AAB Author Interviews
Summary
TLDRIn this interview, authors Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely discuss their collaboration on the book *All American Boys*, which addresses systemic racism and police brutality. The conversation covers their emotional responses to events like the George Zimmerman verdict and Ferguson, as well as the importance of white individuals engaging in discussions about privilege and racism. Both authors share personal stories that influenced their perspectives, including Reynolds' experiences with police brutality and Kiely's reflections on white privilege, and their shared goal of fostering honest national conversations on race.
Takeaways
- 📖 The book was co-written by two authors, providing dual perspectives through the characters Sivir and Quinn.
- 📅 The inspiration for the book stemmed from real-life events, including the George Zimmerman verdict and the Ferguson protests.
- 🤝 The authors' partnership was motivated by their shared frustration over racial injustice and the need for a collaborative, honest discussion.
- 🗣️ The book was born out of their deeper, uncomfortable conversations about racism, privilege, and responsibility.
- 👨🏫 Brendan emphasizes the need for white people to engage in discussions about whiteness and the long-standing impact of white privilege.
- 📚 Brendan dedicated his half of the book to organizers and educators who helped him understand white privilege and its effects on society.
- 👮♂️ Jason relates to Rashad, the character in the book, having experienced similar family dynamics and police brutality in his own life.
- 🚓 Jason shared a personal experience of being unfairly treated by police, describing the emotional and psychological trauma of such incidents.
- 🔍 Brendan acknowledges his white privilege, citing examples like being let off with a warning after speeding, while others face harsher consequences.
- 📢 The authors hope their book sparks honest conversations about racial injustice, encouraging white people to actively engage in dismantling systemic racism.
Q & A
How did the idea for the book originate?
-The idea originated during a book tour where Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely were discussing the George Zimmerman verdict. The ongoing incidents of racial injustice, including the Mike Brown case, led them to deeper, uncomfortable conversations that eventually inspired the book.
Why was it important for the authors to co-write the book?
-Brendan felt it would be inappropriate to write the book on his own, given its focus on racial injustice. Co-writing allowed them to model the dialogue they wanted to see across the country, especially between people from different racial backgrounds.
What role did the authors' personal experiences play in shaping the book?
-Jason drew on his personal experiences with police brutality and growing up in a similar environment as Rashad, the character in the book. Brendan brought insights from his work as an educator and his reflections on white privilege.
How did the authors approach discussing white privilege in the book?
-Brendan wanted to take responsibility as a white person by acknowledging and discussing white privilege. He emphasized that the problem of racial injustice isn't just a Black American issue, but also involves white people confronting their own privilege.
What uncomfortable conversations did the authors have while writing the book?
-They discussed topics like racial profiling, discrimination, and how privilege affects different communities. Jason and Brendan explored these issues honestly, recognizing the need to confront uncomfortable truths.
How does Jason relate to the character Rashad in the book?
-Jason relates to Rashad's upbringing, family dynamics, and experiences with police brutality. He drew from his own personal encounters with law enforcement and those of his friends when developing Rashad's story.
How does police brutality impact communities beyond the physical acts?
-Jason emphasized that police brutality is not just a physical act but also involves psychological and emotional brutalization, creating a lasting impact on Black communities across the country.
How did Brendan’s upbringing influence his involvement in the book?
-Brendan noted that his upbringing didn’t include direct conversations about race or whiteness, but his experiences as an educator and learning from organizers taught him about white privilege and its legacy, motivating him to address these issues.
Why did Brendan feel a responsibility to speak up about racial injustice?
-Brendan felt that as a white person, he had a responsibility not to ignore racial injustice. He wanted to engage in public conversations, particularly with white audiences, to address these issues openly.
What do the authors hope readers will take away from the book?
-The authors hope the book sparks honest dialogue about racial injustice, privilege, and the responsibility of both white and Black communities to confront these issues. They want to encourage deeper conversations across racial lines.
Outlines
🤝 The Beginning of a Joint Venture Amidst Social Turmoil
The speakers recount how their book collaboration began during a tour a year ago, when the George Zimmerman verdict and subsequent social incidents like Ferguson deeply affected them. Both authors, Brendan and Jason, discussed their emotional reactions and frustrations, leading to deeper, uncomfortable conversations about race. The final straw was the Mike Brown case, after which Brendan proposed they address these issues through a book. Brendan shares his motivation as a white person to confront racial problems rather than ignore them, recognizing his responsibility to initiate these conversations.
🛑 Conversations on Privilege, Racism, and Responsibility
The conversation touches on the complexities of racism, privilege, and the responsibility of white people to engage in difficult dialogues about whiteness and racism. Jason explains how these discussions highlight that the problems aren't just for Black Americans but require white people to reflect on their own privilege and biases. Brendan talks about his realization that his upbringing never addressed his whiteness, but later experiences, including working with educators and organizers, led him to understand the significance of addressing white privilege and systemic racism in his personal and professional life.
