Conversations in Black

On Power, Politics, and Leadership

By: Ed Gordon

Narrated by: Ed Gordon, Tracey Leigh, Zeno Robinson, Kamali Minter, Norm Johnson, Phil Morris, Toya Turner, Kyle Chapple, Latisha Divento, Leon Nixon

Length: 9 hrs

Publisher's summary

An award-winning journalist envisions the future of leadership, excellence, and prosperity in Black America with this "urgent and pathbreaking" work (Marc Lamont Hill).

Hard-hitting, thought-provoking, and inspiring, Conversations in Black offers sage wisdom for navigating race in a radically divisive America, and, with help from his mighty team of Black intelligentsia, veteran journalist Ed Gordon creates hope and a timeless new narrative on what the future of Black leadership should look like and how we can get there.

In Conversations in Black, Gordon brings together some of the most prominent voices in Black America today, including Stacey Abrams, Harry Belafonte, Charlamagne tha God, Michael Eric Dyson, Alicia Garza, Jemele Hill, Iyanla VanZant, Eric Holder, Killer Mike, Angela Rye, Al Sharpton, TI, and Maxine Waters, and so many more to answer questions about vital topics affecting our nation today, such as:

Will the Black vote control the 2020 election?

Do Black lives really matter?

After Obama's presidency, are Black people better off?

Are stereotypical images of people of color changing in Hollywood?

How is "Black Girl Magic" changing the face of black America?

Bombarded with media, music, and social media messages that enforce stereotypes of people of color, Gordon sets out to dispel what Black power and Black excellence really look like today and offers a way forward in a new age of Black prosperity and pride.

©2020 Ed Gordon (P)2020 Hachette Books

Critic reviews

"A comprehensive and unvarnished look at the state of Black America...[this book] will almost certainly serve as one of the most important works of his career." (Rolling Out)

"[This book] gathers a dream team of Black leaders, influencers and celebs.... Together, they have a series of honest, compelling conversations about the State of Black America." (BET.com)

"Ed Gordon is one the most important journalists in American history. In this powerful book, Gordon showcases his unparalleled ability to pull the freshest insights from the most unique and important voices in Black America. The conversations in this book offer the type of critical analysis, fresh insight, and unshakable hope necessary to move Black America into new levels of freedom and prosperity. Conversations in Black is urgent and pathbreaking text." (Marc Lamont Hill)

READ THIS NOW!!!

This book is definitely a must read! I enjoyed it from start to finish, and I know I will listen to it again! Well done! Well done!!

Mr. BET NEWS

I have been a supporter of Ed Gordon since his BET days. When I heard him speak on the Steve Harvey radio show and when I watched his interview on the Breakfast Club I knew I wanted to read this book. This book embraces many topics that we in the African American communities have had close net circles. I loved the perspectives from legendary activist like Harry Belafonte to social conscience rappers like TI and Killer Mike. I hope this book starts many conversations in barber shops, beauty salons, fraternity and sorority meetings, and eventually starts a change not only in our mind set to actually bring about positive change in the world. Superb job Mr. Gordon. My only suggestion, I wish the people who where involved in the book where able to narrate their parts beside Ed Gordon I understand that would have been a tough task.

Peace & Blessings

basic in black

great conversation starter for people of color ( anyone actually) but these are all the thoughts we have in our community and it greatly expands on those

Good book - important to read

...but look over the performance. The readers are not the original speakers and I prefer to hear the voice of the actual speaker

This book was enlightening and motivating

Loved it. Everyone can learn about our past, present and future through Conversations in Black

Food for Talk..

Thought provoking on so many levels...well written with contributions from various perspectives. Superb!! Excellent!! Powerful!!

Very thought-provoking. Thank you Ed Gordon.

This 86 year old, white woman, Virginia born and bred, and the Democratic Party activist, just wishes she were younger and her eyesight was better so that she could have more conversations like this. I actually have a couple of ideas about people in my very small neighbor hood very small county with very few Black people in it – but I do count some of them as my friends and others as former students of whom I am fond. Maybe that will happen when the pandemic rules are less restrictive

Have a conversation about the issues

This is how we move the nation forward, one conversation at a time then action.

Must read

I got this book for my reading list in the begging of the year. Never thought it would be so timely. This book explains cultural, political, and life aspects that are key to understand why we are still stuck like we are.
How you can start your own conversations and ask the right questions. I also liked how they go deep into different administrations explaining pros and cons. Written this year, it includes the Trump administration and is compared to the Obama administration. A must read

learn us, love ourselves and make epic strides

worth the read. Good points to start conversations at beauty and barber shops, churches, even at a city park while we watch our kids. I recommend highly. This can be great but we have to want it to be great- let's GO!!