to be more on that, and it was disappointing. 

One big reason I read it is to find out about "Piccolo". Yes, I knew Panthro was Black, but who was Piccolo? So, just in case you are wondering, he's from Dragonball.

Unbound: My Story of Liberation and the Birth of the Me Too Movement by Tarana Burke

This is a good and important book, but I think the best thing I can say about it is exactly what I wrote when I originally reviewed it on Goodreads:

There is a lot of wisdom in here about healing and empathy, but perhaps the most important lesson is that carrying around your own wounds -- no matter how far down you push them -- limits your ability to help others.

Burke did a lot of good before dealing with her own abuse, but it does not compare to what she could do after.

We're Better Than This by Elijah Cummings

I read this shortly after Cummings' death, having not thought about him much before except that he really looked like John Lewis. 

I found a warm man full of integrity, who continued to work hard while facing grave health problems. 

A little repetitious at times, but still worth the read.

Act Like You Got Some Sense and Other Things My Daughters Taught Me by Jamie Foxx

We read this because we were watching and enjoying Beat Shazam, with Foxx and his older daughter Corinne. Very entertaining, but still heartfelt.

Becoming by Michelle Obama 

This was my favorite of the bunch. Obama's voice really comes through, and I like her. A lot of the information was interesting, but simply spending time with her was enough to be worthwhile. 

Life and Times of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass

Riveting for the most part, and even though it is older, and it is very readable, which is not always guaranteed for books written over a century ago. A very brief account of his limited time with his mother shows the heartbreak of slavery, and then its brutality comes through later.

Look for editions published after emancipation. In earlier versions he does not give the details of his escape. While it was relatively simple, it is still interesting.