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birdinflight1's review against another edition
5.0
Amazing, powerful, and heartbreaking. Current and timely. She traces the history of white oppression of black people from post-civil war times to present day. The white house, the supreme court, and federal and state lawmakers all made laws, decisions, and rulings that kept (and still keep) black people away from the voting booth, impoverished, and under-educated, and more recently, addicted, because they did not want to "share" power or resources with African Americans. I'm saddened that I hadn't learned this aspect of history in my years of formal education. A must read.
jenmangler's review against another edition
4.0
This was not an easy book for me to read. I can't remember the last time I read a book that made me feel so enraged or so sick to my stomach. I strongly recommend it. Anderson has written a powerful book that will make you angry and uncomfortable, and I think that's necessary right now.
janada59's review against another edition
5.0
This book should be required reading. It made me furious at the cruelty and dehumanisation of people, while also making me motivated to start affecting change in my community. Wish I had read it sooner, but also incredibly glad I read it when I did.
luinien's review against another edition
4.0
I have been trying to get a book club started at the HS I teach at, and this was one of the books I was trying to get people to read with me. Since no one showed any interest, I dove all in. It was a hard read...not in the "it doesn't make sense" or "the words used" but in the reality of events and how impactful the book is. It was hard for me as a white person to accept what was being said, to stop and chunk out what was going on, to truly acknowledge the words on the page. While this is a book that can be read on its own, I highly recommend finding other people to discuss this book with.
I liked how the chapters were laid out; each one focused on a time period or topic, so you didn't feel thrown around history. Everything built off each other, and the use of quotes and other textual evidence was an added bonus.
I liked how the chapters were laid out; each one focused on a time period or topic, so you didn't feel thrown around history. Everything built off each other, and the use of quotes and other textual evidence was an added bonus.
heathercottledillon's review against another edition
5.0
Carol Anderson succinctly describes many of the innumerable ways white Americans--often through legislation and in the courtroom--have systematically repressed the advancement of African Americans from the end of the Civil War until today. She describes:
- Specific ways the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the Constitution were undermined to prevent blacks from gaining full rights during Reconstruction
- How, during the early 20th century, southern states fought to prevent blacks from moving north for better jobs in an attempt to keep African Americans stuck in the south where Jim Crow limited their employment opportunities and dominated every aspect of life
- Methods that states and school districts used to derail desegregation after the Brown decision, which prevented countless black children from receiving quality education, leading them and their families to lives of poverty
- Backlash against the Civil Rights Movement, which resulted in numerous attempts to overthrow civil rights legislation in court
- Voter suppression laws, targeted at blacks, that were proposed and/or passed into law in southern states after the election of Barack Obama, and the country's extreme negative reaction to the relatively moderate Obama
I learned many things in the book's mere 164 pages of text that are completely absent from American history textbooks. The book is thoroughly researched (see the 62 pages of sources cited), and Anderson presents all of the information in a concise narrative. She brings everything together to show how much the white prejudice that has prevailed throughout history still influences race relations today. Maybe when more people realize how pervasive and systematic discrimination has been and still is, we can challenge our own attitudes about race. I highly recommend this book, for everyone.
- Specific ways the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the Constitution were undermined to prevent blacks from gaining full rights during Reconstruction
- How, during the early 20th century, southern states fought to prevent blacks from moving north for better jobs in an attempt to keep African Americans stuck in the south where Jim Crow limited their employment opportunities and dominated every aspect of life
- Methods that states and school districts used to derail desegregation after the Brown decision, which prevented countless black children from receiving quality education, leading them and their families to lives of poverty
- Backlash against the Civil Rights Movement, which resulted in numerous attempts to overthrow civil rights legislation in court
- Voter suppression laws, targeted at blacks, that were proposed and/or passed into law in southern states after the election of Barack Obama, and the country's extreme negative reaction to the relatively moderate Obama
I learned many things in the book's mere 164 pages of text that are completely absent from American history textbooks. The book is thoroughly researched (see the 62 pages of sources cited), and Anderson presents all of the information in a concise narrative. She brings everything together to show how much the white prejudice that has prevailed throughout history still influences race relations today. Maybe when more people realize how pervasive and systematic discrimination has been and still is, we can challenge our own attitudes about race. I highly recommend this book, for everyone.
