The Black Agenda is a collection of essays on various social justice concerns impacting the Black community, written by experts in their field. This was a well researched, informative collection of essays that give you pause when thinking about everyday situations and how they negatively impact marginalized communities.

"The Black Agenda: Bold Solutions for a Broken System" by Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman is an essential and groundbreaking work that confronts systemic injustices with clarity, insight, and a call to action. Opoku-Agyeman fearlessly tackles a wide range of pressing issues facing the Black community, from economic inequality and healthcare disparities to education reform and criminal justice reform. What sets this book apart is its unwavering commitment to not only diagnosing the problems but also proposing actionable solutions rooted in data, history, and lived experience. Opoku-Agyeman's writing is both passionate and meticulously researched, making complex topics accessible without sacrificing depth or nuance. Through powerful storytelling and compelling arguments, she challenges readers to confront their own biases and actively work towards a more equitable society. "The Black Agenda" is not just a book; it's a manifesto for change, a rallying cry for justice, and a testament to the resilience and power of the Black community. It is a must-read for anyone committed to dismantling systemic racism and building a more just and equitable world.

Excellent book with some really well written though out essays. I loved that this book was broken down into different sections. Packed with loads of information, this is definitely something you want to read.

Putting this collection together was a brilliant idea for a book. I liked that the essay authors shared an overview of the issue AND presented potential solutions. I didn't find every essay super detailed or groundbreaking, but they were all helpful introductions to the problems they were addressing. It was clear that the contributing authors were knowledgeable and passionate about their topics, which further proves the value of bringing in and trusting in Black experts. Well done.

Any book that Tressie McMilan Cottom is affiliated with is a book I'm going to read, and this one did not disappoint. Leading social justice scholars and activists contributed essays on various topics concerning African Americans (and therefore all of us), from climate and health care to education and technology to, of course, criminal justice and public policy. We have a long way to go but our problems are not surmountable if we listen to voices like these. This was a thought provoking read, I learned a lot, and I'm recommending to all.
Many thanks to Netgalley for my chance to read this one.

I embraced the idea of this book, but not so much the execution of it. The ideas presented were pretty basic, in my opinion, ones that are already widely known, with little research to aid in actual solutions. It’s still a good read, but it mainly helps tell you what issues are present (although all communities are different) rather than actually fixing said issues.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for letting me read and review this book. The Black Agenda talks about police brutality, racism, white supremacy, and social justice. This is a thought-provoking read that should be required in schools.

"Edited by Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman, The Black Agenda is the first book of its kind—a bold and urgent move towards social justice through a profound collection of essays featuring Black scholars and experts across economics, education, health, climate, and technology. It speaks to the question "What's next for America?" on the subjects of policy-making, mental health, artificial intelligence, climate movement, the future of work, the LGBTQ community, the criminal legal system, and much more."

I learned a lot in this non-fiction book. The writing style was easy to read and informational. There are a variety of essays from top leading scholars and people that talk about different ways to create a more just society.

The book is broken up into 7 different sections: climate, health care, education, technology, criminal justice, economy, and public policy. There are many things Black people face, and there's a lot that needs to be changed in America to make life better.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this book. All opinions in this book are my own.

This book is absolutely amazing. I don't know if amazing is the right word, but I had a hard time putting this book down because I just wanted to keep reading it and learn more and more. I feel like I am not uninformed about many of these topics, because of the massive privilege I have of having gone on through a lot of higher education that placed a large emphasis on multicultural competencies and critically thinking about intersectionality, but so much of this book touched on things that I hadn't considered before - like how climate change is a Black issue.

This book is a collection of essays written by multiple authors who I would say are specialists - or at least extremely highly educated - in the field that they are discussing, and are talking about the intersecting issues of Blackness and XYZ topic. It covers everything from climate change, to the school to prison pipeline, to healthcare. I had multiple moments while reading this book where I had to take a step back and assess the privilege in accessing things that I didn't even realize was a privilege until I was confronted with it in this book. And it was never in a demeaning, or hateful way - purely educational and passionate.

I am trying so hard to learn more about intersectional issues but from the voices of those that are most impacted and marginalized, and I am so grateful I had the opportunity to read this book. This book is exactly that - it is educational, it is smart, and it gives us options on what to do. Because we all need to do something. 10/10 Read this book.

