Hope—and Hard Pills to Swallow—About Fighting for Black Lives
Starred review from January 24, 2022
In this rousing debut, singer-songwriter Henry mines his painful experiences talking with white people about anti-Black racism to chart a path forward for racial justice activists. Rebuking white people who are too firmly rooted in anti-Blackness to make “good neighbors to Black people or valuable partners in the pursuit of racial justice,” Henry tells the story of his political and spiritual transformation in response to the Black Lives Matter movement and the heated discussions he had with white friends and fellow churchgoers about it. For example, the author recounts falling out with a white family that Henry had considered like kin after they refused to acknowledge anti-Black racism following the Ferguson uprising. Then there’s “white Jesus,” one of the friends Henry decided he couldn’t keep after his former theology schoolmate claimed “racism is not a priority to God,” leading Henry to rediscover his faith in Assata Shakur’s inclusive vision of activist religion. Full of fiery encouragement and prophetic hope, Henry argues that Black people have a right to be angry about anti-Blackness even if it means making white people uncomfortable. A timely declaration from an exciting voice, this is sure to inspire those in pursuit of radical change.