Review by Booklist Review
From his perspective of more than 80 years of life, much of it as a comedian, activist, and social critic, the recently deceased Gregory takes a hard look at American racism, poking fun at absurdities and offering opinions on everything racial, from the Middle Passage to the current Black Lives Matter movement. From civil rights marches to rallies protesting the Vietnam War, Gregory has been on the front line along with such luminaries as Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Angela Davis, Rosa Parks, and Muhammad Ali. With his inimitable style, Gregory pokes fun at racism, taking a comical look at the impact of slavery and racism on American culture, from black hair-styling to white obsession with tanning. Amid the sarcasm, Gregory argues for greater self-knowledge and cultural pride among black people and a deeper understanding of the contributions of African Americans to the development and culture of the entire population of the U.S. Gregory's examination of American history from a black perspective is both humorous and inspiring.--Bush, Vanessa Copyright 2017 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
As Gregory (1932-2017) tells it, he is an activist, critic, comedian, and conspiracy theorist. In this book, he combines all these talents to tell a history that is at once tragic, inspiring, revealing, and even tear-jerking. Each bite-sized section recounts truly defining moments in black history. Gregory traces the story of black America from the Middle Passage to the current (and continuing) fight against white supremacy. Starting with an introduction to "Dickology," Gregory breaks the history down by theme, including: "Searching for Freedom"; "Solidarity"; "Making Something Out of Nothing;" and "Running in Place, Embarassing the Race." He explains the significance of events and people related to each theme in entries packed with information and often laced with humor and firsthand accounts, bringing plenty of liveliness to the narrative. VERDICT Some readers might object to Gregory's "conspiracies," but that shouldn't stop them from giving this book a thorough read. With so much history packed into each segment, this eye-opening volume is sure to get readers thinking. Recommended for all readers of history, and an excellent conversation-starter for book groups.-Gricel Dominguez, Florida International Univ. Lib. © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
The comedian, activist, and social critic highlights key events in black history in America.Gregory (Callus on My Soul, 2000, etc.) notes that his perspective is unique because he was thereat least for many of the 20th-century events he chronicles. The author traces black history from the beginnings of the slave trade out of Africa, a history with which most readers are familiar. But Gregory adds further facts that got left behind. For example, regarding the horrific middle passage: "Prior to the Middle Passage sharks had a natural migration.Then [it] came alongall that blood in the ocean. The blood of millions of black people. The sharks changed their migration pattern to follow the blood." The book is full of such eye-openingsometimes shockinghistorical tidbits, about everything from Rosa Parks to the Dred Scott decision to Pullman Porters to the Montgomery Bus Boycott to the Million Man March to W.E.B. Du Bois, Booker T. Washington, and the Atlanta Compromise. The book is full of heroes and heroines, many that history books overlooke.g., Dorothy Height, the "godmother of civil rights." Not surprisingly in a book from Gregory, the conspiracy theories are in abundance, and many make perfect sense. Certainly, there have been white supremacists who hatched plots to defeat and even kill blacks who tried to band together for their rights. Gregory's attitude is not one of anger, and he shows a deep respect for God: "I plant the turnips, but it's your sunshineyour rain that waters the crops." The author believes most in the need for progress and change, which, he admits, "does not come quickly." But it is crucial, and it requires knowledge. "Along with my activism," he writes, "I have spent my entire life in the pursuit of knowledge." Gregory's devotion to civil rights and his global recognition add to his appealing writing style and clever sense of humor to make this a book for a wide audience. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
