Conversate is not a word

Funny, sad, and refreshingly honest, this provocative commentary based on the author's award-winning blog explores what is wrong with black culture and what needs to be done to fix neighborhoods and improve lives. The fresh, female voice presents a new perspective—differing from so many other treatises on the subject written primarily by older men—and takes into account hip-hop and the internet without assuming a condescending tone. Continually reviewing the ongoing struggle between her own conflicting identities, she asks such questions as How can African Americans speak out about the aspects of their culture that need improvement without risking mockery and the reinforcement of negative stereotypes? and How can you improve a situation when simply calling it out is fraught with the risk of undermining your own race? By weaving her own warring viewpoints into the discussion, the author provides a window into the complex, contradictory perspectives that exist within every member of the black community while also offering comic anecdotes, making this call to action accessible as well as poignant.