First published 2017
Eddie S. Glaude Jr. examines the crisis facing black America at the moment when many believed the nation had overcome its racial problems. He argues that America operates on a fundamental "value gap" that places white lives above others, a principle that continues to shape contemporary politics. Glaude traces how this gap manifests in police killings of black youth, the weakening of voting protections, and the economic devastation that hit black families during the Great Recession. He contends that traditional civil rights politics no longer serve black communities effectively. The book combines personal reflection with historical analysis and political argument. Glaude calls for completely reconstructing American democracy rather than working within existing systems. He explains how all Americans participate in racial patterns that perpetuate inequality, even when they don't intend to do so. The book offers both a diagnosis of current racial dynamics and a vision for transformative change that goes beyond conventional reform approaches.
Genres: american, african-american, political-science, social-issues, non-fiction, 21st-century, american-history
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: call-to-action, social-commentary
Setting: America
Period: 21st-Century
304 pages · Paperback · Crown