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Velshi Banned Book Club: The Incredibly Human Henson Blayze by Derrick Barnes

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December 27, 2025

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The Incredibly Human Henson Blayze by Derrick Barnes follows Henson Blayze, a kind and gifted young athlete who is one of the few Black kids in a small town. When his 10-year-old neighbor is beaten nearly to death by two state troopers, Henson is forced to confront a moral crossroads—choosing between what is right and his own athletic ambition. Author Derrick Barnes challenges the belief that sports automatically bring people together, calling it “one of the fallacies of this country.” While sports can unite us, he argues, that only happens when we as a country, “address the issues that have been bogging us down.” Barnes also warns against viewing Black athletes as mere entertainment at the expense of their humanity.

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Velshi Banned Book Club: The Incredibly Human Henson Blayze by Derrick Barnes · MSNBC · Sentinel