Resist

How a Century of Young Black Activists Shaped America

By: Rita Omokha

Narrated by: André Santana, Angel Pean, Arsema Thomas, Brittany Bradford, Eric Lockley, Gabby Beans, Imani Jade Powers, Jelani Alladin, Joshua Quinn, Rita Omokha

This program features multicast narration.

What do the struggles of the past teach us about the urgent challenges in our own time? Resist chronicles the inspiring story of young Black activists who have fought tirelessly at the helm for justice over the last century, from the 1920s to the Trayvon generation—how they reshaped America, left an indelible mark on history, and pave the way for the crucial work that must be done today.

Growing up as a Nigerian immigrant in the South Bronx, award-winning journalist Rita Omokha contended with her Blackness. In 2020, when George Floyd died at the hands of a white police officer, her exploration further developed as she traveled to thirty states attempting to mine contemporary race relations in the United States. During her trip, she encountered audacious young people like 17-year-old Darnella Frazier, who filmed Floyd’s murder, entering a seismic tragedy into the public and historical records, and set off a wave of unprecedented protests across the country. Darnella’s quick thinking and courage in that moment is part of a more significant legacy: that of the young Black people—often only teenagers—who have been at the forefront of fortifying and safeguarding American democracy in the last hundred years.

In Resist, Rita charts the last century of civil rights activism, from the early years of renowned activist Ella Baker and others she inspired, to the first glimpse of allyship in the Bates Seven and a renewed examination of the Black Panther Party, all the way to the current generation of young Black revolutionaries who walked American cities in the wake of the murders of countless Black people. Rita also draws on her own experiences as a Black immigrant living in America, offering a unique and insightful perspective on this ongoing struggle for justice.

Rendered with empathy and care, Resist ties these pivotal stories together—and so many more that are lesser known—into an essential and gripping narrative of resilience and unity, and how young Black activists redefined American history.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin's Press

©2024 Rita Omokha (P)2024 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

One of "The Top 10 Most Anticipated History Books for Fall 2024"–Publishers Weekly

"Bold, inspiring, an act of resistance in itself, Resist is a powerful and personal history. Omokha vividly reminds us that protest has always been and always will be essential to progress."—Jonathan Eig, author of King: A Life, winner of the Pulitzer Prize

"Rita Omokha has written a crucial distillation of a century of activism and the changes wrought by it. These are perilous times and we've never been more in need of a reminder of what has been achieved against even greater odds than the ones stacked against us today."—Jelani Cobb, The New Yorker staff writer and Emmy- and Pulitzer Prize-nominated journalist

“This book is a crucial asset and resource for today’s society. Resist encapsulates the everlasting and unwavering fight for justice and equality led by the trailblazing activists from decades past who are still influencing young Black leaders today.”–Sunny Hostin, Emmy-winning co-host of The View and New York Times bestselling author of I Am These Truths