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It Was All a Dream: A New Generation Confronts the Broken Promise to Black America
Young Black Americans have been trying to realize the promise of the American Dream for centuries and coping with the reality of its limitations for just as long. Now, a new generation is pursuing success, happiness, and freedom -- on their own terms.
In It Was All a Dream , Reniqua Allen tells the stories of Black millennials searching for a better future in spite of racist policies that have closed off traditional versions of success. Many watched their parents and grandparents play by the rules, only to sink deeper and deeper into debt. They witnessed their elders fight to escape cycles of oppression for more promising prospects, largely to no avail. Today, in this post-Obama era, they face a critical turning point.
Interweaving her own experience with those of young Black Americans in cities and towns from New York to Los Angeles and Bluefield, West Virginia to Chicago, Allen shares surprising stories of hope and ingenuity. Instead of accepting downward mobility, Black millennials are flipping the script and rejecting White America's standards. Whether it means moving away from cities and heading South, hustling in the entertainment industry, challenging ideas about gender and sexuality, or building activist networks, they are determined to forge their own path.
Compassionate and deeply reported, It Was All a Dream is a celebration of a generation's doggedness against all odds, as they fight for a country in which their dreams can become a reality.
In It Was All a Dream , Reniqua Allen tells the stories of Black millennials searching for a better future in spite of racist policies that have closed off traditional versions of success. Many watched their parents and grandparents play by the rules, only to sink deeper and deeper into debt. They witnessed their elders fight to escape cycles of oppression for more promising prospects, largely to no avail. Today, in this post-Obama era, they face a critical turning point.
Interweaving her own experience with those of young Black Americans in cities and towns from New York to Los Angeles and Bluefield, West Virginia to Chicago, Allen shares surprising stories of hope and ingenuity. Instead of accepting downward mobility, Black millennials are flipping the script and rejecting White America's standards. Whether it means moving away from cities and heading South, hustling in the entertainment industry, challenging ideas about gender and sexuality, or building activist networks, they are determined to forge their own path.
Compassionate and deeply reported, It Was All a Dream is a celebration of a generation's doggedness against all odds, as they fight for a country in which their dreams can become a reality.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
January 8, 2019
This book was so unique and powerful in so many ways. Allen gives us the stories of young Black Americans(Millennials) who are creating, working, fighting, loving, and surviving. From civil rights movement, the economy, political and racial rifts of the post-Obama era, their stories are both heartbreaking and hopeful. This is a must read.
November 2, 2019
A powerful and compelling book. Reniqua Allen provides an insightful look at the harsh realities and challenges facing an entire generation of young black Americans and inhibiting their upward mobility. A must read.
January 31, 2019
This a sloppy, ignorant excuse for a "researched" book. Clearly the author has a enormous bias, and this will confirm that bias with most "progressive" readers. But if one were to eliminate references to "African American" and (initial cap) "Black" and sometimes substitute (initial cap) "White" the book would read the same. No, most people will not always reach whatever goals one establishes, no matter what color one's body is. The American Dream was never "promised" by the Founders of the USA or the authors of the Constitution. The American Dream is not any concrete idea anyway it is completely subjective. So the entire premise of the book is fraudulent. But it will sell to those wishing to be thought "progressive" and who cannot stomach reading it. Certainly the "research" cited and the comments of progressives like former president Obama are not anything but opinion as is this book. I wonder who paid for Ms Allen's trip around the country talking.
But in summation: there is no promise in the United States of America except one once, the freedom to pursue -- not reach -- happiness. Itself a subjective word.
If you are a Democrat or a Republican wishing to look current and with it, buy the book, and give Ms Allen some money.
But in summation: there is no promise in the United States of America except one once, the freedom to pursue -- not reach -- happiness. Itself a subjective word.
If you are a Democrat or a Republican wishing to look current and with it, buy the book, and give Ms Allen some money.
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May 16, 2021I think it was a pretty informative book. It really captured different people's experiences as black millennials throughout the US. I had to read this for a class and attend a lecture by the author. If anyone at all is curious about the book or certain parts of it (different chapters talk about different types of millennial situations), I recommend at least reading a chapter or two. I do not read nonfiction at all, with the exception of Night by Elie Wiesel, but now I feel more compelled to read it. A solid 3.75/5 stars from me!
February 10, 2019
What does the American Dream mean in 2019? Is it a universal dream for all people or does it depend on race/ethnicity, gender, and/or sexuality? Should this dream be modified if it doesn't work in the manner one expects? These are just a few of the questions I had after reading the first chapter of It Was All a Dream. There are no easy answers-the American Dream is thought to be a symbol of success, of "making it" in a world where you're expected to fail. How does the dream manifest itself? This is where one can argue that the dream has been fulfilled if one has the material goods to promote a vision of wealth. In addition to wealth (real or imaginary), there is a social representation to add-the dream includes marriage & children. The children are to be educated at the best elementary and secondary schools, moving on to attend the nation's most prestigious colleges and universities, culminating with landing a coveted position with potential for growth and acclaim. However, this is not the reality for a large number of African Americans. Reniqua Allen challenges the reader to think about how the American Dream or lack thereof has impacted their life. What does it mean to not have access to the resources that make the dream a reality? Who is to blame when one's reality doesn't mirror the dream? Should this even be a cause for concern?
I really, really admire Ms. Allen's writing and research. This is not an easy topic to tackle and it takes a lack of ego to admit their outer appearance is not all good, especially in the age of social media. This book evaluates multiple perspectives from romantic relationships, politics, education/college debt, drug addiction, sex work, and professional career/workplace. The points of view presented are varied between traditional middle class, poor working class, and blue collar. However, their concerns are fairly universal. What really stands out to me is that Allen does not interject her opinion in the text. She lets the research speak for itself loud and clear. The multitude of voices led me to conclude that the American Dream is outdated and not the vision I want for me. That doesn't mean that I or anyone else who isn't in search of a supposed dream is unworthy. It means that we, like previous generations, are fighting to live on our terms rather than under a gaze of inferiority.
