First published 2023
Wesley Lowery examines how Barack Obama's 2008 presidential victory triggered a surge of white supremacist activity across America. The Pulitzer Prize winning journalist documents the historical pattern of racial progress followed by violent backlash that has repeated throughout American history. Lowery shows how white power groups responded to the nation's first Black president with organized retaliation. He traces connections between anti-Obama sentiment and Donald Trump's political ascent. The book combines historical research with on-the-ground reporting from scenes of racial violence. Lowery interviews both victims and perpetrators to reveal how this cycle of progress and backlash operates. He exposes the federal government's inadequate response to rising white supremacist threats. The investigation reveals how each moment of racial advancement in America has sparked corresponding waves of white resistance and bloodshed. Lowery argues this pattern continues to push the country toward dangerous territory while offering potential paths forward.
Genres: history, african-american, political-science, non-fiction, 21st-century, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: investigative-journalism, social-justice
Setting: America
Period: 2008, Trump Presidency
256 pages · Hardcover · Mariner Books
Content warnings: racism, violence