👮 Personal Encounters with Police Brutality and Privilege
Jason shares his personal connection to the book’s character, Rashad, through his experiences growing up and witnessing police brutality. He recounts a specific incident where he and his friends were harassed by police for running a yellow light, highlighting how police brutality is not just physical but psychological. Brendan reflects on how his own white privilege has shielded him from such treatment, recalling a moment when he was pulled over for speeding but let off with just a warning. Both acknowledge the imbalance in society and emphasize the need to address these disparities publicly.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Police Brutality
💡White Privilege
💡Racism
💡Mike Brown
💡Ferguson
💡Emotional Brutalization
💡Dialogue on Race
💡Catalyst for Change
💡Privilege Conversations
💡Organizers and Educators
Highlights
The authors co-wrote the book, bringing perspectives from both Sivir shots and Quinn, providing dual viewpoints on the story.
The catalyst for the book was the George Zimmerman verdict and subsequent conversations during a book tour between the authors, Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiley.
Jason Reynolds discusses how emotionally impacted he was by the Zimmerman verdict, expressing his frustration during the tour.
The authors' discussions deepened after Ferguson and the Mike Brown case, prompting them to explore these social justice themes more seriously.
Brendan Kiley talks about his motivation to respond to racial injustice as a writer and a white person, taking responsibility to address systemic racism.
The book aims to model the dialogue the authors hope to see nationwide, especially about race and white privilege.
Jason and Brendan tackled difficult conversations about white privilege, emphasizing the importance of white people engaging in these discussions.
Brendan reflects on how his education work helped him understand the reality of white privilege and power, influencing his contribution to the book.
Brendan Kiley acknowledges the need for white people to look in the mirror and confront how their identity impacts the broader society.
Jason Reynolds shares his personal experiences with police brutality, recounting an incident where he and friends were harassed by police over a minor traffic violation.
Jason discusses the psychological and emotional impact of police brutality in black communities, beyond just the physical violence.
Brendan discusses his own experience being pulled over and let off with a warning, contrasting it with Jason's experiences of police harassment, which highlights white privilege.
Both authors discuss the importance of standing up and addressing racial injustice, with Brendan acknowledging that he doesn't always act but wants to do more.
Brendan emphasizes the need for public conversation about systemic racial inequality, particularly among white people.
The book, 'All-American Boys,' aims to shed light on the issue of police brutality and race relations in America, sparking much-needed conversation.
Transcripts
I mean you guys co-wrote this book
together in tandem what's really cool
about the story is that you hear you see
Sivir shots perspective and then you're
living it through Quinn's eyes so I mean
how did you guys how did you guys come
up with this first of all you know what
was what was kind of the catalyst in the
moment you know it's a year ago Brendan
and I were on tour for two other books
the publishing company sent us out to
get there and it just so happens that
the George Zimmerman verdict had just
come down and so that I was reeling on
the inside emotionally and and what made
it complicated was that I was on tour
with the stranger and so I couldn't I
didn't feel like I could sort of express
myself but it turned out that I could
because Brendan was just as upset and
just as frustrated and so as that tour
continued and these incidents continue
to happen we talked about it further and
we got deeper and more uncomfortable and
more honest and within that discussion
and where we stood and then Ferguson
happened and Mike Brown with the Mike
Brown case I mean that was sort of the
final straw and Brendan came to me and
he said hey maybe have to do something
yeah I mean Brendan what were you how
are you living this and then what kind
of conversations and questions were you
were you having well it's sort of
twofold one I'm thinking about I'm
thinking about what I keep seeing over
and over and over again on the news and
this was a year ago and it's still
unfortunately the case today we look at
these clips even just last night you
know and it's they keep sort of coming
up over and over again and so I'm
thinking about the need to respond as as
writers because that's what we do and
and then how to respond in particular as
a white person in America because you
know all too often I feel like it's it
the narrative is let's put some of this
behind us and I feel like as actually as
a white person it's my responsibility to
say no no no we can't put it behind us
until we're doing something about it and
so for me I want to jump into this and
say I'm as responsible as the next
person I'd like to get something going
so that we can talk about this more
honestly and I could never write the
book myself because what I think it
would be a foolish thing to do if you
try to write that
by myself and so it makes a lot more
sense for us to partner and kind of
model the dialogue in our book that we
hope we can have across the country yeah
I mean what kind of conversations
uncomfortable conversations did you guys
really have about racism and upbringing
absolutely I think I think some of those
conversations have a lot to do with my
privilege right how did you get into the
muck and the mire of the conversation of
privilege especially talking to
strangers
right and so I we're having discussions
about listen these are the things that
are happening in my community and the
reason that these things are happening
most of the time are based on racial
