A note of caution for readers familiar with James Brown’s influential song: Despite its title, Say It Loud isn’t a book about Black pride … One of the leading authorities on race relations in the United States, Kennedy has a knack for making others’ seemingly sophisticated ideas look immature. And that skill is on full display here … With his wit, sharpness and compelling prose, Kennedy provides another book that readers will surely appreciate, whether or not they are persuaded by his arguments … Rather than doubling down on his well-known earlier positions, Kennedy humbly acknowledges his changed opinions after thinking about our messy social relationships for many decades … Reading Kennedy’s takes on disparate issues across 29 chapters makes the reader wonder whether there is coherency to his positions … A central thesis of the book appears to be that the volatility of our race relations calls for seemingly contradictory solutions … For those who come to this book looking for principles for Black empowerment, or even a consistent proposal for tackling the most fundamental social issues of our time, that pronouncement is — well, to quote another classic song from the Godfather of Soul — ‘Out of Sight.’