One thing I didn't really think about reading-how BLM (Black Lives Matter) has faded from the national news to a large degree. An answer is given.
Quotes to think about-admittedly hard to choose, but I'll share three. "Women were fierce, independent, hard-working, and feminist(without having to announce it, display it or safety pin it). They made clear all too often that marriage and "happily ever after " was for White girls" (245).
"Maybe our mobility shouldn't always be measured like our White millenial peers. Maybe it's measured in joy and pleasure. If this country was never meant for us anyway, maybe we have to look beyond" (314).
Speaking about the Black middle class-"These are the folks who "make it." Who often find economic and political "success" in the White world, get so-called approval from larger society, but also suffer from unequal economic, social, and housing conditions. They are found in newsrooms, classrooms, and boardrooms, even the White House, yet they remain as misunderstood as ever" (178-179).
I really, really admire Ms. Allen's writing and research. This is not an easy topic to tackle and it takes a lack of ego to admit their outer appearance is not all good, especially in the age of social media. This book evaluates multiple perspectives from romantic relationships, politics, education/college debt, drug addiction, sex work, and professional career/workplace. The points of view presented are varied between traditional middle class, poor working class, and blue collar. However, their concerns are fairly universal. What really stands out to me is that Allen does not interject her opinion in the text. She lets the research speak for itself loud and clear. The multitude of voices led me to conclude that the American Dream is outdated and not the vision I want for me. That doesn't mean that I or anyone else who isn't in search of a supposed dream is unworthy. It means that we, like previous generations, are fighting to live on our terms rather than under a gaze of inferiority.
One thing I didn't really think about reading-how BLM (Black Lives Matter) has faded from the national news to a large degree. An answer is given.
Quotes to think about-admittedly hard to choose, but I'll share three. "Women were fierce, independent, hard-working, and feminist(without having to announce it, display it or safety pin it). They made clear all too often that marriage and "happily ever after " was for White girls" (245).
"Maybe our mobility shouldn't always be measured like our White millenial peers. Maybe it's measured in joy and pleasure. If this country was never meant for us anyway, maybe we have to look beyond" (314).
Speaking about the Black middle class-"These are the folks who "make it." Who often find economic and political "success" in the White world, get so-called approval from larger society, but also suffer from unequal economic, social, and housing conditions. They are found in newsrooms, classrooms, and boardrooms, even the White House, yet they remain as misunderstood as ever" (178-179).
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March 17, 2019Public-facing writing about millennials is plentiful and varied. Millennials are selfish. Millennials are tech wizards/start-up geniuses/egregiously wealthy. Millennials aren't politically engaged. Millennials are post-race and possess fewer biases than previous generations. However, rarely are millennials disaggregated along axes of social difference. Moreover, many observations attributed to millennials at large are actually mined from the lives of white, upper-middle-class millennials. How then should we understand the social location of Black American millennials? This question is of particular importance since many came of age during the first decade of the 21st century. That moment, marked by the election of the United States' first Black president, was once deemed the dawn of a new post-racial era. The Movement for Black Lives has shown that such a statement is far from true...
Allen begins with the 'American Dream,' the promise that determination, faith, and hard work make upward mobility and economic abundance accessible to those who work diligently for it. Do Black millennials believe in it? Have they found it applicable to their lives? Relying upon interviews with Black millennials across the country from a variety of regional, ethnic, class, educational, and professional backgrounds, Allen draws a portrait of Black millennial life that unveils how myriad policy, laws, and institutional practices have made the American Dream inaccessible to the majority of Black American millennials. The book's strongest chapters are the ones on student debt, the working-class, and housing. In these chapters, Allen deftly integrates historical analysis, quantitative data, and ethnography to show how inaccessible higher education has become for Black millennials; those who do manage to complete undergraduate degrees still find themselves drowning in debt and unable to cross the threshold into the middle-class. Allen discusses the importance of possessing generational wealth in establishing economic security, something that has eluded Black Americans for centuries. In her discussions about housing, she critically examines how the global recession of 2008 functioned as a devastating depression for Black American communities; not only were they victims of subprime mortgage lending, but they also lost the majority of their wealth when the housing market turned.
I expected a few chapters to be a bit bolder, particularly the chapter on love and the chapter on politics and activism. The former didn't discuss how much colorism and anti-Black bias permeate dating life and shape notions of desirability and the latter was too focused on the three interviewees/didn't provide enough analysis and observation of the wider context. I also wish that there had been more discussion of why Black immigrants and their children tend to fare better than multigenerational Black Americans in the labor market. The stereotypes of multigenerational Black Americans as "lazy," "lacking ambition," or suffering from "broken households" conveyed by some interviewees weren't addressed and debunked. The chapter on Hollywood felt a bit out of place in the text as a whole; I wonder whether a chapter about arts and culture more broadly would have tied in more seamlessly.
Nonetheless, the text serves as a great primer to understanding the depth of inequity in the current moment. It does a great job of unpacking the structural without obscuring personal narratives. In this way, Allen *visceralizes* the data. 'It Was All a Dream' would fit very well into the readings of an Introduction to Sociology or Introduction to American Studies course.
