All You Have to Do follows two young Black men: Kevin, a student at the University of Columbia in the 1960s protesting the expansion of the Columbia campus at the expense of the residents of Harlem, and Gibran, his nephew in the 1990s as he tries to get permission for himself and the other Black boys at his majority white prep school to attend the Million Man March. Both navigate racism both in the education system and America at large and struggle with striking a balance between their commitment to resistance and social/political change, maintaining their relationships with their families and communities, and accepting their own needs and limitations. The narrative brought in a lot of nuance regarding different ways of approaching this conflict both from the main characters and many of the side characters. It demonstrated how socioeconomic status, gender, past, etc. impact how a person can fight injustice and what they stand to lose and how long-term social movements need people who can find a balance instead of burning out.
One aspect that was especially well done was the strong sense of history throughout. Both in its grounding in real historical events and also the family history shared by Kevin and Gibran. Their parents', grandparents', and siblings' pasts and experiences weave together shaping and being shaped by those of the main characters.
One aspect that was especially well done was the strong sense of history throughout. Both in its grounding in real historical events and also the family history shared by Kevin and Gibran. Their parents', grandparents', and siblings' pasts and experiences weave together shaping and being shaped by those of the main characters.