Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy
- Downloads：1811
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-05-09 12:31:28
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Emmanuel Acho
- ISBN：125080213X
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Sophia
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Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy by Emmanuel AchoPublished May 4， 2021<3 THIS MAN IS FINER THAN FROG HAIRS！ I LOVE THIS MAN'S VOICE AND HIS BOOKS！ HEY BOOO。。。Young people have the power to affect sweeping change， and the key to mending the racial divide in America lies in giving them the tools to ask honest questions and take in the difficult answers。Approaching every awkward， taboo， and uncomfortable question with openness and patience， Emmanuel Acho connects his own experience with Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy by Emmanuel AchoPublished May 4， 2021<3 THIS MAN IS FINER THAN FROG HAIRS！ I LOVE THIS MAN'S VOICE AND HIS BOOKS！ HEY BOOO。。。Young people have the power to affect sweeping change， and the key to mending the racial divide in America lies in giving them the tools to ask honest questions and take in the difficult answers。Approaching every awkward， taboo， and uncomfortable question with openness and patience， Emmanuel Acho connects his own experience with race and racism—from attending majority-white prep schools to his time in the NFL playing on majority-black football teams—to insightful lessons in black history and black culture。Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy is just one way young listeners can begin to short circuit racism within their own lives and communities。 。。。more
LS Johnson
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An absolutely necessary read。
Sharmali Chinniah-commodore
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Every child in America needs to read this book。 Parents need to read this book。 Our children need to be anti racists。 Have zero tolerance for racism they see。 Educate them so they can speak honestly and intelligently against racism they see。 Don’t walk away。 Don’t be quiet。 Speak out。 Fight for your friends and loved ones of color。 They need your help。
Nelda Brangwin
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This adaptation of the book Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man makes the book accessible to middle grade students。 Written by former Philadelphia linebacker and current Fox Sports analyst Emmanuel Acho it brings the importance of the Black Lives Matter。 Mentioning George Floyd， Colin Kaepernick and the NFL， it should help open the doors for conversations。 In fact， one of the chapters is called “Let’s Get Uncomfortable。” The bibliography is excellent。
Kara
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This is another gem for an ABAR library in the classroom！ It offers a fresh and relevant perspective of anti racism。 It includes current topics （George Floyd， BLM， Karens） and does a great job making the topics understandable and relatable。 It’s honest， real， and offers tips that are absolutely doable by anybody！ Everyone should read this book。
Kelly Riley
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In this highly engaging middle grade/YA book， Emmanuel Acho breaks down the history of racism in America in accessible language peppered with personal anecdotes。 I recommend “Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy” for upper elementary students through adults looking for a comprehensive overview of systemic racism， white privilege， and ways to combat racial injustice and be an ally。 Acho’s inclusion of the Black Lives Matter movement， Colin Kaepernick’s peaceful protests in the NFL， the mu In this highly engaging middle grade/YA book， Emmanuel Acho breaks down the history of racism in America in accessible language peppered with personal anecdotes。 I recommend “Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy” for upper elementary students through adults looking for a comprehensive overview of systemic racism， white privilege， and ways to combat racial injustice and be an ally。 Acho’s inclusion of the Black Lives Matter movement， Colin Kaepernick’s peaceful protests in the NFL， the murder of George Floyd， and the Capitol Hill insurrection help readers put these current and more distant historical events in the larger context of racism in America。 Each chapter starts with a quote and introduction， followed by “Let’s Rewind” （a history of the chapter’s topic）， “Let’s Get Uncomfortable” （an ask for the reader to examine their own biases and feelings about racism）， and finally “Talk It， Walk It” （a call to action）。 This simple structure and narrative writing make Acho’s “Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy” an essential addition to every school and classroom library。Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC to review。 。。。more
Julie Overpeck aka Mrs。 O's Library
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Uncomfortable Conversations should be subtitled Important Conversations。 Acho takes time to explain with great poise and patience why various actions and beliefs are racist， even when white people maintain that they aren’t。 His examples are concrete and timely， and his explanations are clear and direct。 This book is perfect for parents and other caregivers and kids to read together to discuss in small bites。
Sarah
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Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy is an incredibly important addition to the literary canon of Antiracist texts。 I truly appreciate that Emmanuel Acho has adapted his adult novel for young adult readers。 The tone of the novel is very conversational and meets young readers where they are。 Acho's voice shines through as a calm voice of reason and guidance。 Acho focuses on how racism falls into three categories: individual， systemic， and internalized。 Through his personal experiences and Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy is an incredibly important addition to the literary canon of Antiracist texts。 I truly appreciate that Emmanuel Acho has adapted his adult novel for young adult readers。 The tone of the novel is very conversational and meets young readers where they are。 Acho's voice shines through as a calm voice of reason and guidance。 Acho focuses on how racism falls into three categories: individual， systemic， and internalized。 Through his personal experiences and the incorporation of historical information， readers of all ages need to pick this book up as soon as possible。 。。。more
