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 spirit of Joan Didion’s essay Notes from a Native Daughter and James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time, a revelatory look at today’s America from writer and activist Kevin Powell as told through an examination of three crucial figures in his life: his mother, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump.

Through personal anecdotes and painstaking research, Kevin Powell delivers an autobiography of America as well as revealing portraits of three diverse and important people in his lifetime. First, he offers an intimate look at his mother, a product of the American South who lived through segregation, classism, and sexism - and still succeeded in raising her son to become a strong Black man.

Coinciding with the 10th anniversary of Barack Obama’s first presidential victory, Powell also reflects on the legacy of the 44th President and his evolution from a revered figure to a hotly debated and polarizing leader by people of all backgrounds. Finally, drawing on his experience touring the South as an activist and public speaker, Powell observes the dynamic rise of President Donald Trump’s popularity and the cultural influence of his supporters.

During this time of confusion, in a nation that’s divided like never before but continues to become more and more diverse than ever, Powell addresses the urgent conversation about race, class, and identity with keenness and compassion.

©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.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

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.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

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.