Allen begins with the 'American Dream,' the promise that determination, faith, and hard work make upward mobility and economic abundance accessible to those who work diligently for it. Do Black millennials believe in it? Have they found it applicable to their lives? Relying upon interviews with Black millennials across the country from a variety of regional, ethnic, class, educational, and professional backgrounds, Allen draws a portrait of Black millennial life that unveils how myriad policy, laws, and institutional practices have made the American Dream inaccessible to the majority of Black American millennials. The book's strongest chapters are the ones on student debt, the working-class, and housing. In these chapters, Allen deftly integrates historical analysis, quantitative data, and ethnography to show how inaccessible higher education has become for Black millennials; those who do manage to complete undergraduate degrees still find themselves drowning in debt and unable to cross the threshold into the middle-class. Allen discusses the importance of possessing generational wealth in establishing economic security, something that has eluded Black Americans for centuries. In her discussions about housing, she critically examines how the global recession of 2008 functioned as a devastating depression for Black American communities; not only were they victims of subprime mortgage lending, but they also lost the majority of their wealth when the housing market turned.
I expected a few chapters to be a bit bolder, particularly the chapter on love and the chapter on politics and activism. The former didn't discuss how much colorism and anti-Black bias permeate dating life and shape notions of desirability and the latter was too focused on the three interviewees/didn't provide enough analysis and observation of the wider context. I also wish that there had been more discussion of why Black immigrants and their children tend to fare better than multigenerational Black Americans in the labor market. The stereotypes of multigenerational Black Americans as "lazy," "lacking ambition," or suffering from "broken households" conveyed by some interviewees weren't addressed and debunked. The chapter on Hollywood felt a bit out of place in the text as a whole; I wonder whether a chapter about arts and culture more broadly would have tied in more seamlessly.
Nonetheless, the text serves as a great primer to understanding the depth of inequity in the current moment. It does a great job of unpacking the structural without obscuring personal narratives. In this way, Allen *visceralizes* the data. 'It Was All a Dream' would fit very well into the readings of an Introduction to Sociology or Introduction to American Studies course.
Read
February 19, 2019This book will not be earth-shattering for the Black reader who understands that Black people-and especially Black millennials- contain multitudes, but it is an interesting survey of the different ways that Black millennials have and are coming to grips that "This is America". The vignettes span a variety of regions, class, orientations, and more checkboxes and I appreciated how open people were with the author.
I liked this book most when the author was interviewing/surveying Black millennials and letting them tell their story and less when she weaved her personal narrative/memoir into it.
I liked this book most when the author was interviewing/surveying Black millennials and letting them tell their story and less when she weaved her personal narrative/memoir into it.
August 30, 2020
Highly recommend this book. The author sits down and has real talk conversations with folx of Black America, and they’ve got a lot to say. White peoplx should be doing the same instead of hanging on to racial bias, and/or just not knowing. These conversations are so important. Together, we can create a more just, loving world for all. But we can only do it together. 👊🏾✊🏻🏳️🌈🇺🇸It’s not too late to fulfill EVERY promise.
January 26, 2019
Exquisite sociological memoir. Will share excerpts with my class; a fantastic add for any teachers who cover the American Dream as part of a history or literature unit.
February 22, 2019
As a Black millennial that's completely engrossed in Black-centered issues in America and globally, It Was All a Dream served as a reiteration of what I'd assume most Black millennials (myself included) feel. For the most part, most of the material in the text wasn't unfamiliar; the text consisted of points that have been made time and time again. However, there were a few learning moments. For example, the plight of Black coal miners in Keystone, West Virginia (McDowell county to be exact) captivated me. I also appreciate how Reniqua Allen traveled throughout the entire country at an attempt to authentically document the Black millennial experience.
Let's be honest, millennials in general have a bad rep in the eyes of older generations, especially Baby Boomers. Often times, our grievances are overlooked or undermined. Add being Black to the mix and how our millennial experience is drowned out by our white counterparts, and you'll find that being frustrated is an understatement. Allen does a great job at showcasing both the broad and narrow spectrums Black millennials face in America. Moreover, she does a great job at describing how Black millennials are routinely grouped in with white millennials despite our realities and experiences being worlds apart.
Despite the various typos, and countless (must needed) statistics that might feel like an uphill battle to read, I recommend reading this book. It may feel like a drawn-out refresher to readers that are rooted in Black issues. However, if you're not familiar or semi-familiar with the Black millennial experience (or Black experience), It Was All a Dream is a solid starting point.
Let's be honest, millennials in general have a bad rep in the eyes of older generations, especially Baby Boomers. Often times, our grievances are overlooked or undermined. Add being Black to the mix and how our millennial experience is drowned out by our white counterparts, and you'll find that being frustrated is an understatement. Allen does a great job at showcasing both the broad and narrow spectrums Black millennials face in America. Moreover, she does a great job at describing how Black millennials are routinely grouped in with white millennials despite our realities and experiences being worlds apart.
Despite the various typos, and countless (must needed) statistics that might feel like an uphill battle to read, I recommend reading this book. It may feel like a drawn-out refresher to readers that are rooted in Black issues. However, if you're not familiar or semi-familiar with the Black millennial experience (or Black experience), It Was All a Dream is a solid starting point.
July 13, 2019
I felt seen! This was an incredibly validating read for a black millennial like me. There were many times listening to the audiobook where I just smiled and nodded because I *felt that*. Reniqua Allen put a ton of work into this and it shows. The research was thorough and current. I especially liked the fact that we weren't limited to NYC and LA, like so many books and articles about millennials often are. There are millions of people who live in between those cities who have stories that are just as valid as the high-powered whoevers working in Hollywood and Times Square. So I appreciated that. It was a thoughtful choice for a book such as this and it brought some much needed diversity to this subject.
