They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us by Hanif Abdurraqib

For a generation characterized by diversity and social justice, the question arises in the value they placed instead on Harry Potter and Into the Wild : both white male protagonists of privilege. Being older, I had to research some artists, making clear this book is less for me than Millennials and forming a familiar but not completely unexpected problem of the intended audience missing the value. I am unsure how anyone reading this collection fails to see a Millennials' coming of age novel since the essays hold the events and music of that generation interlaced with their hope of correcting social injustices. Going against the tide of thousands of reader comments and positive reviews, I feel readers surrendered too easily to obvious racial matter and missed the generational value, thematic complexity, and layers of meaning. If black, you agree or disagree with the content, but for certain, you will also uncover new wisdom in the book’s depths. No matter how liberal a white person you believe yourself to be, you encounter challenges to what you perceive as racial equality. These occupations carve honesty’s treacherous path, and walking with him shares this danger for needing to open yourself to the truth.Īs with all things rewarding, the effort to read this novel leaves the reader altered. Perhaps more than the book, Abdurraqib is the best beginning since we travel his life as a poet, culture, and music critic. This makes the fourth in over a year of attempted reviews of They can’t kill us until they kill us by Hanif Abdurraqib, not for difficulty understanding but seeking a starting point.

They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us by Hanif Abdurraqib