A courageous, straightforward, insightful writer. A truth-revealing mirror, reflecting an inconvenient reality. A powerful message that once internalized by those who receive it holds the potential to unlock decades-old social obstacles and start the much-awaited, much-needed healing process of a nation.
Adam B. Coleman is the writer. “Black Victim to Black Victor” is the heartfelt, liberating social message that even though it is mainly directed at the American black community it can, and hopefully will have a strong effect on all of those reading it.
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A response to a false, exaggerated narrative about the American racial environment and its issues, “Black Victim to Black Victor: Identifying the ideologies, behavioral patterns and cultural norms that encourage a victimhood complex” dares to shine a light on those aspects of race-related conversations that many have the interest to keep hidden or at least unacknowledged.
The author masterfully challenges the widespread social perspective that places American black people in a continuous victim role that they seem unable to escape despite a large number of self-appointed saviors who have been allegedly working on making things better for this community for decades.
Through a careful, stratified analysis of the black community and the American nation as a whole, Adam B. Coleman puts forward numerous valid arguments that disprove the “black victim” narrative as a primary problem of the minority group, offers alternative interpretations and causes for the challenges the community faces and most importantly, traces guidelines for possible solutions that can heal not only those black Americans who internalized the false story into their own identity but also white Americans and everyone else who accepted the roles they were cast in by those who fabricated and maintained the story to serve their own interests.
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“Black Victim to Black Victor” is an extended examination of what causes and maintains the victim mentality within the black culture and in those social and political circles that benefit from it.
It does not criticize people, it dismantles harmful ideologies.
Explanations, truths, and solutions are revealed through taking a closer look at the American black family – its structure and dynamics, and the role it plays in instilling the victim mentality into its youth -, at the black community’s interactions with white Americans – how valid of a term is “oppression” in present times and how justified are its applications to current events-, its links to black members of the social elite, so-called saviors and advocates, government’s involvement in maintaining a problem it claims it wants to see solved, and many other connected sensitive topics.
The conclusions are not those that we are used to. These conclusions are not going to give warm and fuzzy feelings to black Americans who settle for the life story someone else wrote for them, nor are they going to tickle the narcissism of white Americans and others who want to slap a “savior” label on their social media account bio or otherwise attempt to benefit from pretending to help those who are perfectly capable to make their life whatever they want it to be without the push of any external forces.
The loudest part of Coleman’s message centers around the realization that black Americans have control over their own fate, both as individuals and as members of a community, and that the victim mentality can be replaced by a more truthful representation of one’s potential – a victor’s mentality. The catch is that with this switch, the person needs to accept the responsibility that comes with each of their actions. No more excuses, no more false causes. Just accountability from now on. This is what it takes to be in the driver’s seat in your own life. This is the uncomfortable, yet absolutely necessary part of the message.
Frankly, if American black people internalize Coleman’s message, the house of cards carefully built by all sides involved in the issue will come crashing down in no time. And that would upset many, many people. Which is why “Black Victim to Black Victor” is going to be seen as “problematic”.
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I find it to be a refreshing, rational message that I highly resonate with.
It advocates for so many of the things that I also advocate for. Among them, personal agency, personal growth through self-analysis – a rather uncomfortable process, a focus on what brings people together instead of highlighting what divides one’s community, the idea that skin color is an attribute of a person and it doesn’t primarily define who we are, and the acknowledgment that the power to make the world a nurturing place for all of us resides in individual choices and not in tribalistic views.
I do not agree with all the viewpoints and arguments put forward by Coleman – I am not a conservative and I am not religious, for example, but that’s not the point. The point is that I can see where he is coming from and that I can follow each of the logical threads that support his conclusions.
The point is I too want that house of cards to fall.
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Read “Black Victim to Black Victor” if you want a fresh view on an old topic.
Read it not only for its message but also because it is beautifully written. My review cannot prepare you for the lyricism contained in this book. It almost reads like an extended persuasive speech on a topic that is not only important to the author but known by him from close experience that he generously shares throughout the pages.
I don’t want to spoil it for you but get ready for Coleman’s tone to cover a range that goes from personal and tender to incredibly powerful and determined, depending on the subject covered in the various chapters.
He writes for himself, for his family, and for the world. He is transparent and straightforward and has a beautiful, honorable, unifying goal.
This is why I am extremely happy to be able to participate, even in small part, in the amplification of his message.
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“Black Victim To Black Victor: Identifying the ideologies, behavioral patterns and cultural norms that encourage a victimhood complex” is available in Kindle and Paperback formats starting March 25, 2021. You can Look Inside or buy the book here: Amazon.com. Signed copies of the book are also available here.
You can follow Adam B. Coleman on Twitter and Facebook.
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P.S. This is not a commercial endorsement. I get no commission from the sales of this book. I offered to read and review “Black Victim to Black Victor” and the author provided an electronic version of the book.
Photo Source: Copyright (C) Wrong Speak Publishing. Used with the publisher’s permission.