On the Other Side of Freedom

July 23, 2018
In this thoughtful collection of essays, activist and podcaster Mckesson reflects on what he’s learned from protest, family upheaval, racial inequality, homophobia, community organizing, abuse, and love. He explains the origins of the phrase “black lives matter”; his decision to leave Minneapolis to join the protests of Michael Brown’s killing in Ferguson, Mo.; and why he wears his trademark blue down vest. Calmly but with conviction, he lays out a philosophy of future-oriented action, asserting that “our power can never be defined by the things we destroy by the things we build” and “when we see that lives can be improved through actions we can feasibly take, we must take them.” Mckesson uses extended metaphors to illustrate currents in American life—a childhood experience with a bully serves as a synecdoche for political injustice; “The Choreography of Whiteness” features an unusual but apt metaphor about a hypothetical school’s response to finding out that a subset of students failed a test because they were intentionally sold defective rulers; and “the quiet,” an alternative to “the closet,” is imagined as a library (“a place of exploration that says don’t speak... but there are always... people finding ways to have voice despite the rules”). He asserts that the quiet leads those “in power believe that they’re... the sum total of humanity.” The volume’s nonaccusatory tone and focus on structure and culture make it a welcoming, accessible, and inspiring entrance point to social justice work.

Starred review from September 15, 2018

Activist and host of the podcast Pod Save the People, Mckesson breaks down the physical and emotional labor of activism and the continued importance of telling truth to power in a series of essays that begin with the shooting death of Michael Brown Jr. and the series of protests that gave rise to the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Speaking from experience, Mckesson invites a dialog on activism and organizing in a connected society, acknowledging the gains of the civil rights movement while recognizing the continued struggle for social justice. He examines police brutality, the slippery narrative of "fake news" and the "Make America Great" faction, the importance of voice, identity, reform, revolution--each theme as potent and nuanced as the next. In making a "case for hope," he lays the foundation for an ongoing discussion on race, privilege, and civic engagement, while reiterating the need to work for a better tomorrow. VERDICT An excellent selection for socially conscious readers, young activists, and researchers interested in the cross-section between activism and social media.--Gricel Dominguez, Florida International Univ. Lib., Miami

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