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Hope--and Hard Pills to Swallow--About Fighting for Black Lives
by Andre Henry
A leading voice for social justice reveals how he stopped arguing with white people who deny the ongoing legacy of racism - and offers a proven path forward for Black people and people of color based on the history of nonviolent struggle.
When the rallying cry "Black Lives Matter" was heard across the world in 2013, Andre Henry was one of the millions for whom the movement caused a political awakening and a rupture in some of his closest relationships with white people. As he began using his artistic gifts to share his experiences and perspective, Henry was aggrieved to discover that many white Americans—people he called friends and family—were more interested in debating whether racism existed or whether Henry was being polite enough in the way he used his voice.
In this personal and thought-provoking book, Henry explores how the historical divides between Black people and non-Black people are expressed through our most mundane interactions, and why this struggle won't be resolved through civil discourse, diversity hires, interracial relationships, or education. What we need is a revolution, one that moves beyond symbolic progress to disrupt systems of racial violence and inequality in tangible, creative ways.
Sharing stories from his own path to activism—from studying at seminary to becoming a student of nonviolent social change, from working as a praise leader to singing about social justice—and connecting those experiences to lessons from successful nonviolent struggles in America and around the world, Andre Henry calls on Black people and people of color to divest from whiteness and its false promises, trust what their lived experiences tell them, and practice hope as a discipline as they work for lasting change.
"[A] rousing debut...Full of fiery encouragement and prophetic hope, Henry argues that Black people have a right to be angry about anti-Blackness even if it means making white people uncomfortable. A timely declaration from an exciting voice, this is sure to inspire those in pursuit of radical change." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"A powerful examination of White assumptions about Black people and the obstacles that stand in the way of social justice...Wise, essential instruction for all who seek redress for the inequalities that persist in America." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"This is a book full of difficult choices, about choosing not to waste energy trying to convince those willfully entrenched in racist narratives, during a personal and historic struggle for meaning, life, and Black joy." - Library Journal
"In vivid, thoughtful prose, Andre Henry illuminates the next chapter in the fight for Black lives and our collective liberation from state-sanctioned violence and the draconian laws that we are living under in the United States and around the world. All the White Friends I Couldn't Keep is a moving personal journey that lends practical insight for expanding and strengthening the global antiracist movement." - Patrisse Khan-Cullors, co-founder of Black Lives Matter, bestselling author of When They Call You a Terrorist
"Andre Henry's words come on like his music: pleasant to the ear, deeply moving to the heart. As he looks into himself in All the White Friends I Couldn't Keep with the same unflinching honesty he uses to examine an anti-Black world, he reveals a hard but ultimately joyful evolution, from complacency in understanding racism—even when aimed at people just like him—to embracing activism as a vital part of who he must be." - John Archibald, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and author of Shaking the Gates of Hell
"This book is militant, revelatory, and revolutionary in so many ways the world needs right now. But beware: Do not read this book if you are complacent about the status quo. These words will agitate you toward antiracist action." - Jemar Tisby, bestselling author of The Color of Compromise
This information about All the White Friends I Couldn't Keep was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Andre Henry is an award-winning musician, writer, and activist contending for the world that ought to be. He is a columnist for Religion News Service and the author of the newsletter "Hope and Hard Pills." His activism in pursuit of racial justice has been featured in the New Yorker and the Nation, and on the Liturgists podcast.
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