The whole subject of "millennials are having a hard time" is always filtered through a painfully white and privileged lens. Their problems are not our problems. Allen put in a lot of perspectives that rightfully and accurately opposed the notion of what a typical millennial is, what they look like, and what kind of dreams and goals they have. At times, I won't lie, it was depressing. Most of us are struggling. Most of us have high hopes and big dreams and so much optimism and it's hard to read this book and believe that everything will work out for them in the end.
It definitely felt like a news article, in that we get snapshots of these people's lives and a lot of cool, pithy quotes. We see the common ties they have and how it all relates back to the main idea. But it's only a snapshot. It's only one facet of their lives. Allen tried to end on a high note, even with each person she interviewed, so I give her props for that. It couldn't have been easy to figure out how to portray us truthfully and without judgment while simultaneously refusing to succumb to the "low hanging fruit" of tragedy porn.
I took away a star because it felt like the author was presenting a lot of different perspectives with varying levels of attention and objectivity. What I mean by that is she tried to approach this from a neutral standpoint... kinda.
It was hard to tell if she was taking sides or if she was being apolitical and whether that had an impact on the book as a whole. As a result that made it hard to figure out what the point of the book was. Are you presenting our lives and our challenges to a generally black audience OR are you presenting our lives and our challenges to a generally mixed-raced audience according to how radical the subjects are because that would make for a more interesting book for them? I assumed she was a very "woke" person based upon how often left-leaning ideas popped up on the page (not that I'm complaining, I'm a liberal). But I could be wrong about it's impact on the subject matter. I'm just saying that was my perception.
She was clearly distracted by the most intriguing interviewees. She seemed especially interested in the dominatrix and the imprisoned prostitute. We spent a big chunk of the Survival chapter on them, taking a deep dive into their personal lives, their thoughts, their feelings, and their personalities. The interviewees before them and after them did not get that kind of time in the spotlight. Which goes back to the question I asked in a previous paragraph. Did Allen's desire to be "woke" have an impact on what made it into the book? Were there parts of this book that was performative instead of informative? If you interviewed dozens of people, why spend this much time on the lone sex workers? Yes, they represent a side of life not often told, but almost every interviewee's story is a story not often told and deserving of more attention. There was a clear and obvious political slant to the book that varied depending on who was being interviewed. I guess I just didn't like it because it felt biased towards the most uniquely marginalized subjects AKA the person with the most odd shit going on in their lives. You know, the people most likely to prove the book and the author's "wokeness".
I also felt as if the black woman republican was there just to cover her bases. She was portrayed in that annoying "gotta hear both sides" binary without her perspectives really being challenged which further fed into the idea that she was simply being interviewed to balance out the socialist who was interviewed before her. Again, there seemed to be a desire for objectivity and for a neutral stance, but it's hard to do that convincingly when you've just spent the last three or four chapters with a pretty obvious liberal slant on things. I appreciated the effort, I guess? It was better than nothing and she couldn't just ignore the other side of the political spectrum in a book that claims to be about ALL black millennials and unfortunately and oddly enough the less popular ideals need to be given space too.
Some big, serious issues in the black millennial world were touched upon once or twice, never to be revisited again. I was disappointed when she interviewed the black male professional, asked him about dating black women, provided a couple (dare I say, controversial) quotes and then moved onto the next subject. The black queer man she interviewed about his love life also gave wonderful quotes about dating and was worthy of a deep dive IMO, like she did with the sex workers, but she didn't go there either. In the black millennial world, dating is a huge deal. She dedicated a chapter to it, but the whole chapter was lacking that something special that the other chapters had.
She pivoted away from the single folks without kids to interview three black women with kids who were unmarried. I liked their perspective. It was interesting. Didn't mirror my reality since I don't have kids and I know of several black millennial women who also don't have kids - which is common these days cause kids are fucking expensive and men are trash. Again, the single mom life is a valid life if you're black and their perspectives matter. But it felt, once again, like Allen's focus was more on being "woke" and showing how "woke" she was by choosing to NOT interview single black millennial women w/o kids in the dating field and instead giving that spotlight to the single moms to humanize them and show the world they aren't just stereotypes. Noble, but was it really the best choice?
All my beef aside, I enjoyed it. I thought it was a great idea and that she did her best to bring it to life without devolving into the usual bullshit we see about black people. She tried her best to be subversive where she could and I appreciated it. It wasn't perfect and she made choices I didn't really agree with, but it's not a bad book because of it. I thought about it for a long time after I finished reading it. I would recommend but only to certain people. It could be a tough read for people who aren't black.
The whole subject of "millennials are having a hard time" is always filtered through a painfully white and privileged lens. Their problems are not our problems. Allen put in a lot of perspectives that rightfully and accurately opposed the notion of what a typical millennial is, what they look like, and what kind of dreams and goals they have. At times, I won't lie, it was depressing. Most of us are struggling. Most of us have high hopes and big dreams and so much optimism and it's hard to read this book and believe that everything will work out for them in the end.
It definitely felt like a news article, in that we get snapshots of these people's lives and a lot of cool, pithy quotes. We see the common ties they have and how it all relates back to the main idea. But it's only a snapshot. It's only one facet of their lives. Allen tried to end on a high note, even with each person she interviewed, so I give her props for that. It couldn't have been easy to figure out how to portray us truthfully and without judgment while simultaneously refusing to succumb to the "low hanging fruit" of tragedy porn.
I took away a star because it felt like the author was presenting a lot of different perspectives with varying levels of attention and objectivity. What I mean by that is she tried to approach this from a neutral standpoint... kinda.
