Well, That Escalated Quickly

Memoirs and Mistakes of an Accidental Activist

By: Franchesca Ramsey

Narrated by: Franchesca Ramsey

A sharp and timely exploration of race, online activism, and real communication in the age of social media rants, trolls, and call-out wars, from veteran video blogger and star of MTV's Decoded Franchesca Ramsey.

Franchesca Ramsey didn't set out to be an activist. Or a comedian. Or a commentator on identity, race, and culture, really. But then her YouTube video "What White Girls Say . . . to Black Girls" went viral. Twelve million views viral. Faced with an avalanche of media requests, fan letters, and hate mail, she had two choices: Jump in and make her voice heard or step back and let others frame the conversation. After a crash course in social justice and more than a few foot-in-mouth moments, she realized she had a unique talent and passion for breaking down injustice in America in ways that could make people listen and engage.

In her first book, Ramsey uses her own experiences as an accidental activist to explore the many ways we communicate with each other--from the highs of bridging gaps and making connections to the many pitfalls that accompany talking about race, power, sexuality, and gender in an unpredictable public space...the internet.

Well, that Escalated Quickly includes Ramsey's advice on dealing with internet trolls and low-key racists, confessions about being a former online hater herself, and her personal hits and misses in activist debates with everyone from bigoted Facebook friends and misguided relatives to mainstream celebrities and YouTube influencers. With sharp humor and her trademark candor, Ramsey shows readers we can have tough conversations that move the dialogue forward, rather than backward, if we just approach them in the right way.

Definitely learned some things

I don’t spend much time in the social media world so I had a hard time relating to much of her memoir content but I definitely learned some good things to know and will refer back to some of her lists/language and work to be more aware and “woke.”

Funny & Clever

Excellent glance into the author's life. Franchesca stays honest and keeps it real about her mistakes, shortcomings, and accidental blessings.

Solid Memoir However lost my attention at times..

First let me say I’m super proud of Francesca, all that she has accomplished and her ability to take advantage of an unforeseen opportunity (going viral). I thoroughly enjoyed the first half of the book but somewhere along the way I got lost in the many points and wasn’t that interested. Although I forced myself to finish the last 2 1/2 hours I’d still recommend this book as there are valuable lessons to learn from her life successes and failures and more importantly about navigating tough social justice conversations!

yesssss Franchesca!

This was incredibly good. I appreciate this book so immensely and it's inspiring me to write my own book. I loved hearing her story. Thanks, Fran. :)

10/10 Long time listener first time caller

Amazing narration by author. Francesca goes through current social, racial, activist issues in an approachable and funny way while still conveying the seriousness and weight of the issues and how they impact everyone. I just loved it.