Conversate Is Not a Word: Getting Away from Ghetto [Paperback]

Jam Donaldson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 4, 2010

Many black men—from Bill Cosby to Michael Eric Dyson—have spoken out about African American society. But where are the voices of the women, especially the young, funny, witty, sarcastic ones?

            Meet Jam Donaldson, a provocateur of the most entertaining kind. Funny, sad, angry, and refreshingly honest, Conversate Is Not a Word offers food for thought, encouraging people to improve their lives as well as the culture overall. Weaving her own warring viewpoints into the discussion, Donaldson provides not only comic relief but a window into the complex, contradictory perspectives existing within every member of the black community.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Will allow fans of Jam to enjoy her fresh worldview. And for those who don't know or don't understand, this book will serve as a proper introduction to a great voice in the Black American Culture Wars. Let's conversate."  —Reginald Hudlin, producer/writer/director, House Party, Boomerang, and Black Panther

"One of the few voices with the courage to call it as most of us see it. . . . Directing her pointed social commentary at condescending white liberals and black leaders alike, Donaldson demonstrates that the modern manifestation of racism is the vicious cycle of low expectations."  —Alexei Tsybine Jendayi, Fly Gypsy

"[Donaldson's] intelligence, sense of humor, mastery of language and storytelling ability . . . make Conversate Is Not a Word both entertaining and enlightening. Her message is clear and quite simple: We Have Got to Do Better . . . It's Imperative!"  —Jim Smith, president, Kinetic Potential

About the Author

Jam Donaldson is the creator of the highly popular and controversial Web site hotghettomess.com, the award-winning blog conversateisnotaword.com, and the TV show We Got to Do Better. An attorney, she most recently represented low-income residents in civil matters, receiving the Frederick Abramson Award for Public Service. She is the CEO of the popular news Web site www.blackpower.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Lawrence Hill Books (January 4, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556527802
• ISBN-13: 978-1556527807
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #356,164 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful and very timely!, February 17, 2010

By 

Unitedminds Unitedminds (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Conversate Is Not a Word: Getting Away from Ghetto (Paperback)

"Conversate is not a Word" is a brave and necessary book. Donaldson deconstructs conventional thinking on race matters, hitting both the white liberals and self-appointed Black leaders hard for perpetuating the status quo with consistently low expectations and apologetics. In a spin on DuBois' duality, Donaldson introduces an alter-ego who presents the opposing of view -- a Black "fight the power" revolutionary type, if you may. Using the alter ego, Donaldson makes clear that she understands the complexities, causes, and context of the current issues in the Black community. She differs from the mainstream Black commentariat, however, in offering solutions rather than merely pointing out causes. Her solutions are more Obama than Jesse Jackson: handle your business, work hard, exceed expectations. And as forcefully and persuasively as she advances these common-sense solutions, you will be hard pressed to find a point you disagree with after seriously considering it, save for perhaps her too-frequent-for-comfort agreement with David Brooks, but that's another story . . . (related to her "Conversate Is Not a Word" blog)

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars We have to do better, March 19, 2010

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Genarda L. Wright "Eveready" (Memphis, TN) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Conversate Is Not a Word: Getting Away from Ghetto (Paperback)

The author does a good job of identifying those things that plague our community. She also brings up the discussion of the duality in the black community and how some of us are falsely labeled as "Republicans" because we just think our people should be doing better. Sometimes she rants and that can get a little annoying, but overall it was an entertaining read and it made me laugh a lot.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Conversate: a must read!!, August 15, 2011

By 

busyb - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Conversate Is Not a Word: Getting Away from Ghetto (Paperback)

Jam Donaldson writes a very open and honest piece about the issues that are prevalent in the African American community today. It is humorous, to the point, but also a challenge to everyone to take action to improve our society today. A must read!!