First published 2014
Claudia Rankine's "Citizen" is a powerful, genre-bending exploration of racial injustice in contemporary America. Through a series of vignettes, Rankine lays bare the subtle and not-so-subtle indignities faced by Black citizens, from casual microaggressions to outright acts of discrimination. With a poet's eye for detail and a critic's incisive analysis, she illuminates the cumulative toll of these encounters, the way they chip away at one's sense of belonging and humanity. "Citizen" is a testament to the resilience required to navigate a society that often fails to see or value Black lives.
Genres: literary-fiction, american, african-american, contemporary, non-fiction, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: social-commentary, testimonial
Setting: America, United States
Period: 21st Century
166 pages · Paperback · Penguin Books
Content warnings: racism