Black Women Will Save the World

An Anthem

By: April Ryan

Narrated by: April Ryan

Length: 6 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

In this long-overdue celebration of Black women’s resilience and unheralded strength, the revered, trailblazing White House correspondent reflects on “The Year That Changed Everything”—2020—and African-American women’s unprecedented role in upholding democracy.

“I am keenly aware that everyone and everything has a story,” April D. Ryan acknowledges. “Also, I have always marveled at Black women and how we work to move mountains and are never really thanked or recognized.” In Black Women Will Save the World, she melds these two truths, creating an inspiring and heart-tugging portrait of one of the momentous years in America, 2020—when America elected its first Black woman Vice President—and celebrates the tenacity, power, and impact of Black women across America.

From the beginning of the nation to today, Black women have transformed their pain into progress and have been at the frontlines of the nation’s political, social, and economic struggles. These “Sheroes” as Ryan calls them, include current political leaders such as Maxine Waters, Valerie Jarrett, and Kamala Harris; Brittany Packnett Cunningham, LaTosha Brown, and other activists; and artists like Regina King. Combining profiles and in-depth interviews with these influential movers and shakers and many more, Ryan explores the challenges Black women endure, and how the lessons they’ve learned can help us shape our own stories. Ryan also chronicles her personal journey from working-class Baltimore to the elite echelons of journalism and speaks out about the hurdles she faced in becoming one of the most well-connected members of the Washington press corps—while raising two daughters as a single mother in the aftermath of a messy divorce.

It is time for everyone to acknowledge Black women’s unrivaled contributions to America. Yet our democracy remains in peril, and their work is far from done. Black Women Will Save the World presents a vital kaleidoscopic look at women of different ages and from diverse backgrounds who devote their lives to making the world a better place—even if that means stepping out of their “place.”

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2022 April Ryan (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers

Eye opening

Very informative and inspiring. I look forward to reading or listening to more books like this.

Please read!

A must for all women. We must all join in this fight. She allows you inside the community in ways that are seldom done .

Inspirational

Inspiring, educational, and hope-filled. I enjoyed the journey from Black women’s past to current state in this country. This book is great for all people despite race, ethnicity and gender.

Confirming

Thank you April for confirming what so many of us black woman have felt and some still feels in this world. Here is to increase vulnerability, grace, and rest to all the young ladies, that will continue to save the world!

This was a really powerful book!!!!

This book moved me as black man. It made me think critically about how I can be more supportive to my wife, daughter, and son. I believe "Black Women Will save the World" and damit I am going love, support, and enjoy every minute of it!!!

Truth

As a black woman, understanding diversity in experience and drive to solve problems and achieve success, provides impetus to strive for more and take other black women along for the ride.

Comprehensive & Outstanding

A wonderful work that appearingly is April’s way of celebrating SuperWomanhood (she shares her career journey that turned into a decorated identity and purpose walk) as it also allows her to turn hardship (where all the norms of democracy and her public role in that process were turned upside down thru the 2020 pandemic and seismic shifts from the protests and disruptive politics) to transformation (calling black women to release the trauma and advocate for sisterhood, presence and action) that claim our space with new narratives for our collective t peace, health and well-being.

Excellent Book!

The audio book/book is fantastic! In my book club, we had two choices to read, this book or a fictional romance novel. Originally, I chose the romance novel, but I thank God for having a different plan. I learned so much from this book (i.e. I learned about Girl Trek, and joined while listening to the book). Also, it provoked so much thought on how I can continue to contribute to the world. I was very moved and inspired by this book. Lastly, I appreciated that the author's willingness to be vulnerable and share her own journey. I highly recommend this book to others.

April Ryan's voice literally and figuratively.

I learned things about us Black women that I didn't know. I will not die in vain neither.

An excellent start, but still a ways to go

I genuinely wanted to love this book, and if it had focused on the truly heroic and inspirational Black women in society who can serve as role models for all of us, Stacey Abrams, Ilhan Omar, Ketanji Brown Jackson, then it would have been a brilliant book. I wholeheartedly believe the premise of the title, or at least, saving America. Unfortunately the focus is squarely on one person, April Ryan, and her ordeals. I entirely get (of course, I can't entirely feel, not being a Black woman), but I get the rage and motivation she lets flow. But the cloyingly idealized Black woman "shero" narrative often starts to sound more like fighting Trump fire with Trump fire, than the aspirational and inspirational anthem it was meant to be. And clearly, the constant repetition of the phrase in the book title is meant to serve as a rousing church revivalist mantra, which for me was little more than cheerleading, but to which the target audience of the book will likely respond,

As advocacy for Black female empowerment it is almost without peer. I feel the power and energy myself. And though it would be wholly unfair to make a false equivalence (as many right-wingers most certainly would do, if they were to read the book) that this kind of chauvinism would be considered unacceptable in another context, that very ethnogender-centrism is what really points out the need for this conversation. It's a mirror image of white (male Christian) supremacist doctrine, but with the vital advantage of having historical "double whammy" discrimination to gird its structure. It is a bit hyperbolic, but its purpose is to inspire, and that I can admire.

That being stated, where the book wobbles a bit, however, is that in its effort to inspire, it paints an unrealistically monolithic view of Black women and girls. Notable women are presented, usually with respect to the advancement of equality, but less discerning with politics. As stated above, Stacey Abrams is certainly worthy, but in my opinion, neoliberal Kamala Harris, probably less so. As a progressive myself, I can attest, she's no darling of the left, nor has she made substantive moves to curry favor. Also notable are the omissions. Susan Rice is given as an example of unfair blame place on a Black woman, yet Condoleeza Rice who probably didn't get as much as she deserved, isn't mentioned. So, I split with the author that Black women are instinctively saving the underserved or oppressed, but it's fair to say as a historically doubly marginalized group, their self-interest casts a much wider net. Moreover, we hear of Beyonce's success, but little or none of her more activist predecessors like Nina Simone or Josephine Baker. Eartha Kitt and Angela Davis are briefly mentioned, but presumably due to the communist implications, the author chose not to delve any further. Assata Shakur never comes up at all, unfortunately. Fortunately, Candace Owens doesn't either.

Which leads to another uneasy aspect of the book, the emphatic love of America expressed by the author. I suppose this could be an example of bending over backward to prove her patriotic bona fides, as an extra responsibility on Black American womanhood. Or maybe she is absolutely sincere. Either way, she's evincing more confidence that it can be saved than I could do. The ugliness, both historical and more recent, is America.

Overall, I liked this book. I wholeheartedly agree with a majority of the premise, and was challenged in accepting other parts. It's thoroughly subjective, cherry-picking at times, but ultimately I want to be part of the team.