Was so excited to see this pop up on NetGalley as this is a topic I’m super fascinated about studying. I loved the way the authors wrote intertwining important history with the rolls technology plays. This is a book I look forward to buying to use a point of reference.

Seen and Unseen is a quick read, but it also a scattered one. There is not much in the way of organization with this particular text, which makes it unclear and not as good as other texts on the subject of representation of race in mass media. The work jumps from point to point, from my perspective; I wish the work had more cohesion and more focus.

Today marks the second anniversary of George Floyd’s death, a death that sparked countless protests against police brutality across the entire world. It wasn’t the first senseless death of a Black man caused by the police and sadly, it wasn’t and won’t be the last.

Floyd’s death is one of the main focuses and the backdrop of Marc Lamont Hill and Todd Brewster’s book, Seen and Unseen. It explores the way the evolution of technology and visual media is changing the way society experiences the fight for racial justice. While Floyd’s murder is the recurring topic, it’s not the only one examined in the book. The authors use the examples of such infamous cases as the killing of Ahmaud Arbery and the Kenosha shootings to explain how the footage changed the narrative or showed white supremacy at work. I loved that the authors also provided historical context and showed the way that violence and racism on the screen isn’t just a strictly modern phenomenon - quite the contrary, it was with us even in the era of silent movies like The Birth of the Nation. It’s a difficult read and there were moments when I had to put it down because of how painful and horrifying the content was, but it’s also an extremely impactful and important book that proves how big of a role social and visual media can play in the fight for social justice.

TLDR:Seen and Unseen is not an easy read, but it’s a necessary one for anyone interested in understanding how media can help dismantle white supremacy.

This book is well-written. Hill & Brewster provided an excellent overview of how social media is rapidly shaping our world & our responses to these events. Providing a historical overview while covering many of the present-day challenges was very necessary. Social media is so new & I don't think the good and bad of it has truly been covered yet. Like it or not, social media is here to stay. We must find a way to make the most of it while remaining cautious of the pitfalls of it.

SEEN AND UNSEEN is an unforgettable, scathing, sweeping analysis of racism, oppression, and systemic marginalization in the United States. Hill and Brewster offer unique insights and hypotheses on how social media and the age of cognitive overload have influenced our ability to take action and create real change. They also offer a blueprint for how we move from our desire for instant gratification and short attention spans because of the constant influx of images and narratives being consumed on social media to an ability to really understand systemic oppression, colonialism, racism, economic injustices and more so we can actually do good in our local and global communities.

This is a book I’ve already recommended to dozens of people and will continue to do so. Thank you so much to Atria for this digital arc. I will not soon forget this one!

SEEN AND UNSEEN by Marc Lamont Hill and Todd Brewster is a fascinating look at "Technology, Social Media, and the Fight for Racial Justice." These two dynamic authors are respected intellectuals who have both taught at Temple University. In this text, they reflect upon the ways in which smartphones, video, and its quick dissemination on the internet have impacted our collective reactions to cases like those of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Christian Cooper (Central Park bird-watching incident). They truly stress the broader history of communications – the role of photography and television during the 1960s Civil Rights Movement, for example. They also discuss John Filo's famous photo of May Ann Vecchio kneeling in horror after National Guard violence at Kent State in May 1970. We know this image, but most don't have ready references for similar violence occurring within that month at historically Black institutions of Jackson State and South Carolina State. Similarly, they comment on contrasts between coverage and reactions to events in Selma, Little Rock, and more recently, Charlottesville. SEEN AND UNSEEN assumes a fairly broad knowledge of American History – which our students are just developing. However, the text contains copious endnotes and sources and could possibly function as a starting point for discussion, contrasting past and contemporary activities.

This book is very timely and vastly important. While the topics discussed are difficult, I found the writing to be clear and concise and easy to ready which made digesting the material much easier!

Seen and Unseen is a timely book about the power shift over visual media has shifted in recent history. I enjoyed how the authors balanced the book with current events with past events without getting too bogged down in either one.

This is such an important, impactful and timely book. While the topics discussed are difficult, I found the writing to be clear and concise and easy to ready which made digesting the material much easier! I also appreciated all of the examples given to show how important technology is in this moment of history and the fight for racial justice. I cant post my highlights because this was an advanced copy but I know i'll be referring back to my notes and highlights for a long time!