It was hard to tell if she was taking sides or if she was being apolitical and whether that had an impact on the book as a whole. As a result that made it hard to figure out what the point of the book was. Are you presenting our lives and our challenges to a generally black audience OR are you presenting our lives and our challenges to a generally mixed-raced audience according to how radical the subjects are because that would make for a more interesting book for them? I assumed she was a very "woke" person based upon how often left-leaning ideas popped up on the page (not that I'm complaining, I'm a liberal). But I could be wrong about it's impact on the subject matter. I'm just saying that was my perception.
She was clearly distracted by the most intriguing interviewees. She seemed especially interested in the dominatrix and the imprisoned prostitute. We spent a big chunk of the Survival chapter on them, taking a deep dive into their personal lives, their thoughts, their feelings, and their personalities. The interviewees before them and after them did not get that kind of time in the spotlight. Which goes back to the question I asked in a previous paragraph. Did Allen's desire to be "woke" have an impact on what made it into the book? Were there parts of this book that was performative instead of informative? If you interviewed dozens of people, why spend this much time on the lone sex workers? Yes, they represent a side of life not often told, but almost every interviewee's story is a story not often told and deserving of more attention. There was a clear and obvious political slant to the book that varied depending on who was being interviewed. I guess I just didn't like it because it felt biased towards the most uniquely marginalized subjects AKA the person with the most odd shit going on in their lives. You know, the people most likely to prove the book and the author's "wokeness".
I also felt as if the black woman republican was there just to cover her bases. She was portrayed in that annoying "gotta hear both sides" binary without her perspectives really being challenged which further fed into the idea that she was simply being interviewed to balance out the socialist who was interviewed before her. Again, there seemed to be a desire for objectivity and for a neutral stance, but it's hard to do that convincingly when you've just spent the last three or four chapters with a pretty obvious liberal slant on things. I appreciated the effort, I guess? It was better than nothing and she couldn't just ignore the other side of the political spectrum in a book that claims to be about ALL black millennials and unfortunately and oddly enough the less popular ideals need to be given space too.
Some big, serious issues in the black millennial world were touched upon once or twice, never to be revisited again. I was disappointed when she interviewed the black male professional, asked him about dating black women, provided a couple (dare I say, controversial) quotes and then moved onto the next subject. The black queer man she interviewed about his love life also gave wonderful quotes about dating and was worthy of a deep dive IMO, like she did with the sex workers, but she didn't go there either. In the black millennial world, dating is a huge deal. She dedicated a chapter to it, but the whole chapter was lacking that something special that the other chapters had.
She pivoted away from the single folks without kids to interview three black women with kids who were unmarried. I liked their perspective. It was interesting. Didn't mirror my reality since I don't have kids and I know of several black millennial women who also don't have kids - which is common these days cause kids are fucking expensive and men are trash. Again, the single mom life is a valid life if you're black and their perspectives matter. But it felt, once again, like Allen's focus was more on being "woke" and showing how "woke" she was by choosing to NOT interview single black millennial women w/o kids in the dating field and instead giving that spotlight to the single moms to humanize them and show the world they aren't just stereotypes. Noble, but was it really the best choice?
All my beef aside, I enjoyed it. I thought it was a great idea and that she did her best to bring it to life without devolving into the usual bullshit we see about black people. She tried her best to be subversive where she could and I appreciated it. It wasn't perfect and she made choices I didn't really agree with, but it's not a bad book because of it. I thought about it for a long time after I finished reading it. I would recommend but only to certain people. It could be a tough read for people who aren't black.
February 5, 2019
"My American Dream was to not fuck up. My dream was to defy expectations. To be unpredictable, to do something better and something more than my ancestors. Perhaps I thought that if these dreams came true, I would finally be respected, embraced, so that America would recognize that I too existed and had a voice. In retrospect, I wonder why I even cared about any of that, because again and again America has shown it cares so little about people who look like me."
"The American Dream is one of the most enduring myths in America, yet it is also one of its most prominent falsehoods. The dream, the idea that anyone can succeed and enjoy a prosperous life through hard work, has been around since the founding of the country. But despite the reality that the Dream applies only to a limited number of people, America never seems to grow weary of this idea."
"The idea of the American Dream in our society provides important clues into how Americans see themselves, how we view upward mobility, and what we believe the promise of America is."
"Despite their degrees, interracial partners, and love of Beyonce, White millennials think more like their parents than their fellow Black and Brown millenials.Research by Spencer Piston at Syracuse University found that 51 percent of young Whites think Blacks are lazier than Whites, while 43 percent said Black people are not as intelligent. Equally problematic is that 32 percent of White millennials believe that racism isn't a major problem compared to 24 percent of Asian Americans, 21 percent of Latinx, and 12 percent of Black Americans."
"Sure, I was aware of the shitty sides of America: I gasped when riots broke in Los Angeles, cried when Phillip Pannell, a young Black Man, was killed by cops in my own hood, and watched in horror as Anita Hill was attacked for speaking out against sexual harassment. But it seemed for a while that my generation of Black millennials would actually do better than our parents and prove that for Black Americans, dreams could come true. Looking back, I think perhaps I was just being young and naive, having not fully understood what America often does to young Black kids with dreams of a better life."
"I realized once again that New York is never as progressive as it's made out to be, and often it's downright lonely to be young and Black here."
"Years after the 2016 election, in a country that still feels divided, I can't tell if the red state/blue state differences even matter still. Hatred, fear, and resentment seem to flow through the land."
"For Black kids, who have to work twice as hard, he said a bachelor's degree is just the minimum requirement for even a sliver of the stability that his White peers have, and even that only happens to a lucky few."
Whites are so privileged in our society that the median wealth among White high school dropouts is significantly larger, at $51,300, than Black families headed by someone with a college degree ($25,900), according to a 2014 study by the think tank Demos. Most of us don't have intergenerational wealth to rely on, partially because we have systematically been denied any opportunities to accumulate it."
