Entertainment

Book Review: “Nobody”

Published

10 years ago

August 2, 2016

Charges dropped.

You were surprised, but not surprised. Hopeful that it might be different, but only barely.

You know that these days, the idea of justice can be a slippery issue that’s sometimes based on all the wrong things, and in the new book “Nobody” by Marc Lamont Hill, you’ll see how we’ve come to this.

Photo Credit- Whitney Thomas

On the afternoon of May 1, 2015, when Baltimore ’s chief prosecutor, Marilyn Mosby, said she was bringing charges “on six… police officers involved in the arrest and detention of Freddie Gray,” her pronouncement was met with “cheers.”

Gray’s case then was the latest in a long line, nation-wide, but it wouldn’t be the last of its kind.

Gray, says Hill, was nobody.

“To be nobody is to be vulnerable,” he says in his preface. It’s being “poor, black, Brown, immigrant, queer, or trans” and living in an atmosphere that’s “more rather than less unsafe.” Nobody is “considered disposable.”

Take, for instance, Michael Brown.

By all indications, Brown was a normal guy who acted spontaneously: he stole cigarillos from a c-store and shoved the shopkeeper, who called authorities, and the rest is history. The way it happened, though, the dehumanization, and the aftermath of Brown’s “random encounter” with police will be talked about for generations, says Hill.

How did we get here? The answer is found in crowded, ill-maintained, depressing neighborhoods where schools are sub-par and few in charge care. It’s in the way the justice system operates for those who are too poor to hire a lawyer or afford their bail.

Also to blame: so-called “quotas” within police departments, a lack of differentiation between serious infraction and minor annoyance, and the relative ease of targeting minorities in all of the above.

And yet, says Hill, we cannot “individualize this crisis.” We must fix housing, schools, the justice system, and the economy overall, in all corners of the country.

“We must reinvest in communities. We must imagine the world that is not yet.”

You brace yourself, take a deep breath, unfold the newspaper at the corner and quickly peek at the headline to see if it’s about yet another shooting of a young person. So begins your day. Shoulda read “Nobody” first.

Before you do, though, let’s get the elephant out of the room: author Marc Lamont Hill isn’t anti-cop in this book. Instead, I saw a thoughtful, balanced, thought-provoking look at how today’s authorities, police departments, and government entities have evolved to be what they are, and how that can be turned around.

In his examination of the past, in fact, Hill paints real solutions to the problems that put vulnerable citizens in harm’s way. I also saw that those solutions don’t lie one-hundred-percent with those in Blue.

This is not an easy book to read; it’s not fun, either, and it demands that you think about what’s said. Still, if you only read one book with the intention of making change, then this is what you want. Start “Nobody” today, and there’ll be no dropping this one.

“ Nobody” by Marc Lamont Hill, foreword by Todd Brewster, c. 2016, Atria, $26; 250 pages.

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The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 18 – 24, 2026

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February 20, 2026

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Arts and Culture

Book Review: Books on Black History and Black Life for Kids

For the youngest reader, “As You Are: A Hope for Black Sons” by Kimberly A. Gordon Biddle, illustrated by David Wilkerson (Magination Press, $18.99) is a book for young Black boys and for their mothers. It’s a hope inside a prayer that the world treats a child gently, and it could make a great baby shower gift.

Published

3 weeks ago

February 10, 2026

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Photo of Black History Month book covers by Terri Schlichenmeyer.

By Terri Schlichenmeyer

Authors: Various, Copyright: c. 2025, 2026, Publishers: Various, SRPs: $17.99-$18.99, Page Counts: Various,

Everybody in your family has stories to share.

Your parents have told you some, no doubt. Your grandparents have offered a few, too, and aunties and uncles have spun some good tales. But there’s so much more to know, so grab one of these great books and learn about Black History and Black life.

For the youngest reader, “As You Are: A Hope for Black Sons” by Kimberly A. Gordon Biddle, illustrated by David Wilkerson (Magination Press, $18.99) is a book for young Black boys and for their mothers. It’s a hope inside a prayer that the world treats a child gently, and it could make a great baby shower gift.

If someone said you couldn’t do something that you were clearly able to do, would you fight to do it anyhow? In the new book, “Remember Her Name! Debbie Allen’s Rise to Fame” by Tami Charles, illustrated by Meredith Lucius (Charlesbridge, $17.99), a young girl in the Jim Crow South is told that she can’t dance because of the color of her skin.

She didn’t listen, though, and neither did her mother, who took her daughter to Mexico, where the girl soared! This is an inspiration for any 5-to-7-year-old; be sure to check out the back-of-the-book information, if you’re an adult fan.

Do you often hear your elders say things that sound like lessons? They might be, so “Where There is Love: A Story of African Proverbs” by Shauntay Grant, illustrated by Leticia Moreno (Penguin Workshop, $18.99) is a book you’ll like. It’s a quick-to-read collection of short proverbs that you can say every day. Kids ages 4-to-6 will easily remember what they find in this book; again, look in the back for more information.

Surely, you love your neighborhood, which is why the tale inside “Main Street: A Community Story about Redlining” by Britt Hawthorne and Tiffany Jewell, illustrated by David Wilkerson (Penguin Kokila, $18.99) is a book for you.

Olivia’s neighborhood is having a block party, but she’s sad when no one shows up. That’s when she learns that “the government” is discriminating against the people and businesses near where she lives. So, what can she and her neighbors do? The answer might inspire 6-to-8-year-old kids to stand up to wrongs they see, and to help make their neighborhoods stronger and safer.

And finally, if a kid wants a book, where can they go to find it? In “I’m So Happy You’re Here: A Celebration of Library Joy” by Mychal Threets, illustrated by Lorraine Nam (Random House, $18.99) is a good introduction to the best of what a library has to offer. The freedom to walk into a library and borrow a book is the theme here, as is the sheer happiness of being welcomed, no matter who you are. This is an easy book for kids as young as two and as old as five to enjoy.

On that note, if you want more, head to that library, or a nearby bookstore. They’ll be glad to see you. They’ve got stories to share.