First published 2017
Michael Eric Dyson addresses America's racial divide with the urgency it demands. Building on his viral 2016 New York Times piece "Death in Black and White," Dyson presents a direct challenge to readers grappling with racist tensions unseen since the 1960s. His approach combines personal reflection with unflinching analysis of how black grievances have been systematically ignored and dismissed. Dyson insists that genuine racial progress requires confronting uncomfortable realities about America's past and present. He frames this moment as critical for the nation's survival, warning that failure to address race immediately threatens any hope for a shared future. The book serves as both diagnosis and urgent prescription for readers ready to move beyond denial toward meaningful change.
Genres: american, african-american, social-issues, non-fiction, biography-memoir, 21st-century
Vibes: intimate, thought-provoking, urgent
Tropes: confronting-uncomfortable-realities, diagnosis-and-prescription
Period: 1960s, 2016
228 pages · Hardcover · St. Martin's Press
Content warnings: racism