Kirkus names Crystal Fleming's 'Rise Up!' a 2021 Book of the Year

We're thrilled today to announce some exciting news about Outspoken speaker, Crystal Fleming: Kirkus Reviews has named Rise Up! How You Can Join the Fight Against White Supremacy! a Best Book of the Year for 2021. This book explores the roots of racism and its legacy in the modern-day, all while empowering young people with actionable ways they can help foster a better world and become antiracists. With 70k followers engaging with her on Twitter to discuss these critical topics, Crystal is a stand-out voice when it comes to the discourse surrounding systemic racism and the challenges involving white supremacy.

"Rise Up! is the invigorating, thought-provoking, eye-opening, and essential book about fighting white supremacy that I wish I had when I was a teen. Crystal M. Fleming writes about tough subjects with authority and compassion, and inspires with a roadmap for how we can change the world for the better." —Malinda Lo, author of Last Night at the Telegraph Club

From the author of the critically-acclaimed book How to Be Less Stupid about Race, Crystal's latest work, Rise Up! How You Can Join the Fight Against White Supremacy! is her first in the young adult (YA) category, solidifying Crystal as a consistent, bold voice in the fight against racism for audiences of all ages. Published in October 2021 by Henry Holt for Young Readers, Kirkus Reviews described Rise Up! as "a clear and damning appraisal of the United States' long-standing relationship with White supremacy--with actionable advice for readers to do better." Ideal for children ages 10+, parents, educators, faculty and staff of education-related institutions, this book shares actionable ways young people can help create a more inclusive world.

Recently, Crystal joined fellow Outspoken speaker and emcee Wendee Lee Curtis for a conversation about Rise Up!—and, four high school students joined them as key readers for a Q&A. You can catch the full-length chat below on our YouTube Channel.

Rise Up! How You Can Join the Fight Against White Supremacy! is available for purchase here, as well as at all major bookstores.

Crystal Marie Fleming is Professor of Sociology and Africana Studies and Associate Faculty in the Department of Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies at SUNY Stony Brook. She is an author, public intellectual and expert on global racism and white supremacy.

Wendee Lee Curtis is a corporate host, emcee & moderator for global Fortune 500 companies. Her emcee experience includes live & virtual events for numerous pharmaceutical and Fortune 500 companies, like AstraZeneca, Roche, Grant Thornton, Genentech, Sunovion, Pepsi, KFC and Jack in the Box, just to name a few.

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