emily_sophies's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.5
Some parts focused a lot on the law and the supreme court. I think they were a very relevant part of the book, especially considering the current political climate and the US Supreme Court. But I had heard of most of the central cases already and so I was able to follow the arguments. People who are unfamiliar with the US supreme court and landmark cases however, might struggle with the case names and the descriptions of the different courts and judges. I had to reread a lot paragraphs in these section a couple of times. I am a nonnative English speaker tho.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Slavery, and Rape
Minor: Xenophobia, Torture, War, Religious bigotry, Drug use, Drug abuse, Violence, and Suicide
laura_mayfair's review against another edition
5.0
"White Rage" is a difficult, painful read. It lays bare the history of virulent racism against black Americans in the USA. We're never going to heal, never going to make things better, unless we look it in the face - - and we very well may be looking in the mirror. Everyone, but white people especially, should read this book. Meticulously researched and heartbreakingly true.
savaging's review against another edition
4.0
This book focuses on the history of white backlash against attempts at racial progress. It's an important supplement to the histories of anti-racist social movements and leaders that usually (justly) celebrate the bravery and achievements of black people.
It's also a horrifying book.
One quibble: Anderson did an immense amount of research through tons of sources (nearly a fourth of the book is notes and sources). However, within the text itself she deploys direct quotes without explaining more specifically who the speaker is. I have no way of telling if these are from the white supremacists or from secondary sources analyzing their behavior. This could have the effect of making racists appear more outlandish and bold, but it could also do the opposite -- make us assume she's quoting a critical secondary source, when in fact these are the brazen words of the white supremacists themselves. Signposts on this would have been helpful.
It's also a horrifying book.
One quibble: Anderson did an immense amount of research through tons of sources (nearly a fourth of the book is notes and sources). However, within the text itself she deploys direct quotes without explaining more specifically who the speaker is. I have no way of telling if these are from the white supremacists or from secondary sources analyzing their behavior. This could have the effect of making racists appear more outlandish and bold, but it could also do the opposite -- make us assume she's quoting a critical secondary source, when in fact these are the brazen words of the white supremacists themselves. Signposts on this would have been helpful.
bookph1le's review against another edition
5.0
I don't know how you can read this comprehensive, chilling overview of America's shamefully racist history and not be deeply disturbed that generations of people have been oppressed in every way imaginable.
As upsetting as that is, I don't know how you can read a book like this and not feel even more horrified by what's been happening in the U.S. as of late.
It boggles the mind that people can be so full of such vile hatred that they would even imagine doing the things that have been done to African Americans, let alone actually do them. It defies belief that supposed patriots can be so blinded by bigotry that they would compromise the health and future of the country they purport to love.
But it does happen. You only need to pick up a newspaper, listen to a radio broadcast, turn on the evening news for abundant proof.
I am white, and I 100% believe that white rage is the cause of so many of our societal ills. We whites need to study our history and look for meaningful ways to begin to atone for our wrongs. Removing Confederate monuments is just a drop in the ocean.
As upsetting as that is, I don't know how you can read a book like this and not feel even more horrified by what's been happening in the U.S. as of late.
It boggles the mind that people can be so full of such vile hatred that they would even imagine doing the things that have been done to African Americans, let alone actually do them. It defies belief that supposed patriots can be so blinded by bigotry that they would compromise the health and future of the country they purport to love.
But it does happen. You only need to pick up a newspaper, listen to a radio broadcast, turn on the evening news for abundant proof.
I am white, and I 100% believe that white rage is the cause of so many of our societal ills. We whites need to study our history and look for meaningful ways to begin to atone for our wrongs. Removing Confederate monuments is just a drop in the ocean.