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amanda28's review
4.0
Advance copy made available to me through Net Galley.
This book delves into the history of racism in the United States and it pulls zero punches. Early on the book starts with the statement that Abraham Lincoln lacked "clarity" "humanity" and "resolve" when it came to post-Civil War/reconstruction and moving the U.S. forward. The authors go in on a number of founding fathers and at first, I was genuinely surprised at the tone of the book. Was it all right, I wondered, for a history book for teens to be written in such a manner? Then I wondered why I, a woman of color, felt obligated to defend white men who died 150+ years ago, that did little to nothing to ensure the safety and prosperity of black people in America? With that mentality, I continued reading the book and though the outrage in the book very much comes through in the writing, they have the hard facts to back up every claim. What Carol Anderson and Tonya Bolden have done is clearly lay out in chronological order the myriad steps politicians, police enforcement, and the judicial system took to undermine the chances of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness for black Americans. It also makes clear that the collateral damage was the American education system. Sometimes brutal to read (I almost had to stop reading at an explicit description of the lynching and mutilation of a pregnant black woman and her unborn child--yes, they mutilated the child too), I learned a tremendous amount. At the end of the book I wished it weren't so bleak, I wished there were more of a call to action to save the United States. It is not up to people of color to improve the lives of people of color in America, no, this book makes apparent that there are systems in place built exactly to prevent that. What then, do I take away from this book? I suppose it's the relief to see the problems in our nation and be able to understand and articulate the how and the why. Maybe that is a start.
This book delves into the history of racism in the United States and it pulls zero punches. Early on the book starts with the statement that Abraham Lincoln lacked "clarity" "humanity" and "resolve" when it came to post-Civil War/reconstruction and moving the U.S. forward. The authors go in on a number of founding fathers and at first, I was genuinely surprised at the tone of the book. Was it all right, I wondered, for a history book for teens to be written in such a manner? Then I wondered why I, a woman of color, felt obligated to defend white men who died 150+ years ago, that did little to nothing to ensure the safety and prosperity of black people in America? With that mentality, I continued reading the book and though the outrage in the book very much comes through in the writing, they have the hard facts to back up every claim. What Carol Anderson and Tonya Bolden have done is clearly lay out in chronological order the myriad steps politicians, police enforcement, and the judicial system took to undermine the chances of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness for black Americans. It also makes clear that the collateral damage was the American education system. Sometimes brutal to read (I almost had to stop reading at an explicit description of the lynching and mutilation of a pregnant black woman and her unborn child--yes, they mutilated the child too), I learned a tremendous amount. At the end of the book I wished it weren't so bleak, I wished there were more of a call to action to save the United States. It is not up to people of color to improve the lives of people of color in America, no, this book makes apparent that there are systems in place built exactly to prevent that. What then, do I take away from this book? I suppose it's the relief to see the problems in our nation and be able to understand and articulate the how and the why. Maybe that is a start.
aimeedarsreads's review
4.0
In 2016, Carol Anderson shocked readers with her book White Rage which revealed the insidious and often hidden racism underlying laws and institutions in the United States. Here, she and Tonya Bolden have adapted the book for a young adult audience. The well-written and engaging book begins in the aftermath of the Civil War and continues through the Obama Presidency and traces the lost opportunities for providing equality to all. Over and over again, the United States reaches a fulcrum, a moment in history, where inequities could be redressed: the Civil War, Brown v. Board of Education,, the Civil Rights Era, the Obama Presidency. Rather than use those watershed moments to boldly and justly address past wrongs, the government, supported by a large swath of white citizens, undermines the gains to maintain the status quo of white supremacy.
For example, instead of holding Civil War rebels to account, the federal government under Lincoln and Johnson prioritized reunification. Oppressive Black Codes went unchallenged by the federal government. Johnson in particular stymied efforts of Congress to redress the evils from centuries of slavery. Though Congress overturned his vetoes of legislation of the Freedmen’s Bureau Bill and the Civil Rights Bill in 1866, Johnson’s pardon of Southern rebels meant that their elected representatives were leaders from the Confederacy. Poll taxes and unfavorable decisions by the Supreme Court undermined efforts to provide rights to blacks.
After reading this book, I feel completely and utterly gutted and outraged at the lack of justice and compassion reflected in the actions of the country’s leaders, lawmakers, and many citizens. Although there was a time that new racism was disguised by an ideology supporting color-blindness, under Trump, spewing hate based on race has become acceptable once more.
I learned so much. While I knew that Southern states were resistant to the Brown decision, I didn’t realize the lengths to which they went to prevent integration. Several students were without education for years while local and state governments delayed implementation. Though I was aware of the challenges to voting rights through voter ID laws, many of the specific examples presented here were new to me.
