Thank you northatlantic for the alc and finished copy of this book!

I’m sure you all have heard me post about this book. This book is special for many reasons - 1. I know Aida personally and 2) I had the opportunity to moderate my first in-person book club with her!

I always keep my reviews honest so just know these thoughts are all my own. I loved this book because of all of the things I learned from it. Aida has done so much research and that’s evident in this book. The book is broken down into three parts, Remember, Refuse and Reclaim. And in the bok, she challenges to Remember the past, Refuse what doesn’t serve us, and Reclaim our freedom and joy.

As a first generation Ethiopian American, there were so many elements to this book that I related to. I highlighted so much because there were so many parts that just spoke to me. This book has me thinking about what I've learned in all aspects of my life: as a black woman in America, as a project manager, and as a person; how do I want to show up?, what do I want to refuse? and what do I want to reclaim?

One of things Aida said in our conversation is that experiencing joy is our birthright and I couldn’t agree more.

This book is a must read. The lenses and view point of decolonization, especially in our current social climate was refreshing and inspiring!
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher!

First off, this is a powerful and practical book which opens up opportunities for Global Majority People to work together, Black and Brown people with their Indigenous siblings, to reclaim their power and freedom from the colonial settler impositions and mindsets. I requested and downloaded it so I could share it on my blog, my only real platform; as I started to read it, I realised it wasn't really appropriate for me to be poking around in this Own Voices / African content, so I'm limiting myself to sharing it here and on my blog so people for whom it will be useful might see it.

‘Kindred Creation’ is a call to design a world that honors and sustains Black futures, rooted in African lifeways. It’s structured in three sections —Remember, Refuse, and Reclaim. Aida invites readers to unforget ancestral connections and resist colonial structures that have sought to sever these ties.

This work is a blueprint for Black freedom, a love letter to intergenerational joy, and a powerful reminder of the worlds we can birth on our own terms.

Aida’s journey from grassroots organizing with Malcolm X Grassroots Movement to her work with the Sierra Club and her founding of Decolonize Design brings depth and authenticity to ‘Kindred Creation’. Her BDJJ (Belonging, Dignity, Justice, and Joy) framework offers an alternative to the often superficial DEI industry, emphasizing deep, relational movement-building that speaks to our universal sacred personhood and the sustainability of our earth.

For anyone seeking a guide to freedom, joy, and the reclamation of African lifeways—‘Kindred Creation’ is a must-read.

“Simply put, I don’t want a seat at the colonizers’ table and I don’t want to renovate their house.”

I acknowledge that I am not the intended audience of this book, but as someone passionate about decolonisation and Antiracism, and the parent of a Black child, I found this a brilliant and integral book with a seminal approach to decolonising your mind and life.

I am very thankful to Aida Mariam Davis, North Atlantic Books and Netgalley for the ARC

An important and integral reading to people who are passionate about decoloniality. It requires ability to sit with hard to unlearn facts, and the next steps for future-making.