Essays by Black experts from across the US about issues facing Black Americans in social justice, education, economics, and several other conversations discussing how to effect real and lasting change in American law and society.

This was an important book that I instantly fell in love with. There are so many areas of life that we often just see from our own POV. In this book, we get a new view of what life is for others. We should be doing more, and it's evident here. Everyone should read this book to really see what's going on in various industries and how it can be a struggle for people of color.

I see so many problems but I don't see any solutions. I know I need to do better. And this collection of essays was everything I'd hoped it would be. It's broken out in to sections, each with a short and easily readable essay that gave interesting perspective and voice to issues going on today. I was surprised how fast it was to read, how easily the message was relayed and how much I felt like I got out of it. Such a great collection and one I feel like I could re-read and still get new information out of.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

I was provided an arc of this book via netgalley, however I opted to listen to the final production version of the audiobook. As always all opinions expressed are my own. I believe each contribution is narrated by the author. I always enjoy listening to non-fiction articles such as these narrated by their authors, especially in the case of those penned by activists, professionals, and professors who are passionate and experts on the topic.

I thought this was a well put together compilation of various contributors to discuss the racial inequities that exist today. Many of the articles call into context inequity that exists through the COVID-19 pandemic and gives examples of racial inequity that have existed throughout the history of the United States. I picked this book up from Netgalley to learn, and this book brings up some great points. I especially enjoyed the sections about healthcare and education. I enjoyed all of the chapters that backed their positions with data, as a data driven person it is easier for me to understand any topic when numbers are provided to support the commentary. While I don't agree with all of the solutions proposed by the contributors, I'm open to listening and learning about solutions that solve the various issues mentioned in the book. I wholeheartedly agree that these issues need solutions and there is no reason that education, healthcare, employment and the many other topics discussed in this book should be influenced by a persons skin color, or any other perceived difference. As a society, I am ashamed that this is still an issue, but alas humanity is still very ugly.

Overall I think this was a good read. It was a nice mix of articles that covered a broad range of topics with contributors from different backgrounds and varied expertise. I would have liked more data to be included, but if this book drives me to do more research on a certain topic to get more data then I think the book did it's job.

An intellectual grouping of essays by some of the most renowned African American authors out today. Topics range from climate change to politics to social injustice. A must read for everyone no matter nationality, religion, or creed.

This is the wake up call that most need and many have been asking for.

This book has a great overview of the issues the community and culture faces such as health insurance and education. There is so much information as well as resources to get even more information. Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC.

Excellent read for anyone who is interested in understanding the way the world works from the black perspective - talking to white people like myself. It’s very real and frank and direct.

The Black Agenda by Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman

9781250276872

264 Pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Release Date: February 1, 2022

Nonfiction, Multicultural Interest, Politics, Climate Change, LGBTQIA, Health Care, Disability, Mental Health, Technology, Education, Criminal Justice, Economy

This book is a collection of topics showing Black men and women seldom hold positions of leadership in their areas of expertise. The book was well written and researched with many works cited. The different topics certainly made me think and ask questions as to why some of these ideas were not put into action already. If you are interested in multicultural issues, this is a wonderful book.

This book contains a variety of essays from a variety of people across the black diaspora, that bring to light a variety of issues that plague us as African Americans. Each essay was eye opening, thought provoking and enlightening. This was such a powerful read that is definitely one of those books that need to be read by all.

I received a copy of the book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review of my own thoughts and opinions.

Black scholars are gathered together to discuss solutions for several areas where Black people are specifically marginalized and underserved. From health care to technology to the environment to the justice system, these are important ideas that should be not just included but centered. Chapters are short, by different scholars in each field, and use a variety of sources - academic and recent news rhetoric, etc. This is the antidote to all the freakouts about CRT.

I've already pulled a few tidbits from the technology section for my own work as an academic librarian, where we discuss personal information use and algorithms, etc.

I'm really glad that I finished this book to learn the injustices Black people in particular face in healthcare, economic justice, and environmental justice for instance. It was a solid book that informed me how Black people in America are continuously underserved from systematic racism and how America could better serve racial minorities. By the way, I especially got excited when the book discussed how algorithmic fairness could better benefit Black people and intersectionality with Black Queer people.

The Black Agenda is an excellent collection of essays that is very relevant today. I found this to be a very important and informative read.