“Who We Are: A chronicle of Racism in America” is a documentary by Jeffrey Robinson, an attorney and ACLU representative, that discusses the history of racism. And not just individual racism, which is what the focus tends to be placed on, but rather the history of institutional racism. The systemized structure and practice of white supremacy that was created at the founding of the country. I love documentaries (and books) like this where people use facts and logic to break down the ridiculous efforts to reframe history to suit agendas. It’s especially important as pushes are made to eliminate Black history and the reality of American history from school curriculums. To experience Robinson point by point, just completely picking apart and obliterating all this nonsense that you see out here about Black history was incredibly refreshing.
Tag: <span>institutional racism</span>
“Just Pursuit” by Laura Coates is a memoir about a Black female prosecutor and her time at the Department of Justice. You get the perspective of her coming into the agency as someone new to the office, and then a bit of insight as she gets a bit further along in her career. Now, to be clear, this isn’t a chronological story or a day-by-day account of her career at the Department of Justice. Instead, Coates picks out a few significant cases and discusses what was going on in her life at the time, the details of the case, and how the case affected her.
If you’re interested in learning about the psychologist who helped design “The Doll Test” and co-founded the Northside Center for Child Development in Harlem, then my Mamie Phipps Clark Black History Facts profile is for you.
Reading the synopsis for “killing the black body” by Dorothy E. Roberts, it seemed like the perfect book to discuss intersectionality as it touches on both race and reproductive rights. Racial, gender, and socioeconomic issues are often discussed separately but not nearly enough in combination as they occur in the real world. Here there’s a discussion of how those factors result in a difference in the approach to reproductive rights with regards to Black versus White women, especially within different income levels.
“Things That Make White People Uncomfortable” is a memoir by NFL defensive end Michael Bennett. As expected, Bennett discusses his early life along with the pros and cons of playing collegiate and professional football. But less expected is Bennett’s frank discussion of topics related to race, violence against women, sexism, mental health, identity, and male vulnerability.