Sadly, I became disillusioned with Presidents Lincoln and Eisenhower, Lincoln for failing to name slavery as the cause of the Civil War and Eisenhower for failing to use the power of his office to enact the Brown decision. Nixon and Reagan’s racist policies disguised as tough-on-crime stances were not surprising. I also didn’t know the extent of the Supreme Court’s role in undermining progress. With some exceptions, like Brown, their rulings weakened protections of the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments, undercut the Voting Rights Act, and rang a death knell for affirmative action.
I regret not reading White Rage before We Are Not Yet Equal because I can’t compare them. I can attest that the latter is an important stepping-stone to dialogue on ways to halt this chain of oppression. Although written for a young adult audience (and seems appropriate for such an audience in terms of content and language), adults will find it enlightening as well. The material presented in the book is important and necessary.
Although I have few criticisms of the book, I did find the chapter on the Voting Rights Act more technical and less engaging than the other chapters, though the information was important. I thought the weakest chapter was on Obama’s administration. Though it related the rancor and disrespect Obama faced, it seemed to be less grounded in research than the rest of the book. Perhaps my biggest complaint though is that there is no guidance on where to go from here. The author ends with hope that knowing about white rage can lead to a challenge of its racist consequences, but offers nothing beyond that. Maybe it will be the subject of her next book–and I would definitely read it!
Thank you to Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing, Inc. for an advance reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
For example, instead of holding Civil War rebels to account, the federal government under Lincoln and Johnson prioritized reunification. Oppressive Black Codes went unchallenged by the federal government. Johnson in particular stymied efforts of Congress to redress the evils from centuries of slavery. Though Congress overturned his vetoes of legislation of the Freedmen’s Bureau Bill and the Civil Rights Bill in 1866, Johnson’s pardon of Southern rebels meant that their elected representatives were leaders from the Confederacy. Poll taxes and unfavorable decisions by the Supreme Court undermined efforts to provide rights to blacks.
After reading this book, I feel completely and utterly gutted and outraged at the lack of justice and compassion reflected in the actions of the country’s leaders, lawmakers, and many citizens. Although there was a time that new racism was disguised by an ideology supporting color-blindness, under Trump, spewing hate based on race has become acceptable once more.
I learned so much. While I knew that Southern states were resistant to the Brown decision, I didn’t realize the lengths to which they went to prevent integration. Several students were without education for years while local and state governments delayed implementation. Though I was aware of the challenges to voting rights through voter ID laws, many of the specific examples presented here were new to me.
Sadly, I became disillusioned with Presidents Lincoln and Eisenhower, Lincoln for failing to name slavery as the cause of the Civil War and Eisenhower for failing to use the power of his office to enact the Brown decision. Nixon and Reagan’s racist policies disguised as tough-on-crime stances were not surprising. I also didn’t know the extent of the Supreme Court’s role in undermining progress. With some exceptions, like Brown, their rulings weakened protections of the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments, undercut the Voting Rights Act, and rang a death knell for affirmative action.
I regret not reading White Rage before We Are Not Yet Equal because I can’t compare them. I can attest that the latter is an important stepping-stone to dialogue on ways to halt this chain of oppression. Although written for a young adult audience (and seems appropriate for such an audience in terms of content and language), adults will find it enlightening as well. The material presented in the book is important and necessary.
Although I have few criticisms of the book, I did find the chapter on the Voting Rights Act more technical and less engaging than the other chapters, though the information was important. I thought the weakest chapter was on Obama’s administration. Though it related the rancor and disrespect Obama faced, it seemed to be less grounded in research than the rest of the book. Perhaps my biggest complaint though is that there is no guidance on where to go from here. The author ends with hope that knowing about white rage can lead to a challenge of its racist consequences, but offers nothing beyond that. Maybe it will be the subject of her next book–and I would definitely read it!
Thank you to Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing, Inc. for an advance reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
ophelia_'s review against another edition
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Racism
Moderate: Blood and Racial slurs
ekschulz's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
sad
medium-paced
3.75
I think I need to read the non-YA version of this book. (This is supposed to be a YA adaptation of White Rage). I just felt like this retold a lot of the history as I've encountered it in other books, but without taking it far enough into the argument of the implications/concepts that are meant to be unique to this understanding?
emilymyhren's review against another edition
5.0
Should be added to high school required reading lists.
all_abi_reads's review against another edition
5.0
I just finished and therefore am still trying to digest what I learned from this book. Wonderfully written- full of facts and figures presented in a way that draws you in emotionally. I personally felt like this connected the dots as to why and how we've ended up in our current political climate.
lilprecious's review against another edition
5.0
This was a disturbing but eye-opening book.
One which I believe is a MUST read for everyone.
One which I believe is a MUST read for everyone.
ivanainthecity's review against another edition
4.0
This was a well-researched look into systemic racism in the United States through the lens of white rage. It's meant to be YA nonfiction adaptation, but it was a bit choppy. Even though I found the book a bit dense, I did appreciate the short chapters and the infuriating stories within them. I would definitely recommend this to a teenager (or adult!) interested in learning more about how racism is weaved into the fabric of American society.