Remember Me Now: A Journey Back to Myself and a Love Letter to Black Women

In this inspiring memoir, social worker and activist Brooks (The Anti-Racism Journal) extends to her fellow Black women “an invitation for us to commune with each other.” Brooks recalls formative life events, including navigating Black and white spaces in childhood, seeking self-acceptance in college, and attempting to heal from sexual assault in adulthood, drawing wisdom from each. Though her quest is one of personal discovery, Brooks writes of gathering strength from her ancestry, church, and sisterhood, as “we find healing in community.” Fittingly, she addresses readers directly in upbeat letters at the end of each chapter (“A Letter to My Sister in College Trying to Find Her Way,” “A Letter to the Black Suburban Girl”). As well, Brooks recounts the ways community and faith spaces have helped and hurt her. A college mission trip to Rwanda, for example, proved both a transformational experience of “being in a country where everyone looked like me” and a rude awakening at her white classmates’ racist behavior. As she learned to challenge the status quo and ask difficult questions, Brooks writes, she deepened her faith practice, ancestral connection, and sense of self: “I am a liberated Black woman, embracing every ounce of who I am.” This is an encouraging guide for those seeking self-discovery, fulfillment, and faith in an often unsafe world. (Jan.)