Mrs。 McGuire
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An excellent resource for beginning anti-racist discussions with children。
Robin
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Where do I start with this book？ It's wonderful， fantastic， outstanding， and so much more！ It's the perfect book for helping white kids learn about their privilege and giving all kids the language and courage to speak up and out against racism。 It addresses so many aspects of racism head-on - "reverse racism"， affirmative action， the N-word， white privilege， redlining， Black names， 。。。 I absolutely cannot wait to read the adult version of this book （Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man）。 Where do I start with this book？ It's wonderful， fantastic， outstanding， and so much more！ It's the perfect book for helping white kids learn about their privilege and giving all kids the language and courage to speak up and out against racism。 It addresses so many aspects of racism head-on - "reverse racism"， affirmative action， the N-word， white privilege， redlining， Black names， 。。。 I absolutely cannot wait to read the adult version of this book （Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man）。 Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group/Roaring Brook Press and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book。 。。。more
Sacha
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Thanks to NetGalley and Roaring Brook Press for this essential arc， which I loved and received in exchange for an honest review。 I’ll post that glowing review upon publication。Updated 5/4/215 stars This much-needed book is an excellent addition to the racial and cultural educations of young adults and adults alike。 Acho employs current examples and a wealth of supported statements to articulate his points about various aspects of racism in America。 This book really lives up to the promised conve Thanks to NetGalley and Roaring Brook Press for this essential arc， which I loved and received in exchange for an honest review。 I’ll post that glowing review upon publication。Updated 5/4/215 stars This much-needed book is an excellent addition to the racial and cultural educations of young adults and adults alike。 Acho employs current examples and a wealth of supported statements to articulate his points about various aspects of racism in America。 This book really lives up to the promised conversational aspect。 For me， Acho's tone， familiarity， and ease make what could be really challenging and/or dense subjects consumable for the masses。 This book is going to come in handy not only for those looking to improve themselves but also for those hoping to make better inroads with friends， family， and fools on social media （maybe stay away from that last part， but at least you'll get some tools here if you must do that）。 I will absolutely be recommending this to students， but I also recommend it to anyone who is wanting to learn more about how to do better and/or encourage others in that direction。 This is an essential read。 。。。more
Allison
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So timely and perfect。 Emmanuel Acho is eloquent in his delivery as he discusses the various forms of racism， and the history of racism， in an easy-to-understand format。 He challenges his young readers to be part of the solution and gives them concrete ways to combat racism in their communities。 Let's get uncomfortable to find the path to positive change。 So timely and perfect。 Emmanuel Acho is eloquent in his delivery as he discusses the various forms of racism， and the history of racism， in an easy-to-understand format。 He challenges his young readers to be part of the solution and gives them concrete ways to combat racism in their communities。 Let's get uncomfortable to find the path to positive change。 。。。more
Lizanne Johnson
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This title is a must have for our middle school and high school libraries’ anti racist collections。 Acho’s book is highly accessible and well organized。 His writing is straightforward and honest。 He includes enough history with references for further reading。 He has obviously done his homework。 This would make an excellent book club book with plenty to discuss and action steps to take to make change happen。 I highly recommend this book。 With Acho’s NFL background this title may appeal to some un This title is a must have for our middle school and high school libraries’ anti racist collections。 Acho’s book is highly accessible and well organized。 His writing is straightforward and honest。 He includes enough history with references for further reading。 He has obviously done his homework。 This would make an excellent book club book with plenty to discuss and action steps to take to make change happen。 I highly recommend this book。 With Acho’s NFL background this title may appeal to some unlikely readers which is definitely a plus。 Be sure to check out the back matter。 Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this arc in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Kaitlyn
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I received this ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。
Jenni
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 If you've watched his YouTube videos， Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man， you're familiar with Acho and the topics he chooses to talk about （if you haven't watched those videos， you'll want to）。 Maybe you just know Acho because of his NFL career。 This book is the young adult version of his best selling book， "Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man"。 In it， you'll learn about things like cultural appropriation， stereotyping， and the history of blackface。 From Emmitt Till to Black If you've watched his YouTube videos， Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man， you're familiar with Acho and the topics he chooses to talk about （if you haven't watched those videos， you'll want to）。 Maybe you just know Acho because of his NFL career。 This book is the young adult version of his best selling book， "Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man"。 In it， you'll learn about things like cultural appropriation， stereotyping， and the history of blackface。 From Emmitt Till to Black Wall Street， Acho tells us what we need to hear。 Some parts may be uncomfortable like he says， but he tells us of things that we all need to hear， for a greater understanding。 A must-read for young people of all backgrounds。 。。。more
