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A review by g_unit_lol
The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together by Heather McGhee
4.0
When I got the opportunity to read The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together by Heather McGhee through NetGalley and One World publishing, I did not know what to expect. Heather McGhee is a lawyer and former leader of the inequality-focused think tank, Demos, an organization that advocates for equality and justice. The author combines past and current issues in the United States with research and interviews from people living their lives amid these disparities and shines a light on the fact that not only marginalized individuals but also disenfranchised white people are similarly affected by the same concerns.
I learned so much from this author about the history of our country and our government from the housing crisis and redlining to environment and climate change, to unions and the minimum wage and wage gaps in the United States. I found it overwhelming and disheartening to hear that the government in our country used racism and the zero-sum factor to sway White voters to vote against things like unions, increasing minimum wage, voting to remove companies from areas that are affecting the health of the citizens by impacting the environment. They did these things even though White Americans would benefit greatly from these policy changes, but they framed it so that the racial divide stays the same.
I thought the author did a great job explaining the different aspects of government and the issues that we are facing as a country, but I did find the book to be technical at times; it took me longer than usual to finish the book because of the nature of the information. I highly recommend this book because it sheds a light on the anti-racist movement and narrative that differs from the other authors I have read thus far.
I learned so much from this author about the history of our country and our government from the housing crisis and redlining to environment and climate change, to unions and the minimum wage and wage gaps in the United States. I found it overwhelming and disheartening to hear that the government in our country used racism and the zero-sum factor to sway White voters to vote against things like unions, increasing minimum wage, voting to remove companies from areas that are affecting the health of the citizens by impacting the environment. They did these things even though White Americans would benefit greatly from these policy changes, but they framed it so that the racial divide stays the same.
I thought the author did a great job explaining the different aspects of government and the issues that we are facing as a country, but I did find the book to be technical at times; it took me longer than usual to finish the book because of the nature of the information. I highly recommend this book because it sheds a light on the anti-racist movement and narrative that differs from the other authors I have read thus far.