Black Women Will Save the World: An Anthem

Black Women Will Save the World, by April Ryan, illustrates the many ways Black women have done, and still do, a disproportionate amount of the heavy lifting in our society.

This book serves, I think, several purposes. First, I believe, is that it gives acknowledgement to the many women who don't receive the recognition they deserve, that they have earned. I also see it as a history (and current events) course for those of us who haven't realized just how valuable the contributions have been. Those of us who fall into that category, white males in particular, can try to excuse our ignorance but that is counterproductive. Learn now and move forward with that knowledge.

Reading this came at a very good time for me. I was rereading (actually show more I was listening to the audiobook) of bell hooks' Sisters of the Yam. These two books work so well together. Self-care as an important part of making change in the world. If you haven't read Sisters, it is an excellent book to accompany this. They aren't really covering the same territory, yet they are. The micro and macro aggressions that can grind one down. Ryan talks about having to not show vulnerability (to certain people and in certain circumstances) and hooks speaks to the same mindset.

I would recommend this to Black women who often aren't seen or acknowledged no matter how much they contribute. This is also for everyone else, we need to understand how things we do can, intentionally or not, erase these strong women. We can help not only by acknowledging but also by helping to make positive change.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley. show less

Black Women Will Save the World: An Anthem by April Ryan is a book that examines the historical contributions, challenges, and resilience of Black women in America. The content covers their significant but often unacknowledged roles in various fields including politics, journalism, healthcare, education, entrepreneurship, civil rights movements, and more.

The book highlights how Black women have been instrumental in American history while facing dual discrimination based on both race and gender. It includes mentions of numerous prominent Black women who have made significant contributions, from historical figures like Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth to contemporary leaders like Stacey Abrams, Kamala Harris, and Judge Ketanji Brown show more Jackson.

There are many key aspects and several important themes examined by Ryan with an unflinching look at what it’s like to be in the room with some of the most formidable Black women in leadership in all the world as they navigate a world that wasn’t built for them but needs them more than ever. Black women are shattering glass ceilings, wielding power and influence at levels never before seen in this country. When Black women fight, we fight for everyone. We fight for our families, our communities, and our country. Black women have played a vital role in defending America. From politics and the media and journalism to the worlds of community and community activism.

Black women, by virtue of being different because of their race and gender, locks them out of opportunity, with their immense talents are often overlooked or ignored. They succeed against the odds, with their resilience, emotional intelligence, authenticity, and agility and that’s what sets them apart. We were all told that you had to be smarter or run faster or jump higher or be better than anybody else around you just to stay in the game.

Ryan details a wide-ranging list that demonstrates how Black women's leadership spans centuries and sectors, creating a continuous thread of advocacy, innovation, and community building despite persistent barriers and erasure.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Overall, April Ryan gives a very honest, and detailed researched clear account of Black women’s history, but in the context of relaying her stories she was repetitive and redundant. Although it was a short read, the book was very informative and can be used as a reference guide. show less

In full disclosure, I'm not the audience this book was aimed at. I'm not Black, not a woman and definitely not young. I debated how to look at this book. The author is a journalist and often when a journalist writes a book we get a deeper exploration of an event, an issue or a person in the news and usually we learn something new, newsworthy from the book. Something they've not published elsewhere. Making news is not what this book is about. While race is a central aspect of this book, it's not a book about race. As I wondered what is this really about, the subtitle stood out. This book is about a category of people. It's less about them and rather in support of them. It is as it claims, an anthem.

I looked up the definition of anthem show more - a rousing or uplifting song identified with a particular group, body, or cause. This book is not a song but the rest of the definition fits, it's the celebration of a particular group and their cause. It clearly sees Black women in a very positive light. And there's very little disagreement from me on that aspect. Black women represent a distinctly admirable group who desire more than they've ever gotten. That's crystal clear. I wish the author had stayed on celebrating the positive.

Unfortunately the author chooses to make the case that the positive is even more positive because of all the negative these women have endured. Again it's true they have endured things they should not have. But this is unfortunately what interferes with the basic anthem like message. We are reminded over and over, and over and over, of what these women have endured. Their superpower, their sisterhood, has been their key to overcoming all of that. I wish the author had realized how the negative can get in the way of the positive message she really want to send. show less

Black women will continue to suffer while saving everyone else. Without any gratitude.