profiling fear discrimination
discrimination racism poverty all the
other different prejudices right right
and it isn't necessarily always or if at
all for that matter black Americans
problem right it's always seen as like
well this is a black American problem
the truth is the problem has not is not
with us right the problem is about white
people not talking to white people about
lightness enough yeah and that was sort
of the conversation that Brendan and I
wanted to have and that Brendan was
totally gained - ed yeah I mean Brendan
were you was this like a new concept for
you or is there anything from your
upbringing or that like led you to this
- led you to a revelation
Jason cashing it out and and it kind of
feels like a revelation in some way
right I mean I feel like the there isn't
a point in my childhood upbringing where
somebody said to me hey this is your
white and this is what it means to be
white no one's ever no one ever said
that to me you know exactly but I do
have to say and one of the reasons why I
dedicated my half of the book to
organizers and educators is because so I
worked in a high school for ten years
before embarking on these most recent
writing projects and I learned a
tremendous amount from people who are
doing this work on the ground people who
are talking a lot about white privilege
and white power and the long legacy of
in our history has lived today and so
for me I was I was bringing those
experiences that other organizers had
really helped teach me other educators
have helped teach me to look in the
mirror and say like oh it's not just
Brendan Kiley it's Brendan Kiley I'm a
white man and what does that mean when I
walk into a space and so for me
to try to be as honest as possible about
all of that when talking with Jason to
say look this is a this is an issue
where we know the numbers are that more
often than not it's young people of
color who were affected by police
brutality but as a white person what I
can't do is just stay back and watch it
on the news and say oh that's a shame
instead I have to say I want to make
this a public conversation and in
particular talk to lots of white kids
talk to my white family talk to the the
white folks in my neighborhood to make
this an actual conversation not just
something that's over there yeah I mean
is there anything out of biographical
for either of you I mean we can start
with Jason do you relate to Rashad I
mean Rashad's upbringing and what Rashad
went through I mean he's he is slammed
to the ground and and beaten you know
jumped on and beaten in this book I mean
I hate to Rashad in numerous ways in
numerous ways I relate to is that
bringing our relates to his environment
and where he's growing up I relates to
his family dynamic right and the fact
that he had sort of an older brother who
I was rooting for a thing and he had
parents he had a father who sort of
questioned some of it right and his
father was sort of a you know a heart a
heart a heart but kind of guy right a
hard-edged kind of guy who was I look
this was gonna take for you to survive
even if I started to necessarily agree
with those things a mother who was
always sort of the referee right and
sort of trying to figure out how to
allow her child to be fully factored
actualizes life fully without the sort
of pressure of his father's South Asian
- whatever that may be in this case the
ROTC or the police force and the
military and all these sorts of things
and furthermore I I totally can relate
to police brutality I've had many many
friends who have gone through it and
I've had my own experiences as a young
teenager I remember being pulled over
for running a yellow light and with four
of my friends and the cops pulled us
over and we all had to get out of the
car and get the lay down on our stomachs
as he tears the car apart looking for
nothing we ran a yellow light and then
after he doesn't fact he rips the car
apart and takes everything out of the
vehicle he lets us all go and and speeds
off as if nothing was wrong and we were
bullied and I think police brutality is
often seen as such a physical act when
really it's a psychological act is
psychological brutalization that takes
place in black communities all over this
crunch
we're young people have been bullied by
police officers just an abuse of power
like and that is the actual
brutalization that takes place not just
a physical polarization but a mental and
emotional brutalization as well right
and I mean Brendan Quinn sees something
and he doesn't know what to do I mean
have you had that moment in your life
where you you witness something you ever
heard something and and had to struggle
with whether to stand up yeah I mean I
think it's twofold again it's one of
these things where I feel like I see it
all the time and so it'd be it'd be a
lie to say you know there are more times
or have not done something than what I
have because I see it all too often
whether it's on the news or even just
living in New York you know you see you
see cops on the subway and you see you
see people missing cabs you see all of
these moments where where my own white
privilege is this kind of shield and
Vail that's in front of me and so I wish
I could say I stood up every single time
but I don't want to I don't want to
pretend that I have but that said I feel
like I'm thinking about a known memory
of a time when I was pulled over by a
police officer and and I was breaking
the law and and I was going 30 miles
over the speed limit and I was I was let
off with a warning and that kind of
memory lodges in my brain and and I and
I say so I don't just want to brush that
off I want to say okay I know that's to
compare our two stories just now I want
to do something about that so that
everybody knows that that is it just
can't be the case anymore we can't live
in this you know this unjust imbalanced
Society yeah for sure well Jason
Reynolds Brendan Kelly thank you
all-american boys is the book and
everybody should take a look thank you
guys so much
[Music]
[Applause]
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