A Renaissance of Our Own

April 1, 2023
A vulnerable look at one activist's long journey of deconstruction, healing, and reimagining of the toxic societal structure meant to oppress marginalized identities. In her debut book, Cargle--an activist, academic, anti-racism educator, philanthropist, artist, writer, and entrepreneur--takes on a host of preconceived notions that make up the definition of success in the modern world, frameworks she knew could never align with her true self. Through an examination of her own journey from social media activist to the birth of her umbrella company, the Loveland Group, Cargle breaks down the countless "reimaginings" that led to the creation of her personal manifesto. Today, she writes, "reimagining the world is not just ideal but critical for our continued healing. Here we are, in a time when our goodness, our wellness, our liveli-hoods, are begging us to dream up bigger and bolder reali-ties for ourselves and one another." Exploring relationships, education, feminism, work, and self-care, Cargle emphasizes the necessity of unlearning the capitalistic system that has been structured to work against her--and against any person within a marginalized group. As a Black queer woman striving for "ease, abundance, and opportunity" in every aspect of life, she creates her own way of living that feeds her soul via a wide variety of personal and community projects. After laying out the framework of her own process of reimagining, Cargle then implores the reader to do the same by making their own manifesto that pulls from their value system. The author expertly strikes down the idea that one size fits all in a Whitewashed society and shows that, above all, marginalized groups yearn to live instead of simply survive. In her acknowledgements, the author thanks "my intellectual and literary elders and ancestors who tilled the ground for the blooming gar-dens of my generation," including Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, and James Baldwin. Cargle opens the door into a possibility-rich world of acceptance, accountability, and allyship.

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Starred review from April 1, 2023
Activist and lecturer Cargle shares how she transformed her life by reimagining herself in terms of faith, relationships, feminism, education, work, and rest. After looking within and facing some hard truths, she was able to shed traditional thought processes and expectations pertaining to women in America. Hardships and breaking points forced her to seek her true identity. Once a small-town Christian wife, Cargle is now an eloquent activist and innovator in the feminist and queer movements. She shares her manifesto, a blueprint that readers can utilize to map out their dreams to create new ways of living their truth, using reimagining as a process of observation, curiosity, and intention. Cargle notes that anti-racism is an ongoing process that demands a critical way of thinking and acting to improve race relations and Black lives. For readers who want to reimagine their role in fighting injustice, she shares her knowledge, empathy, and action (KEA) framework, an effective way to communicate and form diverse allyships. Cargle's self-help memoir is highly recommended for DEI and LGTBQ+ collections and women of all ages who want to renew and rethink their purpose in life.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.