This book is a collection of excellent surveys from some of the top scholars, activists, and leaders working on how to create a better society. The book is broke down into different sections: Climate, Health Care, Education, Technology, Criminal Justice, Economy, and Public Policy. I personally enjoyed the inclusion of student loans and its impact on Black people.

This book is very informative and thought provoking without overwhelming you with too dense of research. I enjoyed the variety of perspective, hard data, and personal experience. This will be amazing for Collegiate students.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4.5 stars

This was a very strong collection of essays by multiple experts in their field, each of whom is people of color. Each essay is fairly short, and most are on the scholarly side, but they hit the essential points for how we should approach changing the system in very practical ways, that would have a long-lasting, positive impact, not just for people of color, but on our country as a whole. Some of the essays were easier for me to follow than others, partly because I was more versed in the topic (for example on incarceration and its effect on black women and on black communities), having read other works that address similar issues. What distinguishes this book from others is the wide range of topics that they cover and the incredible wealth of knowledge represented by each of the writers. This is a book that should absolutely be studied in the classroom, and read by policymakers at all levels. But it is not the answer to everything--rather it is a very good starting point. I highly recommend this book to those seeking to learn practical ways we can help change things for the better.

I received an advance review copy from NetGalley for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was wonderful book that gave me a look at the struggles of the black culture outside of the very little that I experience in my area and see through the media. I live in a predominately white state, and so this book was wonderful to me. A lot of these essays opened my eyes.

I would recommend this book for anyone who is interested in policy issued, studying social sciences or who just have an desire to learn more about what the experts in Black culture think. This was a very enjoyable read. I found that it flowed a lot smoother than I expected it to.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was definitely an eye opening book for me. Each essay had its own point of view and lesson. I feel as if this book is important for anyone and everyone to read.

The Black Agenda is a collection of essays depicting the lives, struggles, and wins of Black America and is also one of the most thought-provoking books I’ve read this year. It could very well be a good start in creating the blueprint necessary to answer the need for deeper and more open and honest conversations about race and race relations in the US and worldwide. The essays themselves are good, but I think the bread and butter is the slew of sources within the pages and a recommended reading guide. Each new resource/book offers even more resources, and with all of the information out in the world, not knowing something is no longer a viable excuse that it once was for so many not to learn.

Voluntarily reviewed after receiving a free copy courtesy of NetGalley, the Publisher, and the author, Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman.

Pub date: 2/1/22 (out now!)
Genre: own voices, politics, nonfiction
Publisher summary: 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.

This short book packs a punch. I loved hearing from Back experts about issues that run the gamut of social justice, from education, to mental health, to the legal system and more. In order to be an ally, it's so important to listen to and center Black voices rather than making assumptions and centering oneself. I'm rating this one 4 stars because of 5 because I wish the essays had been a bit longer, but I think this is a great book for anyone who wants to be an ally in the pursuit of social justice. If your book club is looking for a nonfiction read, this would be a great pick.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wish I had discovered this collection of essays a few weeks ago when I started my American systemic issues research paper -- this is exactly the kind of writing I wanted them to emulate and aim for!

Each essay is a short study of an issue that impacts African Americans in US society. These topics range from the impact of technology, climate, health care, and the justice system. In these pieces, readers are educated about the topic using current research and offered solutions to start making change. While some of the solutions are small, such as changing our perspective, some are much larger like policy change.

In my minimal anti-racist reading, it can be tough to find ways I can feel as if I can make change. Most texts out there help shift the mindset of the reader or attempt to make the reader less ignorant about the topic at hand. While that is certainly necessary, I've been itching for ways to take this work to the next level, and this book provides a few ways to do so.

Content alone, this collection gets high praise -- I will be taking short pieces as exemplars for my students and to use for pre-reading for units that touch upon some of these topics. However, the writing felt repetitive and formulaic, despite the varied number of authors. While I understand it's necessary to follow the same format (define, educate, call to action), many of the essays used the same transition structure (first, second, lastly), which made it difficult to be engaged in the writing style throughout.

I learned a lot from this text, and I'm hopeful that some of these authors are planning deep dives into the topics of their essays in this book so I can read even more!

Like many collections, some essays worked better for me than others, but I am so glad I read this book. It offered new and unique ways to look at topics being discussed for centuries.

Important and impressive collection of essays. The writing is quite academic so the reading is not easy but there are great points throughout. 3.5 stars

The Black Agenda is a collection of essays written by Black scholars. These scholars explore climate change, rioting, healthcare, racism and police interactions, and how these interactions have effected Black people in the past as well as today. This is a very deep book and I admit I had to read it in small doses as it is a lot to absorb. The most insightful chapter for me was about climate change because I honestly never really thought about climate change in the aspect of how it effects Black people in impoverished community, just by simply living in certain neighborhoods. I’m not a huge fiction fan, but I was able to explore areas I was not fully educated on before.
Thank you St Martin’s Publishing Group and NetGalley for this ARC

This book took a minute for me to get into but it was a wonderful read in the end. Full of essays by Black authors that truly are a call for allies and a call for voices to be heard. The essays are short and to the point - definitely a book you can read along side another since each essay holds its own

