Books
Say Their Names:
How Black Lives Came to Matter in America
For many, the story of the weeks of protests in the summer of 2020 began with the horrific nine minutes and twenty-nine seconds when Police Officer Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd on camera, and it ended with the sweeping federal, state, and intrapersonal changes that followed. It is a simple story, wherein white America finally witnessed enough brutality to move their collective consciousness. The only problem is that it isn’t true. George Floyd was not the first Black man to be killed by police—he wasn’t even the first to inspire nation-wide protests—yet his death came at a time when America was already at a tipping point.
In Say Their Names, five seasoned journalists probe this critical shift. With a piercing examination of how inequality has been propagated throughout history, from Black imprisonment and the Convict Leasing program to long-standing predatory medical practices to over-policing, the authors highlight the disparities that have long characterized the dangers of being Black in America. They examine the many moderate attempts to counteract these inequalities, from the modern Civil Rights movement to Ferguson, and how the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others pushed compliance with an unjust system to its breaking point. Finally, they outline the momentous changes that have resulted from this movement, while at the same time proposing necessary next steps to move forward.
Reviews
Washington Post
“By bringing together five journalists who each offer a take on the buildup to that summer, the book functions as a time capsule that hopefully will be useful to future historians as they assess not just the impact of the protests but also the history of the police violence, and the organizing, that led to them.“
CNN.com
“In this detailed look at racial disparities, the modern civil rights movement and the killings of Trayvon Martin, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other Black Americans, five award-winning journalists examine racism, white supremacy, the Black Lives Matter movement and other issues facing Black communities.”
Black Enterprise
“[A] gripping, thought-provoking survey of the forces that pushed our unjust system to its breaking point following the murder of George Floyd. Penned by a powerhouse of five expert Black journalists, Say Their Names is a deep dive exploration of the historical context behind America’s original sin.”
Moments of Grace
Meeting the Challenge to Change
In her memoir, Patrice detailed her hard and painful journey from heroin user and survivor of abuse to award-winning journalist and good mother. In Moments of Grace, the author tells readers how she identified her own wrong thinking and replaced it with new beliefs that allowed her to change her life. To encourage readers, she uses stories from her own life and the testimonies of people of various ages, races, and religions who have also turned around their lives. In sections devoted to subjects including Faith, Courage, Family, Friends, Self-love, and Work, Patrice reveals how she and others who have redeemed their lives arrived at their personal “moments of grace.”
Excerpt
To change is a mighty task, demanding faith, courage and perseverance.
As much as we may want to change our entire life at once, we cannot. We must make it new one thread at a time. We must be patient and focused, because even though we can alter our exterior—where we live, where we work, who our friends are—we must still do the hard work of transforming our interior.
We make one change after another after another until our tapestry is complete and we have woven ourselves a sweet and magnificent life.
Reviews
Marianne Williamson, author of a Return To Love
“Patrice Gaines has lived a life of utmost incredible triumph over tremendous odds. She proves it can be done, and in Moments of Grace, she reveals the key.”
Iyanla Vanzant, author of Acts of Faith
“Moments of Grace is a powerful and invaluable book that will help anyone who is ready to meet the challenge to change. Thank you, Patrice Gaines, for sharing your wisdom and your ways.”
Laughing In the Dark,
From Colored Girl to Woman of Color— a Journey from Prison to Power
As a Washington Post reporter, Patrice wrote a personal essay about her life that led to the writing of her memoir, Laughing in the Dark. At that time, the media was filled with stories about young black men killing one another. These teens were being called “the lost generation,” young men generally growing up without fathers. Everywhere she went to cover their stories—to jails, courts and too often funerals—she saw the young women who had chosen to love them. They reminded her of her younger self. Her essay was part tale of her life and part interviews of some of those half-grown girls who loved those “bad” boys. As an older adult, Patrice knew what they didn’t: What they were searching for was not in someone else, but inside of them.
Excerpt
So this is my ode to those young sisters, those children with womanish ways, who give it up before there is really anything to give; those tender block girls who I did not have enough time to talk to because I was on deadline.
I want them to know that no matter how low they fall, they can get back up; no matter how many times they stumble, they can still walk tall. That neither racism nor sexism can stop a determined mind, or a heart beating with love for the very body that carries it. It is a lesson for all people, regardless of race or sex; for anyone who has had to overcome a challenge.
Reviews
Bebe Moore Campbell, author of Your Blues Ain’t Like Mine and Brothers and Sisters
“Patrice Gaines sings a song of self-love, starting off with blues and ending with a triumphant gospel shout. For any woman who’s ever let love lead her astray, Patrice’s searing story will lead her back to the healing power of her own heart. This is a cautionary tale, a story for any woman who’s never loved herself enough. And for her daughters.”
Claude Brown, author of Manchild in the Promised Land
“This book transfers the fabled wondrous strength, determination, and fortitude of the African-American woman from the realm of historical legend to contemporary reality. Laughing in the Dark is irrefutable testimony to the indomitable spirit of the African-American woman.”