"College tuition has become a challenge for millennials of all ethnicities, who have 300 percent more debt than our parents, but for Brown and Black millennials, who often don't have the same amount of wealth or security as their White counterparts, the cost can be prohibitive."
"All too often we don't have the financial resources or parental support to pay for college or graduate degrees. So debt becomes our family, our inheritance checks, our stock and oil money, and we try to borrow our way into a dream of education that we've been sold.We aren't going into debt buying rims or paying for expensive weaves; we're going to debt to pay for education. We know that we're held to a higher standard in ways that other young people aren't."
"Instead of revered group, the Black working class is perceived as something else: an underclass. When and if the working class is acknowledged by the media, it's almost always through a lens of Whiteness not Blackness."
"I would say, generally speaking, immigrants are more hungry, have more of a gut, but then you know, a caveat would be it's all based on the individual. Generally speaking, the immigrant has a little bit more of...that craving. Maybe not the fight, but craving in them. That is what being an immigrant is. They are seeking something better. They're extra hungry."
"Either I was going to stay sad living and accept misery around me, or I was going to move on and continue finding the best way to live. I still have moments where I get sad. I still have moments where I still get depressed, but I do know how to put myself in a place where I will have joy."
"Women were the shinning stars in my life, and the men, it seemed, always played a secondary role. Women were fierce, independent, hard-working, and feminist (without having to announce it display it, or safety-pin it). They made clear all too often that marriage and "happily ever after" was for White girls."
"The American Dream is one of the most enduring myths in America, yet it is also one of its most prominent falsehoods. The dream, the idea that anyone can succeed and enjoy a prosperous life through hard work, has been around since the founding of the country. But despite the reality that the Dream applies only to a limited number of people, America never seems to grow weary of this idea."
"The idea of the American Dream in our society provides important clues into how Americans see themselves, how we view upward mobility, and what we believe the promise of America is."
"Despite their degrees, interracial partners, and love of Beyonce, White millennials think more like their parents than their fellow Black and Brown millenials.Research by Spencer Piston at Syracuse University found that 51 percent of young Whites think Blacks are lazier than Whites, while 43 percent said Black people are not as intelligent. Equally problematic is that 32 percent of White millennials believe that racism isn't a major problem compared to 24 percent of Asian Americans, 21 percent of Latinx, and 12 percent of Black Americans."
"Sure, I was aware of the shitty sides of America: I gasped when riots broke in Los Angeles, cried when Phillip Pannell, a young Black Man, was killed by cops in my own hood, and watched in horror as Anita Hill was attacked for speaking out against sexual harassment. But it seemed for a while that my generation of Black millennials would actually do better than our parents and prove that for Black Americans, dreams could come true. Looking back, I think perhaps I was just being young and naive, having not fully understood what America often does to young Black kids with dreams of a better life."
"I realized once again that New York is never as progressive as it's made out to be, and often it's downright lonely to be young and Black here."
"Years after the 2016 election, in a country that still feels divided, I can't tell if the red state/blue state differences even matter still. Hatred, fear, and resentment seem to flow through the land."
"For Black kids, who have to work twice as hard, he said a bachelor's degree is just the minimum requirement for even a sliver of the stability that his White peers have, and even that only happens to a lucky few."
Whites are so privileged in our society that the median wealth among White high school dropouts is significantly larger, at $51,300, than Black families headed by someone with a college degree ($25,900), according to a 2014 study by the think tank Demos. Most of us don't have intergenerational wealth to rely on, partially because we have systematically been denied any opportunities to accumulate it."
"College tuition has become a challenge for millennials of all ethnicities, who have 300 percent more debt than our parents, but for Brown and Black millennials, who often don't have the same amount of wealth or security as their White counterparts, the cost can be prohibitive."
"All too often we don't have the financial resources or parental support to pay for college or graduate degrees. So debt becomes our family, our inheritance checks, our stock and oil money, and we try to borrow our way into a dream of education that we've been sold.We aren't going into debt buying rims or paying for expensive weaves; we're going to debt to pay for education. We know that we're held to a higher standard in ways that other young people aren't."
"Instead of revered group, the Black working class is perceived as something else: an underclass. When and if the working class is acknowledged by the media, it's almost always through a lens of Whiteness not Blackness."
"I would say, generally speaking, immigrants are more hungry, have more of a gut, but then you know, a caveat would be it's all based on the individual. Generally speaking, the immigrant has a little bit more of...that craving. Maybe not the fight, but craving in them. That is what being an immigrant is. They are seeking something better. They're extra hungry."
"Either I was going to stay sad living and accept misery around me, or I was going to move on and continue finding the best way to live. I still have moments where I get sad. I still have moments where I still get depressed, but I do know how to put myself in a place where I will have joy."
"Women were the shinning stars in my life, and the men, it seemed, always played a secondary role. Women were fierce, independent, hard-working, and feminist (without having to announce it display it, or safety-pin it). They made clear all too often that marriage and "happily ever after" was for White girls."
October 2, 2020
IQ "Maybe our mobility shouldn't always be measured like our White millennial peers. Maybe it's measured in joy and pleasure. If this country was never meant for us anyway, maybe we have to look beyond" (314).
