I Won't Shut Up

Finding Your Voice When the World Tries to Silence You

By: Ally Henny, Danielle Coke - foreword

Narrated by: Ally Henny

Being Black in a society developed by white men to benefit white men means constantly pushing back against systems that were not constructed for your flourishing. White privilege. White cultural norms. White beauty standards. White noise. You're made to feel that your life doesn't matter, your opinions aren't valid, and your entire existence is too loud. It can feel like the whole world is telling you to shut up.

To these forces, Ally Henny is here to say, "No. I am a loud Black woman, and I won't shut up." Ally knows what it's like to navigate racism and racialized sexism, having spent most of her life in predominantly white spaces. She's not taking it anymore, and she's calling you to join her in resisting racism by speaking the truth—no matter the cost. In this compelling book, Ally tells her own story of finding her voice, pushing back against oppression, and embracing her unique perspective as a loud Black woman. And she invites you to find your voice in a world that tries to silence you.

If you're tired of feeling silenced, misunderstood, and abused by society, you'll find here powerful words of liberation that will empower you to find—and use—your voice.

©2023 Ally Henny (P)2023 eChristian

Get this book

Please folks, read/listen to this book.

I just finished it and my understanding is that it is primarily geared toward empowering Black people, specifically Black women.

My experience reading this as a white person, was a learning one. Looking at ways that I have contributed to racism, that I haven’t seen before.

I often found myself talking out loud as I listened, agreeing with Ally and reacting to her experiences. I even found myself feeling empowered and understood in my own journey.

Side note from an autistic perspective: often times neurotypical writers have an expectation for readers to…read into things that aren’t straightforward. That is not the case with Ally. She is straightforward and clear about what she is saying.

I got the audiobook from Audible. She narrates her book and she is an amazing narrator. She is soft spoken, yet speaks with strength, I would listen to anything she narrates.

Hopefully this helps someone who was on the fence about the book.

Sophia Thomas

Heartfelt, honest, & clear. This book has helped me & encouraged me. Ally Henny’s narration also kept me engaged & was wonderful to listen to.

Presentation and simplicity

Exemplary storytelling with clear and concise delivery. Powerful, educational and informative. A must read for discovering your voice and taking action.

Skillful blend of story and commentary

I sometimes struggle with nonfiction books when they shift into commentary/theory/reflection without the structure and forward momentum of a story. In addition to appreciating Mrs. Henny's valuable commentary and insights, she does an amazing job here of structuring them within the story of her life. Her choices of what stories to tell in detail served her overall purpose well, and those stories were told in a way that will make you angry on her behalf (but not asking for pity) and inspire you to fight for a better world. I so appreciate her vulnerability, and the choice to have her narrate her own book was absolutely correct. She is a phenomenal narrator and I don't think it could have been anyone else. Wonderful and important book, wonderful audiobook performance.

Authenticity at its finest

Ally has a beautiful way of being authentically herself and her voice shines through in this book. loved it!