I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness
May 2018 · Sold by Convergent Books
4.4star
56 reviews
Ebook
192
Pages
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About this ebook
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • REESE’S BOOK CLUB PICK • From a leading voice on racial justice, an eye-opening account of growing up Black, Christian, and female that exposes how white America’s love affair with “diversity” so often falls short of its ideals.
“Austin Channing Brown introduces herself as a master memoirist. This book will break open hearts and minds.”—Glennon Doyle, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Untamed
Austin Channing Brown’s first encounter with a racialized America came at age seven, when she discovered her parents named her Austin to deceive future employers into thinking she was a white man. Growing up in majority-white schools and churches, Austin writes, “I had to learn what it means to love blackness,” a journey that led to a lifetime spent navigating America’s racial divide as a writer, speaker, and expert helping organizations practice genuine inclusion.
In a time when nearly every institution (schools, churches, universities, businesses) claims to value diversity in its mission statement, Austin writes in breathtaking detail about her journey to self-worth and the pitfalls that kill our attempts at racial justice. Her stories bear witness to the complexity of America’s social fabric—from Black Cleveland neighborhoods to private schools in the middle-class suburbs, from prison walls to the boardrooms at majority-white organizations.
For readers who have engaged with America’s legacy on race through the writing of Ta-Nehisi Coates and Michael Eric Dyson, I’m Still Here is an illuminating look at how white, middle-class, Evangelicalism has participated in an era of rising racial hostility, inviting the reader to confront apathy, recognize God’s ongoing work in the world, and discover how blackness—if we let it—can save us all.
“Austin Channing Brown introduces herself as a master memoirist. This book will break open hearts and minds.”—Glennon Doyle, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Untamed
Austin Channing Brown’s first encounter with a racialized America came at age seven, when she discovered her parents named her Austin to deceive future employers into thinking she was a white man. Growing up in majority-white schools and churches, Austin writes, “I had to learn what it means to love blackness,” a journey that led to a lifetime spent navigating America’s racial divide as a writer, speaker, and expert helping organizations practice genuine inclusion.
In a time when nearly every institution (schools, churches, universities, businesses) claims to value diversity in its mission statement, Austin writes in breathtaking detail about her journey to self-worth and the pitfalls that kill our attempts at racial justice. Her stories bear witness to the complexity of America’s social fabric—from Black Cleveland neighborhoods to private schools in the middle-class suburbs, from prison walls to the boardrooms at majority-white organizations.
For readers who have engaged with America’s legacy on race through the writing of Ta-Nehisi Coates and Michael Eric Dyson, I’m Still Here is an illuminating look at how white, middle-class, Evangelicalism has participated in an era of rising racial hostility, inviting the reader to confront apathy, recognize God’s ongoing work in the world, and discover how blackness—if we let it—can save us all.
Ratings and reviews
4.4
56 reviews
S o l u t r e a n s WereTheN a t i v e s
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September 24, 2020
Of course the noses are commenting spilling out jealous antlwhlte hate like always they are the problem and liars that want a lowlQMlxed groups in society. If anyone should be defunded its them. We deserve reparations and justice from those jealous lying deceitful criminals for past and present crimes. Look up,GulagMagadan,CelticFilms also look up ProfTonyMartin. They should read and watch those documents I listed revealing the truth about them of course there is more but I cant put it on here since they despise truth. One last name is, - berg,should wake up its the other way around the real inequality and injustice is done to WhltePeople esp by them. Also our hidden history to push multlculture. Most jobs hire nonwhltes over whltes to.
5 people found this review helpful
A Google user
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October 13, 2018
I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Author Austin Channing Brown wrote with such honesty, transparency, love and power. I also liked the spiritual aspect of her book too. Hearing the words of Jesus or incorporating Scripture helped to alleviate my feelings of being inadequate or not spiritually mature enough. Mrs. Brown's descriptions of specific events and experiences, I think, would resonate with many black people. The writing was clear and drew me into her story. She didn't have to use big words to show how educated she is. Instead, she told the story that helped form a connection and confirmed most of what I have felt and often feel. However, I couldn't seem to find the words to articulate those feelings and thoughts. Perhaps, I was too afraid of my anger or wanted to make white people comfortable and some black people too. As a result, I have felt different and out of place. I believed if I just learned to "fit in," then I would be OK. I would be able to blend in with the system. Or if I were like Angela Davis or Zora Neal Hurston, as the author mentioned, I would be OK. However, I am not them. Being a social issues advocate writer, I struggle with speaking truth to power. However, Mrs. Brown's book has set me free. The book should be a must read for all black people, especially young people.
7 people found this review helpful
Andrew Block
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October 30, 2018
In this excellent account of her life, Austin Channing Brown paints a picture of a life rife with constant and subtle slights punctuated by more notable offenses. She creates a window into her life that allow others, especially those in the majority culture of the United States, to better grasp the frequent frustration and disappointment that black women face on a regular basis. This quick read is a wonderful and saddening narrative with significant depth and reflection. While it is a story, it should be easy for white readers, like myself, to walk away with a number of takeaway that will influence how they live and interact with those around him or herself.
8 people found this review helpful
About the author
Austin Channing Brown is a speaker, writer, and media producer providing inspired leadership on racial justice in America. She is the author of I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness and the executive producer of the web series The Next Question. Her writing and work have been featured by outlets such as On Being, Chicago Tribune, Christianity Today, Sojourners, Shondaland, and WNYC.
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