Jaymie
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[I received a free review copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions are my own。]5 stars+++ = Best of the bestExceptional！ I highly recommend this one for classroom and school libraries as well as public libraries and home libraries。 This is for readers 10 and up。 Some readers may struggle to push through the material - discussion groups at school or family discussion can help， because the material is worth pushing through。 The material is written for white r [I received a free review copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions are my own。]5 stars+++ = Best of the bestExceptional！ I highly recommend this one for classroom and school libraries as well as public libraries and home libraries。 This is for readers 10 and up。 Some readers may struggle to push through the material - discussion groups at school or family discussion can help， because the material is worth pushing through。 The material is written for white readers to better understand racial issues， but the history and author's stories and context could be fantastic for readers of color as well。Chapters respond to a specific question and common topics in anti-racist discussions - white privilege， microaggressions， bias， color blindness， systemic racism， the Confederate flag， etc。 Each chapter follows a set pattern which I think will help struggling readers know what to expect from each section。 The tone is conversational while never talking down to readers。 It's an intense conversation， so readers will likely want to take it a chapter at a time。There are no footnotes or citations given in the chapters， but sources are listed in the backmatter。 The author also makes recommendations for further reading， documentaries to watch， etc。 Just because this is targeted at kids and teens doesn't mean adults can't benefit from reading this too。 If you find yourself confused by the recent conversations about anti-racism， or if you aren't sure how to respond to common arguments， this will be a fantastic starting point for your anti-racist journey。 。。。more
Maria McGrath
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The conversational tone of this nonfiction book makes it nearly un-put-downable， despite Acho's refusal to shy away from or sugarcoat uncomfortable topics。 He addresses his young readers， black， white， or other， from a position of understanding， and he treats them and his topics with respect。 This is a fine overview， and perhaps the perfect starting point for any young person who wants to educate themselves on issues of race in twenty-first century America。 The conversational tone of this nonfiction book makes it nearly un-put-downable， despite Acho's refusal to shy away from or sugarcoat uncomfortable topics。 He addresses his young readers， black， white， or other， from a position of understanding， and he treats them and his topics with respect。 This is a fine overview， and perhaps the perfect starting point for any young person who wants to educate themselves on issues of race in twenty-first century America。 。。。more
Karen Cohn
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This was a fascinating look into racism from the perspective of a black man raised in both white and black cultures。 I will be the first to admit that I don’t watch football， and I had no idea who Emmanuel Acho is in terms of his football career; however， I will be looking for more writing from him in the future。 This volume， based on a series of videos he created， goes into the history of racism in this country and how it has evolved into the systematic issues that exist today。 It also gives wa This was a fascinating look into racism from the perspective of a black man raised in both white and black cultures。 I will be the first to admit that I don’t watch football， and I had no idea who Emmanuel Acho is in terms of his football career; however， I will be looking for more writing from him in the future。 This volume， based on a series of videos he created， goes into the history of racism in this country and how it has evolved into the systematic issues that exist today。 It also gives ways potential solutions。 The volume is written in a readable， approachable way while still dealing with difficult issues without pulling any punches。 Acho states that “Ending racism is not a finish line that we will cross。 It is a road that we will travel，” and he spends this volume traveling that road along with his readers。 Anyone interested in the history of racism will get a great deal out of this book。 It would also be valuable for parents who wish to discuss this topic with their teens， which is， after， one of the reasons he wrote it in this format。 I can’t say I enjoyed this in the classical sense， because much of what Acho discusses points to the worst in American history and society， but I did find it to be valuable information presented in an accessible style。 。。。more
Lisa Welch
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I absolutely love this project that Acho has embarked on， and I love that he is presenting these conversations in so many modalities （YouTube videos， podcasts， books for adults and children）。 His videos and books have started conversations for me with coworkers and friends on many of the subjects he presents。 Acho has really made me evaluate the ways in which I am standing up as an ally， and how I can continue to improve。 This particular book is geared towards middle grade readers， and I think t I absolutely love this project that Acho has embarked on， and I love that he is presenting these conversations in so many modalities （YouTube videos， podcasts， books for adults and children）。 His videos and books have started conversations for me with coworkers and friends on many of the subjects he presents。 Acho has really made me evaluate the ways in which I am standing up as an ally， and how I can continue to improve。 This particular book is geared towards middle grade readers， and I think that at times the text may be a bit complex for the intended age group。 However， I would still highly recommend this one （knowing that kids may need a bit of support at times both with the content and with the complexity of text）。 Acho supplies a great list of resources （books， movies， videos， etc。） that kids can turn to if they want to expand their knowledge on racism and allyship。 One of the other huge strengths of the book is that Acho provides kids with immediate actions they can take to be an ally。 。。。more
