A timely book about the essential role of Black women in shaping—and preserving—American democracy.
A distinguished activist and political strategist examines how Black women hold the key to rebuilding a more inclusive multiracial democracy.
Omara argues that American democracy was largely built by an overlooked demographic: young, Black women aged 18 to 45 whom she calls “the Instigators.” What distinguishes these people from other groups and connects them across time is a “shared ancestral belief…in the importance of the collective over the individual.” Drawing from history, politics, and her own experience, Omara suggests that these women have been responsible for pushing democracy forward during major American historical “inflection points.” She suggests that because Black women have faced racial and gender discrimination, they have a more nuanced and inclusive understanding of injustice than either their white female- or Black male-activist counterparts. Antebellum activist Mary Ann Shadd Cary, the country’s first Black female newspaper publisher, was among the earliest challengers of the “nation’s stated ideals of justice and liberty for all.” Two generations later, journalist Ida B. Wells would call out the lynching of Black men and white male violence against Black women in the Jim Crow South as racial terrorism. During the 1960s, Shirley Chisolm would begin her storied career as a grassroots organizer and member of Congress by co-founding the multiracial Unity Democratic Club, a political group meant to counter an all-white male group in her native Brooklyn. The author cites U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts as a modern-day instigator: She was the first Black woman elected to Congress from the state “because she had been elected to and served on Boston’s City Council years before. She had also worked behind the scenes in city and state Democratic politics for years.” Impassioned and necessary, Omara’s book not only celebrates the courage and vision of Black female leaders but issues a call to all Americans to “take up the mantle” of community building alongside other instigators “and fight to save our country.”
A timely book about the essential role of Black women in shaping—and preserving—American democracy.Pub Date: May 5, 2026
ISBN: 9780063424876
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: March 23, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2026
A sharp, entertaining view of the news media from one of its star players.
The veteran newscaster reflects on her triumphs and hardships, both professional and private.
In this eagerly anticipated memoir, Couric (b. 1957) transforms the events of her long, illustrious career into an immensely readable story—a legacy-preserving exercise, for sure, yet judiciously polished and insightful, several notches above the fray of typical celebrity memoirs. The narrative unfolds through a series of lean chapters as she recounts the many career ascendency steps that led to her massively successful run on the Today Show and comparably disappointing stints as CBS Evening News anchor, talk show host, and Yahoo’s Global News Anchor. On the personal front, the author is candid in her recollections about her midlife adventures in the dating scene and deeply sorrowful and affecting regarding the experience of losing her husband to colon cancer as well as the deaths of other beloved family members, including her sister and parents. Throughout, Couric maintains a sharp yet cool-headed perspective on the broadcast news industry and its many outsized personalities and even how her celebrated role has diminished in recent years. “It’s AN ADJUSTMENT when the white-hot spotlight moves on,” she writes. “The ego gratification of being the It girl is intoxicating (toxic being the root of the word). When that starts to fade, it takes some getting used to—at least it did for me.” Readers who can recall when network news coverage and morning shows were not only relevant, but powerfully influential forces will be particularly drawn to Couric’s insights as she tracks how the media has evolved over recent decades and reflects on the negative effects of the increasing shift away from reliable sources of informed news coverage. The author also discusses recent important cultural and social revolutions, casting light on issues of race and sexual orientation, sexism, and the predatory behavior that led to the #MeToo movement. In that vein, she expresses her disillusionment with former co-host and friend Matt Lauer.
A sharp, entertaining view of the news media from one of its star players.Pub Date: Oct. 26, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-316-53586-1
Page Count: 528
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
Everything about Sabathia is larger than life, yet he tells his story with honesty and humility.
One of the best pitchers of his generation—and often the only Black man on his team—shares an extraordinary life in baseball.
A high school star in several sports, Sabathia was being furiously recruited by both colleges and professional teams when the death of his grandmother, whose Social Security checks supported the family, meant that he couldn't go to college even with a full scholarship. He recounts how he learned he had been drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the first round over the PA system at his high school. In 2001, after three seasons in the minor leagues, Sabathia became the youngest player in MLB (age 20). His career took off from there, and in 2008, he signed with the New York Yankees for seven years and $161 million, at the time the largest contract ever for a pitcher. With the help of Vanity Fair contributor Smith, Sabathia tells the entertaining story of his 19 seasons on and off the field. The first 14 ran in tandem with a poorly hidden alcohol problem and a propensity for destructive bar brawls. His high school sweetheart, Amber, who became his wife and the mother of his children, did her best to help him manage his repressed fury and grief about the deaths of two beloved cousins and his father, but Sabathia pursued drinking with the same "till the end" mentality as everything else. Finally, a series of disasters led to a month of rehab in 2015. Leading a sober life was necessary, but it did not tame Sabathia's trademark feistiness. He continued to fiercely rile his opponents and foment the fighting spirit in his teammates until debilitating injuries to his knees and pitching arm led to his retirement in 2019. This book represents an excellent launching point for Jay-Z’s new imprint, Roc Lit 101.
Everything about Sabathia is larger than life, yet he tells his story with honesty and humility.Pub Date: July 6, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-13375-0
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Roc Lit 101
Review Posted Online: May 11, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2021
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