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dewey7962's review
5.0
I keep starting this review only to delete what I wrote and start over because I can't find the words that are right to start this off. Instead of allowing myself to get caught in an endless loop of rewritten intros, let's start with a quote from the epilogue of this book.
"Imagine if, instead of continually refighting the Civil War, we had actually moved on to rebuilding..."
This quote basically sums up the entire book. Every chapter is full of examples of (white) people going out of their way to keep people of color down, even though doing so hurts everyone. Where could we be as a country if we built everyone up and let people succeed instead of letting racism run unchecked and tearing people down for our own bigoted amusement?
There was so much in the early chapters of this book that I had never heard before, and it's depressing to realize how much of history has been whitewashed and retaught as something less shameful than what it actually was. It's equally frustrating to read about the presidencies immediately following the Civil War and realize...things are basically the same today. The idea that equal treatment of minorities is somehow favoritism, for instance. The attitude of, "Fine, we'll grant you these rights so you can be 'equal', but do you really need to exercise all of them? Can't you just be happy with the scraps we already gave you?" Definitely still going on. Ugh.
This book is well-researched, well-written, and a great adaptation of White Rage. If you're wondering whether you should read it, the answer is yes, you should. Full disclosure: it will make you mad. Hopefully we can all use that anger to make things better.
"Imagine if, instead of continually refighting the Civil War, we had actually moved on to rebuilding..."
This quote basically sums up the entire book. Every chapter is full of examples of (white) people going out of their way to keep people of color down, even though doing so hurts everyone. Where could we be as a country if we built everyone up and let people succeed instead of letting racism run unchecked and tearing people down for our own bigoted amusement?
There was so much in the early chapters of this book that I had never heard before, and it's depressing to realize how much of history has been whitewashed and retaught as something less shameful than what it actually was. It's equally frustrating to read about the presidencies immediately following the Civil War and realize...things are basically the same today. The idea that equal treatment of minorities is somehow favoritism, for instance. The attitude of, "Fine, we'll grant you these rights so you can be 'equal', but do you really need to exercise all of them? Can't you just be happy with the scraps we already gave you?" Definitely still going on. Ugh.
This book is well-researched, well-written, and a great adaptation of White Rage. If you're wondering whether you should read it, the answer is yes, you should. Full disclosure: it will make you mad. Hopefully we can all use that anger to make things better.
hopejrc's review
5.0
This is the first young adult adaptation of a nonfiction that made me want to pick up the original book. As much as I learned, I definitely wanted more of the in-depth breakdown that I'm sure is in the main book, White Rage. This is perfect as a primer - informative and direct. Definitely recommend
imperfectcj's review
challenging
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.0
Despite some accurate but misleadingly presented information (eg, on p 124, data about PhDs in the natural sciences), this book presents a compelling and accessible argument that systemic racism exists in the US and that it is intentional. I'm left with a few ideas for action, including supporting causes that seek to increase voter registration and turnout and promoting more equitable resource allocation in my area's public schools. I look forward to talking about this one with my teen and my middle schooler.
(The section I mention from page 124 reads,
(The section I mention from page 124 reads,
"In 2004, fifty years after Brown, the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education reported that not one black person earned a PhD in astronomy or astrophysics, for example. In fact, of the 2,100 PhDs awarded in forty-three different fields in the natural sciences, not one went to a black person."
This quote, while accurate according to the source cited in the Notes, makes it sound as though no black students earned PhDs in the natural sciences because it leaves out two paragraphs of data from the source---https://www.jbhe.com/news_views/50_black_doctoraldegrees.html:
"A major weakness is that blacks earned 13, or about 1 percent, of the nearly 1,200 doctorates in physics. In computer science, blacks won 0.7 percent of all Ph.D. awards. In the atmospheric sciences, less than 1 percent of all doctorates went to blacks. In chemistry, only 2.3 percent of Ph.D.s went to blacks. In the earth sciences such as geology, oceanography, and the atmospheric sciences, blacks were 1.3 percent of all doctoral recipients, down from 2.3 percent in 2003. In the ocean and marine sciences, only one of the 190 Ph.D.s in the discipline was awarded to an African American. In 2004, 148 African Americans were awarded a Ph.D. in the biological sciences. But they were only 2.5 percent of all doctorates awarded in the discipline. Black Ph.D. awards in the biological sciences did increase by 37 percent from 2003. That year, blacks were awarded 1.9 percent of all doctorates in the biological sciences.
The field of engineering also shows serious weakness in black doctoral student participation. Blacks also trail whites by a large margin in Ph.D.s in engineering. In 2004, 7.0 percent of all white doctorates were earned in the field of engineering. For African Americans, only 4.5 percent of all their doctorates were in engineering. In 2004 blacks earned a mere 1.6 percent of all engineering Ph.D.s. This was a slight improvement over 2003. The huge shortfall in engineering is serious because engineering is a field in which hundreds of thousands of Americans achieve high-income status and middle to upper social status."
