Cover Image: Sing a Rhythm, Dance a Blues

Sing a Rhythm, Dance a Blues

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Member Reviews

Monique Morris’ book lays out a strong case for focusing our educational work on black and brown girls. The facts speak for themselves. She interweaves poetry from black and brown blues singers as a way to foster the connection between community and culture as a way to restore justice for our black and brown youth. The book is truly beautiful in the way that it is laid out.

Where she lost me a bit was in her strategies for reaching that justice for the girls. She quickly glosses over examples and strategies that really could have been flushed out more. I left with a notebook full of organizations and curriculum that I need to sift through now to see what I could implement in my classroom for my students. I wish more of that information was contained within the book.

As a teacher, I had a lot of background on the rationale of this work being important when I picked up the book. That’s why was drawn to it in the first place. I needed some more depth and concrete solutions that I could take and implement beyond just being an empathetic person who cares about her students.

Thank you for writing about our black and brown youth! Overall this was an excellent read that reinforced my mission and supported my rationale for teaching the way I do.

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"Millions of people consume the blues as entertainment without acknowledging its most important contributions to the freedom struggle: a platform for truth telling, a form of resistance, and thus a pathway to healing and learning." -Monique W. Morris

I believe this book is required reading for anyone who loves, cares for, or educates brown girls. Not only does the author point out flaws in our education system, she adds ways in which it can be improved upon. Though I have formed a unique perspective of public education because of my own experiences, I am glad that I was able to read Sing a Rhythm, Dance a Blues and be able to better understand other's perspectives as well. Oftentimes we believe that more discipline will cause our children to "shape up" and be better students, but the real answer here is all about love and I'm so elated that I was able to see this message translated and shared in this book!

I especially love the format of the book, starting with interludes then going into "songs" which further illustrate how our current education system is failing our young black girls. Not only do I feel this book is a necessary read for educators, I feel like this book is necessary for all brown girls and advocates, as there is so much information here that can help + heal us all. Can't wait to purchase a hardcover copy and share with others.

Major thanks to The New Press and Netgalley for an ARC of Sing a Rhythm, Dance a Blues in exchange for an honest review.

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As an educator, this book was extremely important to me in understanding what girls of color are experiencing in the education system and across the world. Definitely eye-opening and essential.

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I'm not American and even that did not hamper me from relating to this book because I'm black and some of the challenges faced by girls that the author discusses were not new to me.
I love how this book is written because it welcomes the reader into the struggles of young girls of color and though I found no concrete recommendations or actionable points from this book, just by talking about what's happening, I believe the author is well on her way to seeing to change in the education system.
Thanks Netgalley for the eARC.
PS: Sorry it took a long time for me to finish reading this book.

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I am a HUGE fan of Monique W. Morris. Her first novel Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools was my top nonfiction of the 2018. It was so powerful and informative, I raved about that it and recommended it to everyone. Now it’s a film!

So, when I heard about this book, I had to get my hands on it. Sing a Rhythm, Dance a Blues: is brilliant! Like Pushout this novel center on stories of Black and Brown girls’ mistreatment in schools. In this novel Morris goes in depth about how these girls are affected by these actions.

When you have young girls being kicked out of class in the middle of winter by a teacher and having her contemplating suicide, or when an officer of the law slams a twelve year to the ground and breaking her clavicle over a cell phone…we have a problem that needs to be brought to light and addressed NOW. Backed with data and in-depth research, this novel is important and should be a required read for all parents and educators.

Thank you, thank you NetGalley & The New Press for gifting me this copy in exchange for an honest review. 5 out 5 Stars

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How can we better protect and help liberate black and brown girls, we need to know and understand them and stop overlooking them. Monica Morris has once again open my eyes to better understanding and protecting black and brown girls.. Liking their rhythm is not enough we must empathize and understand their blues.. A must read . This is a book that I will definitely recommend that our Justice Team read..

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If you are a part of any black or brown girl's life, please read this book. We really have to examine how we raise these children and let's take notes from an expert. This book describes what we are currently doing and what we should be doing instead in terms of cultivating spaces for black and brown girls. The author focuses on the k-12 experience but this can be translated to home and community life. This is not a parenting book. It is more geared towards school and community officials. However, a parent of a teen who may be experiencing behavioral issues, should read this book in order to better advocate for their child. This book is a guide for implementing more love into policy and less punishment. Caring about the whole circumstance and the whole individual instead of just the incident.

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I was first attracted to this book for the cover and because I am a music as well as an ELA teacher. I love the way literature and music (the blues in this instance) work together. Morris tells us a lot about young African American girls and their attempt to have a quality education. Like the musical "Blues" there are difficult times throughout but normally the ending of "Blues" songs end on a more positive note. Morris leaves us wanting more for these girls and options as to how they CAN succeed. Thank you to Netgalley for this book!

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Net Galley provided me with an ARC of this book, and I am so glad that I have had the opportunity to read it. I think I can best review this book (and demonstrate its importance) by sharing what resonated with me.

First, in between the chapters are interludes. These are short songs, poems, and individual experiences which emphasize sources of strength and positivity for these Black and Brown girls.

It's important to understand her discussion of "erasure". She describes these primarily Black and Brown girls as feeling as though they don't exist. They go to school and are taught about other people's history and experiences. They want a curriculum that includes their "histories, interpretations, and contributions to American narratives." It makes me think: How can I do a better job as a teacher to ensure that my students of color value their existence and importance in our American narratives?

She writes about the ACES (Adverse Childhood Experiences) that so many of these Black and Brown girls have experienced, and how it affects their ability to learn. Of course it also affects their behavior in school. How do we address these behaviors? How do we get past them to help these students succeed? It's not acceptable to just "push them out of school". Instead how do we as educators help them redirect that energy? How can we help them find their own voice? She addresses these questions, and she continuously makes me want to think about how I can do better.

She doesn't just ask the questions though. She provides educators with many ideas and tools about how to reach these students. She writes about restorative justice methods, volunteerism, and most importantly the crucial need to build relationships.

These relationships are what are KEY in her writing. Educators must build relationships with their students. Students must know that we care and that we want them to succeed. It's a difficult path sometimes. Some students are hard to love. They have faced things that I can't even imagine, and as a result, they act out and create thick shells around themselves. We can't just push these students away and give up on them, because they are the ones that need us the most. The importance of building relationships with each student cannot be over emphasized, and this is the essence of her important book.


#SingArhythmDanceAblues #NetGalley

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Monique Morris' Pushout was a unique experience, so I was very excited to receive an ARC of Sing A Rhythm, Dance a Blues. In the book, Morris talks about the issues that are faced by black and brown girls across the country, talking about a need for restoration and understanding of these girls and their trauma. Like Pushout, I was often discouraged by the fact that a lot of Morris' goals are impeded by our education system and she does not give concrete ways to deal with the system from the inside, but the message touched me.

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