The word "agenda" sounds nefarious as though this book might outline some evil plot. As stated in the last section of the book: "In a way, The Black Agenda is one big policy proposal inclusive of bold ideas as told through the lens of Black experts, communicators, activists, and organizers." I couldn't say it better myself. These bold ideas are in the cause of providing equity and equality to Black Americans who are still living with overt, passive, and systemic racism. A collection of essays (that felt like speeches) on topics such as Climate, Health Care, Wellness, Education, Technology, Criminal Justice, Economy, and Public Policy, this book would make a great DEI book club read as none of the presentations go very deep into substance but all feel like excellent conversation starters. Many provide a list of Works Cited and I feel like a group could explore each topic individually by starting with this book and its ideas and following up with the other works. In fact, I only read one section at a time and let it sit with me before moving on to the next one. Additionally, I liked the inclusion of how the pandemic has singularly impacted communities of color. Our country's "return to normal" needs to be a new normal and this book helps provide a pathway to that.

The Black Agenda is an eye-opening book. It’s a collection of essays diving into topics like Climate, Health Care, Education, Criminal Justice, and the Economy. This book goes beyond showing how Black people are negatively impacted by political decisions being made by not working with the people being affected. This book also offers up solutions for better changes.

What I loved about this book is it each essay is written by a Black person. Written by the experts that were often left out of the conversations from the beginning. The essays are not from a heteronormative perspective and include the LGBTQ and disabled community.

This book acknowledges that it cannot and will not fix the system. The works cited provide great references for getting started.

5 stars

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

In the foreward of The Black Agenda, editor Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman asks, "Do Black experts matter?" She then presents her readers with a sterling set of essays by Black experts on social issues--from police brutality to climate change. This collection is a groundbreaking cry for change--for a movement of change!

This was everything I wanted from this book. Black scholars and experts rose to teh challenge of hard topics that they should have already been centered in. I felt like I highlighted half the book!

Excellent Book with essays from top leading scholars and individuals working on how to create a more just society. The book is broken into sections: 1) Climate 2) Health Care 3) Education 4) Technology 5) Criminal Justice 6) Economy and 7) Public Policy. It was very thought provoking and addressed many of the obstacles African Americans are facing. If we are to move forward as a society, much can be done, and it is a disservice to all to leave seriously intelligent black men and women out of these discussions and leaving them dismissed. What I liked most about this book is the many people that contributed to it. Yes, the problems caused by racism, sexism, ingrained attitudes are discussed, but it shows that these problems do not have to plague America forever. These scholars are proof of this. There are many diversified ideas presented and it is possible to implement policy and programs that will cause a shift in the imbalance that is disproportionate to African Americans. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants a better understanding of how our country functions and those who want to think about solutions. This is a bold book, but one that is needed. I learned a lot of information and think that is always needed.

Thank you NetGalley, Editor Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman, and St. Martin’s Press for providing me a copy of this book.

I loved this book. An ode to black experts. Worked for both my reviews and research on digital environments. I will be posting my review this weekend on Tiktok (@K4FIA)

*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley, and I’m leaving an honest review.*

Wow! This book is packed full of information from Black experts across a variety of fields. I’m still digesting everything I read and will honestly probably need to reread at least one or two more times to process. Everyone should pick this book up; no matter how “woke” you think you are, Black experts need to be included in the discussions on combatting racism in every aspect of society, and we should all be listening to them more and using our voices to amplify theirs. So many important points brought to light and solutions proposed. It can be daunting to consider all the work that needs to be done in our country, but the contributors articulate detailed actions that we should work towards. This book isn’t an exhaustive list of areas that need to be addressed, but it gives a broader range than most and really emphasizes the intersection of race and key areas like climate change, healthcare, education, etc. Additional resources for further reading are also provided. I should also note the timeliness and relevance of the content; the most recent date I remember reading was August 2021, so the contributors were able to incorporate very recent events (pandemic, recent elections and congressional votes, etc.) into their solutions and commentary.

An illuminating book. It is definitely one to read to provoke your notions of what you know and what you don't. The part with the after school program was a gut punch to me. As a mother of bi-racial kids, I would not have tolerated my kids being treated that way. I know the real world for them will not treat them right.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This is amazing. The Black Agenda is an informative and important collection of Black expertise and how the USA can implement changes on all levels of policy to make a better society for everyone.

Divided into sections that organize the individual essays, The Black Agenda covers all major areas where Black expertise is needed and ignored. From the prison industrial complex, education, the COVID pandemic and healthcare, no topic is left unexplored. I found everything to be engaging and well explained. The first section about the environment grabbed me right away and I wanted to highlight everything so I could come back to it.

This is a book many will want to refer back to. It has so many great solutions and strategies to help businesses and governments to divest from white supremacy and invest in the well being of its citizens. The only section I struggled with was the Economy, but that's mostly because I have zero interest in that kind of stuff. I think people who are invested in stocks and the like will find this section particularly enlightening.

Overall, I cannot recommend this enough.

CWs: Racism, police brutality. Moderate: Death, gun violence, hate crime, murder, gaslighting, ableism, mentions of colonisation and stolen land, general queerphobia/queermisia, transphobia/transmisia, mentions of drug addiction specifically the cocaine epidemic and the war on drugs, mentions of pregnancy, mentions of reproductive justice (does specify to women which is reductive and non-inclusive terminology), mentions of medical content in discussions of the health care system.