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megatsunami's review
4.0
Great book, worthwhile read. I find it interesting that I haven't heard more about this book from my lefty friends; other "year of..." books seem to have gotten a lot more attention. This book was really enjoyable and interesting, and did a good job of weaving together the family's personal story with historical and current facts about the economic issues surrounding African American business. It really raised my awareness about the topic, and inspired me to want to learn more about where my dollars are going. It was very disheartening that she was able to find so few Black-owned businesses in Chicago, a city with a large Black population. It made me wonder about Oakland, which has a similar reputation - how many Black-owned businesses do we have?
Though she does examine structural issues affecting African American business, ultimately the author focuses a lot on individuals needing to make different consumer choices rather than on the need for different policies. That makes sense given her background and her experience that it was really frustrating when she tried to get other African Americans to get involved in this cause. I don't disagree with her conclusions necessarily, but the facts she presents in her own book show that a lot of other forces besides individual consumer choice are at play, so it doesn't seem like individual consumer choice could be enough to solve the problem. Then again, she does show some convincing numbers about how African Americans' buying power could impact Black-owned businesses.
I wished she had explored further the differences between the economic situation of African Americans and other ethnic groups. Maybe she was trying not to be divisive, which I can certainly understand. But when she went into the Latino-owned supermarket and was commenting about how successful it was, it really begged the question. Is it about the wealth gap? Is it about community cohesion and ethnic identity? Is it about historical oppression and division within groups? This seems to me like an important question to explore.
Also, I thought the chapter on gentrification was somewhat confusing. She seemed to contradict herself, and I couldn't tell how she was defining "gentrification" or what exactly she was advocating instead.
Side note, but I wondered why she didn't look for Black-owned online businesses. For example, when she was looking for clothes for her kids, I thought surely she could have looked for Black makers on Etsy, or found some other online Black-owned clothing retailer. Or maybe I'm naively hopeful and the online market is equally White.
Though she does examine structural issues affecting African American business, ultimately the author focuses a lot on individuals needing to make different consumer choices rather than on the need for different policies. That makes sense given her background and her experience that it was really frustrating when she tried to get other African Americans to get involved in this cause. I don't disagree with her conclusions necessarily, but the facts she presents in her own book show that a lot of other forces besides individual consumer choice are at play, so it doesn't seem like individual consumer choice could be enough to solve the problem. Then again, she does show some convincing numbers about how African Americans' buying power could impact Black-owned businesses.
I wished she had explored further the differences between the economic situation of African Americans and other ethnic groups. Maybe she was trying not to be divisive, which I can certainly understand. But when she went into the Latino-owned supermarket and was commenting about how successful it was, it really begged the question. Is it about the wealth gap? Is it about community cohesion and ethnic identity? Is it about historical oppression and division within groups? This seems to me like an important question to explore.
Also, I thought the chapter on gentrification was somewhat confusing. She seemed to contradict herself, and I couldn't tell how she was defining "gentrification" or what exactly she was advocating instead.
Side note, but I wondered why she didn't look for Black-owned online businesses. For example, when she was looking for clothes for her kids, I thought surely she could have looked for Black makers on Etsy, or found some other online Black-owned clothing retailer. Or maybe I'm naively hopeful and the online market is equally White.
lundyd98's review
1.0
While I can definitely appreciate The EE, & the Anderson's motivation/ commitment, very little of the book's content surprised or enlightened me, so I didn't particularly care for the story or the way it was written.
cokechukwu's review against another edition
1.0
I was really looking forward to reading this book but can't in good conscience recommend it to anyone who actually cares about empowering poor, working-class, and middle-class black communities.
Anderson's tone and language were infuriating. She was often condescending, snobby, and downright hateful. As an example, at one point toward the end she referred to Chicago's black West Side and South Side neighborhoods as "feral." Yup. I read that and had to flip over to the about-the-author flap to confirm this book was in fact written by a black woman and not whoever is responsible for Donald Trump's Twitter feed.
Harmful respectability politics and self-hatred permeated every page, which is what happens when a "self-help" ideology isn't properly tempered by empathy for your human subjects and appreciation of the external forces causing black economic disenfranchisement. Anderson only passingly mentioned important socio-political factors, including the 2007-2008 financial crisis(!!), that had and still have a disproportionate effect on black Americans. At the same time, she was overly critical of black small businesses for normal small business struggles (particularly, their failure/closure rates).
Anderson's exhortation to "buy black" is welcome and important. Unfortunately, this book has not aged well and, in my opinion, harms rather than helps the cause. [b:The South Side: A Portrait of Chicago and American Segregation|25663734|The South Side A Portrait of Chicago and American Segregation|Natalie Y. Moore|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1457289566l/25663734._SY75_.jpg|45486687] and [b:Ghosts in the Schoolyard: Racism and School Closings on Chicago's South Side|38923643|Ghosts in the Schoolyard Racism and School Closings on Chicago's South Side|Eve L. Ewing|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1524370344l/38923643._SY75_.jpg|60157489] do an excellent job discussing the hardships Chicago's black communities face, while also explaining the complex historical contexts that led to those hardships and displaying profound respect and compassion for the human beings dealing with those hardships day to day. I would recommend either of those over Our Black Year.
