Saturday, April 23, 2016

Brainwashed


Brainwashed: Challenging the Myth of Black Inferiority Paperback – February 1, 2010
Author: Visit ‘s Tom Burrell Page ID: 1401925928

About the Author

Marketing communications pioneer and Advertising Hall of Fameinductee Tom Burrell is credited with revolutionizing the image of African Americans in television and changing the face of American advertising. His award-winning work promoted positive and realistic images of blacks and acknowledged the purchIDg power of the African American community. Burrell is the founder of The Resolution Project, a nonprofit organization that promotes intra-racial dialogue and community-based new media “stop the brainwash” campaigns. He lives in Chicago’s South Loop area.

Paperback: 320 pagesPublisher: SmileyBooks; 1 edition (February 1, 2010)Language: EnglishISBN-10: 1401925928ISBN-13: 978-1401925925 Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies) Best Sellers Rank: #22,301 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #41 in Books > History > Americas > United States > African Americans > Discrimination & Racism #52 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Sociology > Race Relations #105 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Social Sciences > Specific Demographics > African-American Studies

After reading Brainwashed: Challenging the Myth of Black Inferiority, I have but one regret; It has challenged my role as a passive observer. It’s now hard to laugh at black comedians and rappers who carelessly use the N-word or endorse sexual promiscuity and violence. I can no longer dismiss the impact of black films or TV shows that exaggerate black pathologies and buffoonery. With disturbing clarity, the author draws connections between what’s deemed "black entertainment" today and what was yesteryear’s promotion of vile, demeaning, violent and debased black stereotypes. From "Relationship Wrecks" to "Neo-Coons" and every chapter in between, Burrell details a masterful 18th Century propaganda campaign that has effectively imbedded the notion of black inferiority and white superiority in society. With concentrated focus, the author shows how blacks, as well as whites, have been unconsciously conditioned to expect black inadequacies. Not satisfied with simply identifying this insidious campaign, the author, a former advertising executive, compassionately details a "New Media" strategy aimed at reclaiming black minds and communities. There have been many authors (Norman Coombs, E. Franklin Frazier, bell hooks) who have explored the psychological damage wrought by slavery and oppression. Burrell’s approach from an advertising/marketing perspective, however, offers valuable perspective in an increIDgly media-driven and dominated society.

Once I began to read Brainwashed by Tom Burrell it was difficult to put down. His explanation of how the purposeful destruction of slave families 150+ years ago has evolved into a self-perpetuating cycle that, if left unchecked, insures continued enslavement for years to come, is powerful. Burrell convincingly rebuts arguments that say the Black family was restored during reconstruction and that its decay is of more recent origin. Brainwashed invites the reader to check your guilt, leave your defenses at the door, and allow yourself to consider that we can all make choices to both be free and set each others free. As a professor of multicultural counseling at a Midwestern university, I added the book to my recommended reading list before I was halfway through reading it. I have also ordered a copy for the school library. This is a must read for those who long for a truly "post-racial" America.

I have purchased multiple copies of Brainwashed to share with my family and friends, and I intend to buy many more. This is a must-read book for Black people–and everybody else. There is a growing grassroots movement for emotional healing and renewal for Black people in this country and around the world. As part of the Community Healing Network, a group working for emotional freedom for Black people, I can report that Brainwashed is already at the top of our list of recommended readings. It is an important addition to the body of work describing the historical roots of so much of the pain we see and feel in Black communities today. Touching on nearly every area of Black life–from our physical and mental health to the health of our interpersonal, family, and community relationships, and more–Burrell shows how each has been undermined by the myth of Black inferiority. Along the way, he shares insights that can help us help ourselves. Brainwashed shows how the myth of Black inferiority has been skillfully marketed throughout American history and proposes a bold and creative campaign of reverse marketing to help change how we see ourselves and how the world sees us. What makes this book so important, from my point of view, is Burrell’s focus on action through his Resolution Project, which is designed to use the media to replace the toxic messages that are part and parcel of the myth with new and positive images of Black people. Tom Burrell has made an indispensable contribution with the gift of an excellent resource for movement-building–and with his commitment, as a marketing expert, to use marketing to change the image of Black people.

Brainwashed Challenging the Myth of Black Inferiority the idea of black inferiority should have had a as Brainwashed Challenging the Myth of Black Inferiority testifies 02 01 2010 Pages 320 Sales rank Brainwashed Challenging the Myth of Black Inferiority Brainwashed Challenging the Myth of Black Inferiority Click to order via Amazon by Tom Burrell Paperback 320 pages Publisher Smiley Books 1 edition February 1

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Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Red Queen February 10 2015


Red Queen Hardcover – February 10, 2015
Author: Visit ‘s Victoria Aveyard Page ID: 0062310631

From School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up—Seventeen-year-old Mare Barrow lives in a world where one’s lot in life is determined by the color of one’s blood. She was born a Red and has to make a living by pickpocketing and trying to dodge “the conscription” and being sent off to fight an ongoing war. Mare’s resigned herself to the fact that she’ll always serve the Silver, a genetically gifted group of people with supernatural abilities. A chance encounter with the prince causes Mare to suddenly find herself at the royal palace as a servant, where she discovers in front of everyone that she also has a unique gift. She is Red and Silver, and could be just the spark the Reds need to rise up against the oppressive Silvers. The king and queen quickly cover up Mare’s anomaly by presenting her to the rest of the Silvers as a long-lost princess and betroth her to their second-born son. Now Mare is torn between playing the part of a Silver, and helping out the Scarlet Guard rebellion. The story has touches of the usual dystopian suspects. However, it’s formulaic elements are far outweighed by the breakneck pace and engaging characters. There’s a bit of teen romance, but luckily the characters are self-aware enough to realize its frivolity among the story’s more important plot points. A solid debut from Aveyard and a welcome addition to the plethora of speculative teen lit.—Kimberly Castle-Alberts, Hudson Library & Historical Society, OH