I was initially skeptical because interviewing 75 people didn't seem like it would be enough but it is wide-ranging in perspectives. There's geographic diversity (a needed reminder that there are Black people in Appalachia!) and a variety of perspectives and experiences (a dominatrix!) portrayed. I also appreciated that Allen wove in her personal experiences since she herself is an older Black millennial and had some interesting observations drawn from her own life. And I was relieved to see that the book wasn't entirely focused on older millennials, at one point a few of those interviewed mentioned how impactful the Jena 6 was on them (vs Jesse Jackson running for president) and I literally experienced a wave of recognition and also shame because I haven't thought about that case in so long. But I do vividly remember following it as a kid. The only chapter that felt random was the one on Hollywood. I understand what Allen was trying to say about how the Black middle class experience was represented but I didn't think it needed a whole chapter especially when it started talking to people who wanted to make it in Hollywood. That part felt like it was two different books. I also wish there had been a few interviews with Black millennials who were either upper middle class or were raised that way to see how they fared and what they experienced.
IT WAS ALL A DREAM is a refreshing, reaffirming read that looks at the Black millennial experience and the many ways the American Dream is a myth. It's refreshing because it centers Black millennials who are overlooked when the mainstream media paints a broad brush of the entitled (white) millennial. It will no doubt be eye-opening to those who don't have young Black friends or do much reading but it was also reassuring to be reminded that I was not alone. I knew this from my own friends but it's nice to see your experience reflected beyond your inner circle and seeing it being taken seriously as a topic of study. The book was strongest when it focused on economic anxiety, mental health and how racism permeates every aspect of the Black experience in America. You can't talk about the millennial experience without talking about Black people especially during the covid19 pandemic as Black people of all generations are disproportionately impacted. This book is a must-read (especially for all those now trying to be anti-racist).
OTHER NOTABLE QUOTES
"Love is hard for everyone. But for young Black people in America, it seems damn near impossible. Is it that surprising when we lack the love of our society? We are raised in a society that teaches us to hate ourselves, our bodies, our features, and to hate each other. We are taught that our hair is inappropriate and our skin is too dark. And then we are condemned when we learn to experience love in other ways. Because the history of our love and marriage is different, perhaps our experiences with love are also unique." (252)
"People talk about Black Twitter all the time, but Black Twitter is Twitter. It is the biggest platform in terms of a shared communal space of people with similar interests all around the world vibing on like one big inside joke after another every day. A lot of times just me being in tune to that helps me get through my day. I've got to know what the TL is talking about. The FOMO is so real." (Jasmyn, 102)
I was initially skeptical because interviewing 75 people didn't seem like it would be enough but it is wide-ranging in perspectives. There's geographic diversity (a needed reminder that there are Black people in Appalachia!) and a variety of perspectives and experiences (a dominatrix!) portrayed. I also appreciated that Allen wove in her personal experiences since she herself is an older Black millennial and had some interesting observations drawn from her own life. And I was relieved to see that the book wasn't entirely focused on older millennials, at one point a few of those interviewed mentioned how impactful the Jena 6 was on them (vs Jesse Jackson running for president) and I literally experienced a wave of recognition and also shame because I haven't thought about that case in so long. But I do vividly remember following it as a kid. The only chapter that felt random was the one on Hollywood. I understand what Allen was trying to say about how the Black middle class experience was represented but I didn't think it needed a whole chapter especially when it started talking to people who wanted to make it in Hollywood. That part felt like it was two different books. I also wish there had been a few interviews with Black millennials who were either upper middle class or were raised that way to see how they fared and what they experienced.
IT WAS ALL A DREAM is a refreshing, reaffirming read that looks at the Black millennial experience and the many ways the American Dream is a myth. It's refreshing because it centers Black millennials who are overlooked when the mainstream media paints a broad brush of the entitled (white) millennial. It will no doubt be eye-opening to those who don't have young Black friends or do much reading but it was also reassuring to be reminded that I was not alone. I knew this from my own friends but it's nice to see your experience reflected beyond your inner circle and seeing it being taken seriously as a topic of study. The book was strongest when it focused on economic anxiety, mental health and how racism permeates every aspect of the Black experience in America. You can't talk about the millennial experience without talking about Black people especially during the covid19 pandemic as Black people of all generations are disproportionately impacted. This book is a must-read (especially for all those now trying to be anti-racist).
OTHER NOTABLE QUOTES
"Love is hard for everyone. But for young Black people in America, it seems damn near impossible. Is it that surprising when we lack the love of our society? We are raised in a society that teaches us to hate ourselves, our bodies, our features, and to hate each other. We are taught that our hair is inappropriate and our skin is too dark. And then we are condemned when we learn to experience love in other ways. Because the history of our love and marriage is different, perhaps our experiences with love are also unique." (252)
"People talk about Black Twitter all the time, but Black Twitter is Twitter. It is the biggest platform in terms of a shared communal space of people with similar interests all around the world vibing on like one big inside joke after another every day. A lot of times just me being in tune to that helps me get through my day. I've got to know what the TL is talking about. The FOMO is so real." (Jasmyn, 102)
July 30, 2019
I really was into this book. Understanding the black millennial and our viewpoints of how to accomplish the "American Dream" was interesting. A lot of the topics hit home for me and the chapters were as if they were tuning into my life. However, the end of the book did not grasp my attention like the beginning of the book.
We Out (Thr Reverse Migration)
Learning about Shermanland and tying that with the Freedman's Bank shows that America does owe black people restitution. Some of our white counterparts are still living off of the things that were built on the back of black folks.
Don't Double Down On Stupid (Student Debt)
This was a whole word. How we thought the American Dreama and upward mobility is education so we get ourselves in a drastic amount of debt. Getting student loans was something my mom had to do so she didn't blink an eye to get me to do it, but really understanding that what you're getting into and how black mobility doesn't really lie in education.
Survival (The Informal Economy)
This was just an interesting chapter, especially by not just talking about the more known ways people have survived (drug dealing, stripping) but also venturing into modern-day sex workers and modern-day prostitution.
