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D. Watkins: We Speak for Ourselves

Photo Courtesy D. Watkins

In his latest collection of essays, local writer D. Watkins explores the experiences

of Black people in low income neighborhoods who are often discussed, but never heard from directly.  He calls the assumptions and depictions of poor Black people in much of the media the product of a “drone-like” perspective, and he endeavors to dispel some of those assumptions, and bring voices from the hood, to the fore.  The book is called We Speak for Ourselves: A Word from Forgotten Black America. 

D. Watkins is an editor-at-large at Salon and a lecturer at the University of Baltimore’s Klein Family School of Communication Design.  His work has been published in the New York Times and many other national publications.  D. is the author of the New York Times Bestsellers, The Beast Side: Living and Dying While Black in America, and The Cookup: A Crack Memoir. 

 The We Speak for Ourselves Playlist

  1. “Where I’m From,” Jay-Z
  2. “Street,” G Herbo
  3. “Jungle” H.E.R
  4. “FEAR,” Kendrick Lamar
  5. “WTF Is Black Girl Magic?,” Kondwani Fidel
  6. “ES Tales,” Jay Rock
  7. “Focus,” H.E.R
  8. “My Moment,” Tee Grizzley
  9. “Trust the Process,” Jay Wyse
  10. “Surviving the Times,” Nas
  11. “At Your Best (You Are Love),” Aaliyah
  12. “1985,” J. Cole
  13. “Sleep Walkin,” Mozzy
  14. “U Don’t Know,” Jay-Z
  15. “Gonna Love Me,” Teyana Taylor
  16. “4:44,” Jay-Z
  17. “Overdose,” YoungBoy Never Broke Again
  18. “Duckworth,” Kendrick Lamar
  19. “Smile,” Jay-Z
  20. “Redemption,” Jay Rock
  21. “Rose in Harlem,” Teyana Taylor
  22. “Marcy Me,” Jay-Z
  23. “Preach,” YoungBoy Never Broke Again
  24. “FMG Dez,” Autobiographic
  25. “If You Know You Know,” Pusha-T
  26. “Rap Memorial,” DonQ
  27. Blue Laces 2,” Nipsey Hussle
  28. “The Lady in My Life,” Michael Jackson
  29. “First Day Out,” Tee Grizzley
  30. “The Prelude,” Jay-Z
  31. “Up,” Dee Dave
  32. “Win,” Tee Grizzley
  33. “One on One,” Yo Gotti
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