Review

“A sizzling, imaginative thriller, where romance and revolution collide, where power and justice duel. It’s exhilarating. Compelling. Action-packed. Unputdownable.” (USA Today)

“Aveyard weaves a compelling new world of action-packed surprises… inventive, character-driven.” (Kirkus)

“A volatile world with a dynamic heroine.” (Booklist)

“Breakneck pace and engaging characters.” (School Library Journal)

“ [Aveyard] sets her audience up for a gaspworthy twist that reconfigures nearly every character’s role and leaves Mare with no one to trust but herself… This blend of fantasy and dystopia will be an unexpected and worthy addition to many genre fans’ reading list.” (Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books)

“Fascinating world building… Readers will be intrigued by a world that reflects today’s troubling issues concerning ethnic inequality, unfair distribution of wealth, pollution, warfare, political corruption, and the frightening power of the media.” (Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA))

See all Editorial Reviews

Series: Red Queen (Book 1)Hardcover: 400 pagesPublisher: HarperTeen (February 10, 2015)Language: EnglishISBN-10: 0062310631ISBN-13: 978-0062310637 Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.2 x 9 inches Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies) Best Sellers Rank: #972 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #20 in Books > Teens > Romance > Fantasy #74 in Books > Teens > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy
Mare Barrow is a Red. In Norta, this means that she’s a normal human being, poor, and needs to scrape a living for herself and her family through thieving and general servitude. Reds are seen as the lowest of the low by Silvers, who have magical abilities that are highly esteeemed in the country. Mare and her family and friends despise Silvers, who treat Reds like dirt and have Reds fight an unending war with a neighboring country for them.

When circumstances for Mare send her right into the path of royals, she ends up discovering that she has magic abilities – and thus, is made a noble who is set to marry the second of two princes so that the reigning royal family can keep an eye on her. Meanwhile, an uprising is gathering through the country, and Mare has to figure out who she is and where her loyalties lie.

This one was hard to review because on one hand, I found the story very compelling, but on the other hand, there were lots of little things that I just couldn’t get into. I’ve broken them down below.

Things That Frustrated Me:

The heroine: my biggest frustration with this book was the lack of character development in Mare. I didn’t feel like I went on a journey with her as a character at all – she was kind of sassy and funny, and she clearly had some cool abilities…but that was it for me. I didn’t feel like I knew her at all by the end of the book because she was the same person the entire way through. That was hard for me to connect with.

The romance: There were (count ’em) THREE love interests for Mare in this book. None of them really go anywhere big, but it just felt like every friggin guy in the book was into her.
I’ve read this book last year, as soon as it popped up on Edelweiss, and honestly, it was one of the best books I’ve read in 2014. As I sit here today, trying to wrap my mind around its sheer awesomeness and put together a somewhat coherent review, I get ridiculously excited all over again, just thinking about the plot, the complex word-building, the insane plot twists and just how visually stunning and breathtakingly magnificent the whole story was. I really, truly loved Red Queen!

I’ve been putting off writing my review. I didn’t trust myself not go on an embarrassingly childish rave fest. And here I am, nearly half a year later, still under Red Queen’s magical spell. What can you do? Some books are just THAT awesome.

The one at the center of it all is Mare Barrow, an unimportant little Red. Mare lives in a world divided by blood, in which the Silver-blooded Royals hold all the power (both literally and metaphorically speaking) and the Red-bloods are nothing more than poor, lowly servants. The Silvers have supernatural powers, the Reds do not. At least that’s how it’s always been and what the Silvers want everyone to believe. When Mare discovers she has an ability of her own, her entire world gets flipped upside down. She finds herself thrown in the middle of intrigue-fueled Silver court, forced to play the role of a long lost Silver princess and betrothed to Silver King’s song. With the Scarlet Guard becoming more and more aggressive, the full-on rebellion is fast approaching. The fate of the entire kingdom depends on the choices she’ll make. And one bad decision can lead to a massacre…

Red Queen is a fast paced, breathless kind of read. A true edge-of-your-seat story. Intrigue filled, action packed, twisty and highly dramatic, it’s a real page turner.
This book starts out rather derivative, with shades of Hunger Games, Red Rising and a bunch of other stuff while at first seeming like a pure fantasy genre book, based on the special powers of the Silvers, but deeper in it hints at dystopian future or parallel universe kind of stuff.

There are two classes in this world. Our main character, Mare, is a red, the lower class. They have red blood and no special powers. The other, higher class, which takes great pains to suppress the reds, are the silvers. They have silver blood and they have a variety of different powers (but one each) and at one point it’s mentioned that they can only draw from what is around them (like if they can channel the power of water, there actually has to be water around) although, then again, one girl with water power (or hydra power, something like that) draws water just out of the air around her. Enough water to defeat a guy with the power of fire. So, I dunno. But anyway, by accident Mare (and all the royal type silvers) finds out she has a great power herself, even though she’s not supposed to since she bleeds red and all, and it gets very complicated where the king and queen (although the king is hardly a character at all in the book, very 2 dimensional) deciding it would be best if they tell everyone Mare is a long lost silver and they betroth her to their younger son. It really doesn’t make sense if you think too hard about it.

Reading this book I was going a bit nuts because there are a lot of inconsistencies, things that don’t make sense with the world in general and characters that seem to be one way and then flip flop to become another way.
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