Narrator Emmett Wheatfall delivers a conversational performance in this autobiography by activist and photographer Richard Brown. He is best known for his community activism between police and the Black community in Portland, Oregon. This inspirational memoir reflects on Brown’s childhood in 1940s Harlem and his military experience, both of which were impacted by his Blackness and informed his later activism. Wheatfall casually modulates between the righteous indignation of resisting white supremacy and a friendly nonchalance while detailing hard-won victories and feelings of Black pride. Wheatfall’s mature tone and consistent pacing perfectly capture Brown’s candid writing style. Listeners will find this audiobook full of inspiring and tangible guidance to bring to their own activism. A.K.R. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
A long-time activist in the Black community of Portland, Oregon, reflects on his accomplishments and the work still to be done.
This Is Not for You tells the story of activist and photographer Richard Brown, a Black Portlander who has spent decades working to bridge the divide between police and the Black community. His memoir brings listeners with him into the streets with fellow activists, into squad cars with the rank-and-file, and to regular meetings with mayors and police chiefs. There are very few people doing the kind of work Richard Brown has done. And that, as he sees it, is a big problem.
The book finds Brown approaching his eightieth birthday and reflecting on his life. As he recalls his childhood in 1940s Harlem, his radicalization in the newly desegregated Air Force, and his decades of activism in one of America's whitest cities, he questions how much longer he can do this work and he wonders who, if anyone, will take his place.
This is a book about how and why to become an engaged, activist citizen and how activists can stay grounded, no matter how deeply they immerse themselves in the work. It also offers an intimate, firsthand look at policing: what policing is and could be, how civilians can have a say, and how police can and should be responsive to and inclusive of civilian voices. This Is Not for You speaks about being Black in America: about Black pride; Black history, art, and culture; and the experience of resisting white supremacy. It also stands as a much-needed counternarrative to Portlandia, telling a different story about the city and who has shaped it.
A long-time activist in the Black community of Portland, Oregon, reflects on his accomplishments and the work still to be done.
This Is Not for You tells the story of activist and photographer Richard Brown, a Black Portlander who has spent decades working to bridge the divide between police and the Black community. His memoir brings listeners with him into the streets with fellow activists, into squad cars with the rank-and-file, and to regular meetings with mayors and police chiefs. There are very few people doing the kind of work Richard Brown has done. And that, as he sees it, is a big problem.
The book finds Brown approaching his eightieth birthday and reflecting on his life. As he recalls his childhood in 1940s Harlem, his radicalization in the newly desegregated Air Force, and his decades of activism in one of America's whitest cities, he questions how much longer he can do this work and he wonders who, if anyone, will take his place.
This is a book about how and why to become an engaged, activist citizen and how activists can stay grounded, no matter how deeply they immerse themselves in the work. It also offers an intimate, firsthand look at policing: what policing is and could be, how civilians can have a say, and how police can and should be responsive to and inclusive of civilian voices. This Is Not for You speaks about being Black in America: about Black pride; Black history, art, and culture; and the experience of resisting white supremacy. It also stands as a much-needed counternarrative to Portlandia, telling a different story about the city and who has shaped it.
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Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940176295993 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Blackstone Audio, Inc. |
| Publication date: | 03/02/2021 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
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