Anderson's argument stands even with the more complete information because if there were racial equity in the upper levels of science education, black students awarded PhDs should at least match the percentage of black people in the population and the actual percentages are much, much lower, but the way it's written reminds me of the ways that data can be employed and omitted to make an argument seem stronger and that I need to be more careful about looking up an author's sources if I want a more complete picture.)
pocketeditionlibrarian's review
5.0
Ok - so actual enjoyment reading this book probably only 3 or 4. BUT IT'S SO IMPORTANT. I just don't really enjoy reading non-fiction. Not my thing. But this YA adaptation of White Rage is awesome and great for people like me who aren't big non-fiction readers. Most chapters are around 10 -15 pages so it doesn't spend too much time on one topic getting bogged down in the details.
BUT I LEARNED SO MUCH. Seriously recommend this.
BUT I LEARNED SO MUCH. Seriously recommend this.
iymain's review
3.0
Because this young readers' edition was recommended by Teaching Tolerance for its accessibility and relevance to students trying to gain a more complete understanding of traditional white-centered US history, I looked forward to this book.
The first 16 chapters from colonial US history to Brown v. Board were excellent. They were clearly written, logically structured and built on commonly taught US history. Aside from the graphic violence of the lynching of a pregnant woman in chapter 8: "Derailing the Great Migration" (60), the history Anderson presents is illuminating and for the most part empowering. It is the type of "oh! Now I get it" knowledge that can help all Americans escape that sense of gas lighting that prevails when recognizing injustice has historical roots but lacking the backstory to explain it.
The history got bogged down in detail and lost some credibility with chapter 18: "Crack." While all of the previous history is well supported by various historical sources, the allegation of Reagan and the CIA's complicity to bring crack cocaine to black neighborhoods in California is not (yet) well established. When I researched it, I found there was one journalist who presented this explanation, but it had been largely discredited. Is it impossible that the president of the United States (who later was found to have evaded Congress to surreptitiously supply arms to the Contras by evading an arms sanction on Iran) might have done something illegal and nefarious under the nose of the rest of the country? No. But in order to solidly sit in the pages of a history book, I felt that the lack of corroboration should have at least been acknowledged in presenting this interpretation of history.
Aside from that specific section of the book, though, Anderson overwhelmingly succeeds in fleshing out the carefully edited history commonly taught in US schools. The explanation of the erosion of voting rights in the 21st century dovetailed perfectly with the clear and concise description of how the Civil Rights Movement worked tirelessly and at great peril to secure those rights starting as soon as black Americans gained their freedom after the Civil War. Anderson follows this thread of history and injustice is woven into a consistent pattern in the United States. This is one example of many facets of history that she makes concrete, understandable, and relevant to all of her readers today.
Ultimately, I am conflicted about adding this book to my classroom library due to the graphic violence in chapter 8 and the unsubstantiated claims in chapter 18, but all the rest of it is well adapted for young readers. Depending on the young reader, this could be a book to instill hideous nightmares of all-to-real human cruelty, or hopeful dreams of coming together to continue the ongoing fight for human equality by building on the heroic actions of black Americans who have accomplished so much in a country so hostile to their success.
The first 16 chapters from colonial US history to Brown v. Board were excellent. They were clearly written, logically structured and built on commonly taught US history. Aside from the graphic violence of the lynching of a pregnant woman in chapter 8: "Derailing the Great Migration" (60), the history Anderson presents is illuminating and for the most part empowering. It is the type of "oh! Now I get it" knowledge that can help all Americans escape that sense of gas lighting that prevails when recognizing injustice has historical roots but lacking the backstory to explain it.
The history got bogged down in detail and lost some credibility with chapter 18: "Crack." While all of the previous history is well supported by various historical sources, the allegation of Reagan and the CIA's complicity to bring crack cocaine to black neighborhoods in California is not (yet) well established. When I researched it, I found there was one journalist who presented this explanation, but it had been largely discredited. Is it impossible that the president of the United States (who later was found to have evaded Congress to surreptitiously supply arms to the Contras by evading an arms sanction on Iran) might have done something illegal and nefarious under the nose of the rest of the country? No. But in order to solidly sit in the pages of a history book, I felt that the lack of corroboration should have at least been acknowledged in presenting this interpretation of history.
Aside from that specific section of the book, though, Anderson overwhelmingly succeeds in fleshing out the carefully edited history commonly taught in US schools. The explanation of the erosion of voting rights in the 21st century dovetailed perfectly with the clear and concise description of how the Civil Rights Movement worked tirelessly and at great peril to secure those rights starting as soon as black Americans gained their freedom after the Civil War. Anderson follows this thread of history and injustice is woven into a consistent pattern in the United States. This is one example of many facets of history that she makes concrete, understandable, and relevant to all of her readers today.
