Conversate Is Not a Word: Getting Away from Ghetto

Jam Donaldson

yan, 2010 · Chicago Review Press

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Funny, sad, angry, and refreshingly honest, this provocative commentary explores black culture and what needs to be done to fix neighborhoods and improve lives. Many men—from Bill Cosby to Michael Eric Dysen—have spoken out about African American society. But where are the voices of the women, especially the young, funny, witty, sarcastic ones?  Meet Jam Donaldson, a provocateur of the most entertaining kind. Donaldson offers real actions people can take to improve their lives and black society overall, never taking a condescending, holier-than-thou tone. She weaves her own warring viewpoints—the internal struggle between Jam “the Negro” and Jam “the American”—into the discussion of what's wrong and what needs to be done to fix it. Donaldson provides not only comic relief but a window into the complex, contradictory perspectives that exist within every member of the black community. Conversate Is Not a Word is a call to action and a practical guide for responsible, personal activism.

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STRONGJam Donaldson is an author and attorney who is best known for writing and producing the TV series We Got to Do Better and creating the popular website www.hotghettomess.com. Her blog, www.conversateisnotaword.com, was nominated for Best Culture Blog of the Year by the Black Weblog awards, and she most recently worked as a legal-aid attorney representing low-income residents in civil matters, receiving the Frederick Abramson Award for Public Service. She is the CEO of the popular news website www.blackpower.com. She lives in Washington, DC.