Blue Collars (The Working Class)
Thought this was interesting as my grandparents are farmers and come from farming and how that's lost in this day and age. I remember my grandpa would go fishing and come back and give extras to our other family and then they would share their greens or what grew from their garden. We don't have that barter system anymore as millennials. We aren't growing and we aren't looking into the work of our blue-collared black folks.
Painted Walls + Temples (Housing)
I couldn't even think of buying a house, getting an apartment is hard enough. Gentrification, redlining, all of these things make buying and settling hard. It's smarter to buy property and rent it out with apps like Air BnB and Peerspace to make a dollar.
Luck (Black Professionals)
Everything in this chapter spoke to my soul. Fortunately, I don't have to support anyone but myself, but the struggle being a black person in corporate America is extremely hard.
.
Fame (Black Hollywood)
Still in Love (Relationships)
Breathe (Politics and Activism)
Are the chapters I started to lose interest in. Event though Breathe was interesting it came too late in the book for me to be really invested. I was bummed that on the relationship section she talked to black women who were in some type of turmoil relationship and not just single black professional black women who were finding it hard in the dating world.
All in all, I think the book was phenomenal. Can definitely go on the shelf and might be picked up again as the years go by to see if we've changed at all.
We Out (Thr Reverse Migration)
Learning about Shermanland and tying that with the Freedman's Bank shows that America does owe black people restitution. Some of our white counterparts are still living off of the things that were built on the back of black folks.
Don't Double Down On Stupid (Student Debt)
This was a whole word. How we thought the American Dreama and upward mobility is education so we get ourselves in a drastic amount of debt. Getting student loans was something my mom had to do so she didn't blink an eye to get me to do it, but really understanding that what you're getting into and how black mobility doesn't really lie in education.
Survival (The Informal Economy)
This was just an interesting chapter, especially by not just talking about the more known ways people have survived (drug dealing, stripping) but also venturing into modern-day sex workers and modern-day prostitution.
Blue Collars (The Working Class)
Thought this was interesting as my grandparents are farmers and come from farming and how that's lost in this day and age. I remember my grandpa would go fishing and come back and give extras to our other family and then they would share their greens or what grew from their garden. We don't have that barter system anymore as millennials. We aren't growing and we aren't looking into the work of our blue-collared black folks.
Painted Walls + Temples (Housing)
I couldn't even think of buying a house, getting an apartment is hard enough. Gentrification, redlining, all of these things make buying and settling hard. It's smarter to buy property and rent it out with apps like Air BnB and Peerspace to make a dollar.
Luck (Black Professionals)
Everything in this chapter spoke to my soul. Fortunately, I don't have to support anyone but myself, but the struggle being a black person in corporate America is extremely hard.
.
Fame (Black Hollywood)
Still in Love (Relationships)
Breathe (Politics and Activism)
Are the chapters I started to lose interest in. Event though Breathe was interesting it came too late in the book for me to be really invested. I was bummed that on the relationship section she talked to black women who were in some type of turmoil relationship and not just single black professional black women who were finding it hard in the dating world.
All in all, I think the book was phenomenal. Can definitely go on the shelf and might be picked up again as the years go by to see if we've changed at all.
February 4, 2019
I am disappointed to say that this was a DNF for me about 100 pages in--not because I was not interested in the subject matter (in fact, I was excited to read more about it), but because after a while it felt like a slog to get through it, and because it was poorly written/edited. I am still interested in learning more, so maybe I'll give it another try sometime, or refer to the resources in the bibliography.
Did Not Finish
June 13, 2020Unlike everything else on this shelf so far, this book was neither too dense for me to get through nor badly written/unreadable. It was just less interesting right now than the many other audiobooks about race I recently got out of library, so I’m focusing on other things instead.
March 21, 2022
I love you, not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you. 💭
It Was All a Dream: A New Generation Confronts the Broken Promise to Black America by Reniqua Allen
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...
It Was All a Dream: A New Generation Confronts the Broken Promise to Black America by Reniqua Allen
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...
March 5, 2019
Unique book, well written and researched. Loved the angle the author went with.
March 22, 2019
I can't imagine how much work went into this extremely informative, thoroughly-researched book. I wish every white person would read this, especially white men.
April 4, 2019
Socioeconomic journalism and individual narrative regarding the Black Millennial experience.
May 8, 2019
Good enough book. Like so much these days, way too much Black female perspective. It'd be nice to hear some Black male voices for a change.
Read
January 8, 2020Adult
Non-fiction
Non-fiction
July 31, 2020
An interesting exploration of myriad black millennial experiences, from love to jobs to representation and opportunity.
April 15, 2022
So, so it explores the life of Black peoples journey
July 5, 2022
I loved how Reniqua intersected her own experiences with the people she interviewed. I would read this again in a heartbeat. It was very eye-opening and really connected with me.
May 26, 2020
I changed my review from three to four stars after reflecting on this for some time. I am a young millennial. I will never be a Black millennial, so I will never ever know the experiences written about here.
The stories here are told well and claims are backed up by impeccable research. The book didn’t quite master the balance between academic writing and popular consumption writing, in my mind, but maybe that’s the point. Maybe the book itself is showing the balance that Black millennials have to achieve in their lives.
The stories here are told well and claims are backed up by impeccable research. The book didn’t quite master the balance between academic writing and popular consumption writing, in my mind, but maybe that’s the point. Maybe the book itself is showing the balance that Black millennials have to achieve in their lives.
Read
April 6, 2019This was a book of statistics told through the voices of Black millennials. Interesting to read individual stories. Wanted a stronger conclusion. Could be a college textbook. Strong Notes section.
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