Pamela Newkirk

Incredibly detailed telling of what is known of Ota Benga, a kidnapped Congolese man who was put on display in the St. Louis World fair and the Bronx Zoo in the early 1900s.

The depth the author went into was a bit much sometimes but gave a rich background to what was going on at the time. I found the talk of Leopold's colonization of the Congo really interesting and harsh to read.

It's been exactly 100 years since Ota Benga shot himself and I'm glad this book exists. White supremacy interlocked with colonization has an incredible ability to dehumanize so vastly and horrifyingly. In conclusion, shit is fucked.… (more)

I wanted to love "Spectacle" but it just fell a little flat. I hadn't heard of Ota Benga in any context and appreciated all the information Newkirk offered and it's clear she did an incredible amount of research for this book. I enjoyed the structure of the story: Newkirk moves back and forth in time and space, offering a broad view and then zeroing in on different aspects of Ota Benga's story and the context around him. Where I lost interest was in some of these contextual pieces Newkirk included. There were times I just wasn't interested in the tangent I was reading. It was almost TOO much information and I definitely felt overloaded. Where Newkirk really excelled was displaying the nuanced complexity of Ota Benga's story and the way narratives are shaped, distorted, and laced with agendas.… (more)

"Progress won't come without us being uncomfortable. People want to believe we can have diversity and not really get uncomfortable...It requires incumbent leaders and managers to change their behavior and practices. It means that institutions have to change incentive structures and to fundamentally interrogate their own behavior."- Darren Walker, The Ford Foundation president Diversity is today's hot topic and "trend" but has anything really changed and has the nation moved far enough in the right direction to call it progress?

In this book, the author an award winning journalist and professor discusses the attempts to diversify in academia, Hollywood and corporate America. She illuminates what has worked and exposes the underlying truths and history of this nation that have become so engrained and institutionalized that have impeded real progress. She argues the main premise that diversity cannot happen without inclusivity on all levels of decision making. She argues the topic of diversity from business perspective and gives into what changes need to happen I order to see long lasting effects.

I really enjoyed this book because the author provided the history and challenges of diversity to give greater context. She highlights the underlying biases and inherent racism that makes rapid change almost impossible. She is raw and honest in her assessment but offers great insight and solutions that need to be considered. This book is one that I would add to the list of books that everyone must read in their lifetime. Once you read about this topic, you will never be the same. The author prepares you to have difficult conversations and become an advocate for change.

Thanks to Bold Type Press for the ARC and chance to give an honest review.… (more)

"Progress won't come without us being uncomfortable. People want to believe we can have diversity and not really get uncomfortable...It requires incumbent leaders and managers to change their behavior and practices. It means that institutions have to change incentive structures and to fundamentally interrogate their own behavior."- Darren Walker, The Ford Foundation president Diversity is today's hot topic and "trend" but has anything really changed and has the nation moved far enough in the right direction to call it progress?

In this book, the author an award winning journalist and professor discusses the attempts to diversify in academia, Hollywood and corporate America. She illuminates what has worked and exposes the underlying truths and history of this nation that have become so engrained and institutionalized that have impeded real progress. She argues the main premise that diversity cannot happen without inclusivity on all levels of decision making. She argues the topic of diversity from business perspective and gives into what changes need to happen I order to see long lasting effects.

I really enjoyed this book because the author provided the history and challenges of diversity to give greater context. She highlights the underlying biases and inherent racism that makes rapid change almost impossible. She is raw and honest in her assessment but offers great insight and solutions that need to be considered. This book is one that I would add to the list of books that everyone must read in their lifetime. Once you read about this topic, you will never be the same. The author prepares you to have difficult conversations and become an advocate for change.

Thanks to Bold Type Press for the ARC and chance to give an honest review.… (more)