Tara
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Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy is a nonfiction book， written in a conversational tone， about systemic racism and what it means to be an ally。 It tackles many topics that are often difficult for white people to understand like black vs。 African American， cultural appropriation， black people using the n-word， and white privilege。 Because it's written for teenagers （and middle grades too）， the tone and the discussion of historical context is relevant and easy to understand。 The tone o Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy is a nonfiction book， written in a conversational tone， about systemic racism and what it means to be an ally。 It tackles many topics that are often difficult for white people to understand like black vs。 African American， cultural appropriation， black people using the n-word， and white privilege。 Because it's written for teenagers （and middle grades too）， the tone and the discussion of historical context is relevant and easy to understand。 The tone of this book is definitely one of it's best qualities。 The content is solid too， but the tone is what keeps this nonfiction book from reading like a textbook。 I think this book is an important one for teenagers， but also for teachers who may be struggling to understand how students of color may be feeling。 I read an ARC from NetGalley。 。。。more
TheNextGenLibrarian
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“And white privilege is about the word white， not rich。 It’s having advantage built into your life。 It’s not saying your life hasn’t been hard; it’s saying your skin color hasn’t contributed to the difficulty in your life。”👦🏾This book takes his viral video series entitled Uncomfortable Conversations With A Black Man and makes it accessible for young readers in a book similar to what Jason Reynolds did with Stamped by Ibram X。 Kendi。 It’s a way for kids to learn about systemic racism and racist b “And white privilege is about the word white， not rich。 It’s having advantage built into your life。 It’s not saying your life hasn’t been hard; it’s saying your skin color hasn’t contributed to the difficulty in your life。”👦🏾This book takes his viral video series entitled Uncomfortable Conversations With A Black Man and makes it accessible for young readers in a book similar to what Jason Reynolds did with Stamped by Ibram X。 Kendi。 It’s a way for kids to learn about systemic racism and racist behavior to help dismantle it for the next generation。👦🏾I loved how timely this middle-grade novel is mentioning George Floyd during the pandemic， Colin Kaepernick and the NFL， and the #blacklivesmatter movement so that it’s clear why these causes are so important。 With the murder of Daunte Wright two days ago， this book is more necessary than ever。 We have to open the lines of communication so there’s understanding in our society enough to make changes to fight racism for our future generations。 Thank you Netgalley for the ARC。 Every classroom and #library needs to purchase this title on May 4。 。。。more
Erica
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A candid， thoughtful， and thorough look at the history of race and racism in America。 Perfect for tweens and teens eager to dive deep into the topic。 Also， a great companion to Stamped by Jason Reynolds。 Much needed American History read for all！
Andréa
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Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley。
Ms。 Yingling
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E ARC provided by Edelweiss PlusIn this young readers' edition of Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man， Mr。 Acho uses his perspective as a second generation Nigerian American who grew up in predominately white schools to explore issues of race， racism， implicit bias and other topics in an instructional way。 I especially liked how introduced a topic and had consistent chapter elements like "Let's Get Uncomfortable"， "Let's Rewind" （talking about the history of a topic）， and "Talk It， Walk E ARC provided by Edelweiss PlusIn this young readers' edition of Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man， Mr。 Acho uses his perspective as a second generation Nigerian American who grew up in predominately white schools to explore issues of race， racism， implicit bias and other topics in an instructional way。 I especially liked how introduced a topic and had consistent chapter elements like "Let's Get Uncomfortable"， "Let's Rewind" （talking about the history of a topic）， and "Talk It， Walk It"。 I think that's a helpful format for younger readers trying to unpack these weighty concepts。 One particularly important topic was the debate about whether the term African American or Black （which is not capitalized in this book， but which current convention usually capitalizes） should be used。 While Black seems to be the most commonly accepted term， Mr。 Acho opines that the final determination of use should be up to the individual。 The We Need Diverse Books Movement is mentioned （this started in 2014， but has been taken more seriously after the summer of 2020。 Finally。）， and Mr。 Acho has a good blend of current news stories， personal anecdotes， and history to illustrate his points。 There is an excellent bibliography at the back。 In general， this book is a good overview of topics from these other books presented in a way that is a bit more linear than Kendi and Reynold's Stamped。 Certainly， both books are essential in middle school library collections。 I haven't read the adult version， so I don't know if that would be more appropriate for high schools。 This could certainly be used in elementary classrooms， but I don't deal with younger students enough to know how younger readers would process this on their own。 。。。more
Teri Tischer
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