Hello dear Readers,
Below my book review of This is the Fire: What I Say to my Friends about Racism by Don Lemon.
Title: This is the Fire: What I Say to my Friends about Racism
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Genre: Ethnic/ African American Studies
Author: Don Lemon
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Publication Date: March 16, 2021
Publication Date: March 16, 2021
Language: English
Book Description
In this ‘vital book for these times’ (Kirkus Reviews), Don Lemon brings his vast audience and experience as a reporter and a Black man to today’s most urgent question: How can we end racism in America in our lifetimes?
The host of CNN Tonight with Don Lemon is more popular than ever. As America’s only Black prime-time anchor, Lemon and his daily monologues on racism and antiracism, on the failures of the Trump administration and of so many of our leaders, and on America’s systemic flaws speak for his millions of fans. Now, in an urgent, deeply personal, riveting plea, he shows us all how deep our problems lie, and what we can do to begin to fix them.
The host of CNN Tonight with Don Lemon is more popular than ever. As America’s only Black prime-time anchor, Lemon and his daily monologues on racism and antiracism, on the failures of the Trump administration and of so many of our leaders, and on America’s systemic flaws speak for his millions of fans. Now, in an urgent, deeply personal, riveting plea, he shows us all how deep our problems lie, and what we can do to begin to fix them.
Beginning with a letter to one of his Black nephews, he proceeds with reporting and reflections on his slave ancestors, his upbringing in the shadows of segregation, and his adult confrontations with politicians, activists, and scholars. In doing so, Lemon offers a searing and poetic ultimatum to America. He visits the slave port where a direct ancestor was shackled and shipped to America. He recalls a slave uprising in Louisiana, just a few miles from his birthplace. And he takes us to the heart of the 2020 protests in New York City. As he writes to his young nephew: We must resist racism every single day. We must resist it with love.
My Thoughts
What an important book. You could feel the urgency of Don's words, without having to listen to his voice.
Another reminder of the times we are living in, and the importance, more than ever before, to recognize, to acknowledge that Racism is a problem, a very real one, and that until we don't do something about, really do something about it, this is not going to end.
I appreciate Don Lemon's book in the sense that for me, a white person, has helped me to continue learning, to continue understanding, and educate myself, and what I can do to do something about it.
Every page, every word on this book is important. We as a society, need to understand that we have to come together and solve this issue once and for all and perhaps, one day, we will be able to say that the fire has finally been extinguished, for real, for good.
"In every beautiful moment, there is an element of pain. And in every painful moment there is some element of beauty. That's what makes love such fertile ground for change."
