My Mother. Barack Obama. Donald Trump. And the Last Stand of the Angry White Man.

By: Kevin Powell

Narrated by: Kevin Powell

Length: 8 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's Summary

Written in the tradition of works by Joan Didion, bell hooks, Toni Morrison, and Eve Ensler, this “profoundly insightful and brilliantly inciting” (Dominique Morisseau, Obie Award-winning playwright) exploration of the soul of the United States - the past, the present, and the future Kevin Powell wants for us all, through the lens and lives of three major figures: his mother, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump. 

Ten short years ago, Barack Obama became president of the United States, and changed the course of history. Ten short years ago, our America was hailed globally as a breathtaking example of democracy, as a rainbow coalition of everyday people marching to the same drum beat. We had finally overcome. 

But had we? 

Both the presidencies of Obama and Donald Trump have produced some of the ugliest divides in history: horrific racial murders, non-stop mass shootings, the explosion of attacks on immigrants and on the LGBTQ community, the rise of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, a massive gap between the haves and the have-nots, and legions of women stepping forth to challenge sexual violence - and men - in all forms. 

In this collection of 13 powerful essays, “Kevin Powell thoughtfully weaves together the connective tissue between gender, race, sexuality, pop culture, and sports through a series of raw, incredibly personal essays” (Jemele Hill, writer and ESPN anchor). Be it politics, sports, pop culture, hip-hop music, mental health, racism, #MeToo, or his very complicated relationship with his mother, these impassioned essays are not merely a mirror of who we are, but also who and what Powell thinks we ought to be.

©2018 Kevin Powell (P)2018 Simon & Schuster

I Usually Love Kevin from beginning to end but...

I liked this book... I really did, but coming off of Assata, The Aretha Franklin biography, and knowing so much of Kevin’s work I’m concerned that this was a bunch of short essays about what he thinks about current pop culture as a whole. It’s just thrown together in a book. It’s in Kevin’s voice, and it feels familiar. You get a lot of what he’s trying to say, but I’m not really sure that we needed a book on the lens through which Kevin Powell sees the modern world.

His voice is and will always be relevant. He is an excellent story teller, but we have read/heard his story about pushing the young lady into the door and his past of toxic masculinity. We didn’t need it in this book. Just like we didn’t really need more of the Tupac talk, even though I love when Kev talks about Pac.

We want to hear about the depths of Kevin’s spiritual journey. His experience as a yogi. Stories from the trails he hikes. How he met his wife. How his shift from toxic masculinity led to a much healthier relationship to women and how it has blessed his marriage. That’s what we want from Kevin. Love you man.

Awesome Book About Self Awareness & Challenging What We Believe About Those Different From Us.

This was by far one of the best book I’ve read this year. This is a book should be added to every high school’s English class mandatory reading list. Each and every person regardless of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, political beliefs, etc. can benefit from this book. The title might upset some people, but it’s those people that are possibly shocked, offended, or angered by the title that should read this book. One of the biggest lessons that I took from this book is that I want to be a bridge builder and not a bridge breaker. I have to make it my business each day to bridge the gap between myself and those different from me by stepping out of my comfort zone, and challenge my beliefs, privileges, what I condone, my prejudices, and not engage in lazy thinking/maladaptive things that I have learned about myself and those different from me over the years.

Boring

This book was recommended to me by an avid reader. I agreed with many points Kevin Powell was making. However, I felt that this book was a long litany of statements that are weekly strung together. Disappointing.