Ultimately, I am conflicted about adding this book to my classroom library due to the graphic violence in chapter 8 and the unsubstantiated claims in chapter 18, but all the rest of it is well adapted for young readers. Depending on the young reader, this could be a book to instill hideous nightmares of all-to-real human cruelty, or hopeful dreams of coming together to continue the ongoing fight for human equality by building on the heroic actions of black Americans who have accomplished so much in a country so hostile to their success.
rea_scott's review
4.0
All the years of my schooling on American History went something like this: Slaves were freed by the Emancipation Proclamation, racism was over except for all those pesky Jim Crow Laws and segregation, Rosa Parks and MLK ended segregation in the 60's and now America is the best country is the world. Please not ask any thoughtful or probing questions. Racism is dead. Lincoln killed it.
The End
[I'm mostly kidding but also serious.]
I love Carol Anderson's walk through of history and explanation of the many ways our current situation is a product of centuries of intentional aggressions against Black ambition.
"Imagine if, instead of continually refighting the Civil War, we had actually moved on to rebuilding..."
The End
[I'm mostly kidding but also serious.]
I love Carol Anderson's walk through of history and explanation of the many ways our current situation is a product of centuries of intentional aggressions against Black ambition.
"Imagine if, instead of continually refighting the Civil War, we had actually moved on to rebuilding..."
ktoconnor96's review
5.0
“It’s time to rethink America.
Imagine if Reconstruction had actually honored the citizenship of four million freed people-provided the education, political autonomy, and economic wherewithal warranted by their and their ancestors’ hundreds of years of free labor.
Imagine if, instead of continually refighting the civil war, we had actually moved on to rebuilding a strong, viable South, a South where poor whites, too-for they had been left out as well-could gain access to proper education.
....This is the moment now when all of us-black, white, Latino, Native American, Asian American-must step out of the shadow of white rage, deny its power, understand its unseemly goals, and refuse to be seduced by its buzzwords, dog whistles, and sophistry. This is when we choose a different future.”
For someone who loves history but learned VERY white washed history in middle and high school, this book provided a great overview of the multitude of times when the United States did not serve all of its citizens- and used its power to further discriminatory practices and outright violence against people of color.
Imagine if Reconstruction had actually honored the citizenship of four million freed people-provided the education, political autonomy, and economic wherewithal warranted by their and their ancestors’ hundreds of years of free labor.
Imagine if, instead of continually refighting the civil war, we had actually moved on to rebuilding a strong, viable South, a South where poor whites, too-for they had been left out as well-could gain access to proper education.
....This is the moment now when all of us-black, white, Latino, Native American, Asian American-must step out of the shadow of white rage, deny its power, understand its unseemly goals, and refuse to be seduced by its buzzwords, dog whistles, and sophistry. This is when we choose a different future.”
For someone who loves history but learned VERY white washed history in middle and high school, this book provided a great overview of the multitude of times when the United States did not serve all of its citizens- and used its power to further discriminatory practices and outright violence against people of color.
khw's review
4.0
Note: Thank you NetGalley for sending me an eARC of this book!
This book is just the introduction of what I should’ve been taught in history classes but wasn’t. It’s skillfully crafted, well researched, and stunningly written with beautiful yet objective prose. But most importantly, it’s powerful in crafting a strong point and narrating it. It’s informing, but also infuriating and empowering all at once.
We Are Not Yet Equal is the YA adaption for Carol Anderson’s renowned White Rage. From the end of the Civil War to modern day, Anderson highlights and discusses changing, developing, and strengthening race issues facing society. Though these are all issues covered in essentially all U.S. history classes, this book covers everything our school education does not.
In a sense, it exposes what we’ve been taught to think and instead reveals the truth: the fight was not easy, and continues to live on today. We do not live in a post-racial society, or in a color-blind world. This proves itself again and again, day after day.
Understanding the past is vital to shaping our future. I highly recommend it for teens and adults alike, though the book felt very thorough and comprehensive at times. This book is a must-read for white people especially. As a society, we must move forward by learning the system and beating it.
This book is just the introduction of what I should’ve been taught in history classes but wasn’t. It’s skillfully crafted, well researched, and stunningly written with beautiful yet objective prose. But most importantly, it’s powerful in crafting a strong point and narrating it. It’s informing, but also infuriating and empowering all at once.
We Are Not Yet Equal is the YA adaption for Carol Anderson’s renowned White Rage. From the end of the Civil War to modern day, Anderson highlights and discusses changing, developing, and strengthening race issues facing society. Though these are all issues covered in essentially all U.S. history classes, this book covers everything our school education does not.
In a sense, it exposes what we’ve been taught to think and instead reveals the truth: the fight was not easy, and continues to live on today. We do not live in a post-racial society, or in a color-blind world. This proves itself again and again, day after day.
Understanding the past is vital to shaping our future. I highly recommend it for teens and adults alike, though the book felt very thorough and comprehensive at times. This book is a must-read for white people especially. As a society, we must move forward by learning the system and beating it.
mtrichmond11's review
4.0
A great option for young adults to learn more about the racial divide in America.