Anderson's tone and language were infuriating. She was often condescending, snobby, and downright hateful. As an example, at one point toward the end she referred to Chicago's black West Side and South Side neighborhoods as "feral." Yup. I read that and had to flip over to the about-the-author flap to confirm this book was in fact written by a black woman and not whoever is responsible for Donald Trump's Twitter feed.
Harmful respectability politics and self-hatred permeated every page, which is what happens when a "self-help" ideology isn't properly tempered by empathy for your human subjects and appreciation of the external forces causing black economic disenfranchisement. Anderson only passingly mentioned important socio-political factors, including the 2007-2008 financial crisis(!!), that had and still have a disproportionate effect on black Americans. At the same time, she was overly critical of black small businesses for normal small business struggles (particularly, their failure/closure rates).
Anderson's exhortation to "buy black" is welcome and important. Unfortunately, this book has not aged well and, in my opinion, harms rather than helps the cause. [b:The South Side: A Portrait of Chicago and American Segregation|25663734|The South Side A Portrait of Chicago and American Segregation|Natalie Y. Moore|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1457289566l/25663734._SY75_.jpg|45486687] and [b:Ghosts in the Schoolyard: Racism and School Closings on Chicago's South Side|38923643|Ghosts in the Schoolyard Racism and School Closings on Chicago's South Side|Eve L. Ewing|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1524370344l/38923643._SY75_.jpg|60157489] do an excellent job discussing the hardships Chicago's black communities face, while also explaining the complex historical contexts that led to those hardships and displaying profound respect and compassion for the human beings dealing with those hardships day to day. I would recommend either of those over Our Black Year.
lisaeirene's review
2.0
Interesting concept. Not sure how I feel exactly...I'm on the fence on whether this is a good socio-economical experiment or racism. I felt like the writer bogged the story down with too many facts and figures that made it feel like a book report for school. I also didn't feel like the end caused any resolution or...change? I guess?
mick's review
I found this book challenging. I was intrigued by the premise, but I found that the author came off as very judgmental quite regularly.
kobowden's review against another edition
5.0
“‘Freedom is not enough...You do not wipe away the scars of centuries by saying: Now you are free to go where you want, and do as you desire, and choose the leaders you please. You do not take a person who, for years, has been hobbled by chains and liberate him, bring him up to the starting line of a race and then say, “you are free to compete with all the others,” and still justly believe that you have been completely fair. Thus it is not enough just to open the gates of opportunity. All our citizens must have the ability to walk through those gates. This is the next and the more profound stage of the battle for civil rights. We seek not just freedom but opportunity.’” (120)
gmdudley4's review against another edition
1.0
I have had this book on my shelf for about two years and I pulled it down in January to study and learn about exclusively buying Black. I plan for 2021 to be my Black year. I believe that the intent of this book is wonderful, but it was such a terrible experience to read it. I am convinced that this author hates poor Black people and possibly Black people in general. Her tone and the language that she used to describe Black people and Black culture was so vile that I really wanted to stop reading. Class is a real issue in this book. I really cannot say that enough. I would be interested to read a book about a similar experience within the last 2-3 years. The book did give me a few things to consider for my own Black year, but sadly, I cannot recommend this book.
ejdecoster's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting example of the burgeoning one-year personal-sociology experiment literature. I was much more interested in Anderson's discussions of the structural issues facing Black-owned businesses, entrepreneurs, and wealth-building than in the personal aspects of the story.
alanabenjamin's review
2.0
I read so many articles about this experiment and the book fell flat for me.
I really enjoyed the history of expansion and decline of 'buy black' movements over the years as well as the statistics on African American businesses and how our contribution can aid or detract from the cause. However, these interesting details were sometimes repetitive, confusing and overshadowed by mundane details.
I didn't appreciate her tone or manner of describing some of the businesses that she patronised. I think in her effort to 'keep it real' she sounded very condescending and a little uppity. I mean, do you really expect to find a Black bakery that sells bagels?
I also enjoyed learning more about the history and makeup of certain Chicago areas. I am really interested to see how Bronzeville has shaped up in 2016. I also liked the section talking about the pros and cons of gentrified areas but again very convoluted.
This book was merely a stepping stone to heightened Mrs. Anderson’s profile so that she could be able to make speaking engagements and TED Talks. This book felt like a soap opera.
If you are considering ‘buying black’ read the summary of this book and undertake your own research.
I really enjoyed the history of expansion and decline of 'buy black' movements over the years as well as the statistics on African American businesses and how our contribution can aid or detract from the cause. However, these interesting details were sometimes repetitive, confusing and overshadowed by mundane details.
I didn't appreciate her tone or manner of describing some of the businesses that she patronised. I think in her effort to 'keep it real' she sounded very condescending and a little uppity. I mean, do you really expect to find a Black bakery that sells bagels?
I also enjoyed learning more about the history and makeup of certain Chicago areas. I am really interested to see how Bronzeville has shaped up in 2016. I also liked the section talking about the pros and cons of gentrified areas but again very convoluted.
This book was merely a stepping stone to heightened Mrs. Anderson’s profile so that she could be able to make speaking engagements and TED Talks. This book felt like a soap opera.
If you are considering ‘buying black’ read the summary of this book and undertake your own research.