Scan barcode
A review by drbobcornwall
The Third Reconstruction: Moral Mondays, Fusion Politics, and the Rise of a New Justice Movement by William J. Barber II, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove
5.0
I remember the first time I heard the Reverend William Barber II speak. It was right after the Trayvon Martin verdict came in. George Zimmerman was found not guilty of murder. I was in Orlando for the General Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), which was meeting in the same venue as the NAACP national convention. Rev. Barber came over to speak to us as a representative of the NAACP. His message that evening was powerful, calling for us to embrace the cause of racial justice. We still had a speaker to hear that night, and he was good, but it was Rev. Barber, a Disciple pastor himself, that caught my attention. I've had several opportunities to hear him speak since then, and I also was able to read his previous book [b:Forward Together: A Moral Message for the Nation|22351470|Forward Together A Moral Message for the Nation|William J. Barber II|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1421012540s/22351470.jpg|41758361]. I have found his message of a Third Reconstruction to be a powerful one, and one that is needed at this moment in time.
In this book, Barber with the assistance of [a:Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove|238189|Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1442461529p2/238189.jpg], introduces us to the New Justice Movement that forms what he calls the Third Reconstruction. This is part memoir, part sermon, part history, and part call to action. Barber is the President of the North Carolina chapter of the NAACP, a Disciples pastor, and founder of the Moral Monday Movement. His vision is one of a fusion politics that builds coalitions across racial, ethnic, political, religious lines. In his analysis this is the third such effort to emerge since the end of the Civil War.
The first Reconstruction was that effort to build a new society in the South that would enable former slaves to enter fully into society. A fusion politics emerged that elected numerous Black candidates to office, including the US Senate and governorships. This first Reconstruction came to an end beginning in the 1870s, with a final fall in the 1890s as Jim Crow emerged, segregating black and white, and putting an end to full participation of Blacks in the South. The Second Reconstruction was the Civil Rights Movement that emerged in the 1950s and led to monumental changes in American social policy, including laws that banned overt segregation and gave voting rights to Blacks. Jim Crow had its match. Then came a reaction, the Southern Strategy that found a new way of disestablishing African Americans. This time it was more covert, but it was just as effective in limiting the advancement of people of color. It was a divide and conquer effort that resegregated the South through private schools, reduced funding for public schools, diminished health care and so-called tough on crime legislation that impacted African Americans more than other community. This has led to what is known as the "New Jim Crow," or mass incarceration, often on disproportionate sentences on drug offenses.
The Third Reconstruction is now underway. Expressions of it include the election Barack Obama, which in turn led to new forms of reaction. The Moral Monday and Forward Together Movements are expressions of what Barber calls fusion politics. It is for him deeply rooted in his faith, but the partnerships cross faith lines. This isn't any set of victories. Political extremists on the right have found an effective way of obtaining power by playing fears of the other. Dividing and conquering people of color and whites, especially the poor, has allowed this to occur. We're seeing it in current politics, with attacks on Muslims and immigrants. Building walls rather than bridges is the politics of the day. In response, Barber is calling for the creation of new fusion alliances. What is important to note here is that he has no interest in helicoptering in as the "national voice." Success requires indigenous coalitions that build bridges. While class is part of the equation, we must not lose sight of the role race plays in the conversation.
This is a powerful book Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove has done a wonderful job transmitting Barber's vision of a Third Reconstruction. This is a must read book. It is prophetic! So take and read so that we might move into a new day, where fear no longer divides!
In this book, Barber with the assistance of [a:Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove|238189|Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1442461529p2/238189.jpg], introduces us to the New Justice Movement that forms what he calls the Third Reconstruction. This is part memoir, part sermon, part history, and part call to action. Barber is the President of the North Carolina chapter of the NAACP, a Disciples pastor, and founder of the Moral Monday Movement. His vision is one of a fusion politics that builds coalitions across racial, ethnic, political, religious lines. In his analysis this is the third such effort to emerge since the end of the Civil War.
The first Reconstruction was that effort to build a new society in the South that would enable former slaves to enter fully into society. A fusion politics emerged that elected numerous Black candidates to office, including the US Senate and governorships. This first Reconstruction came to an end beginning in the 1870s, with a final fall in the 1890s as Jim Crow emerged, segregating black and white, and putting an end to full participation of Blacks in the South. The Second Reconstruction was the Civil Rights Movement that emerged in the 1950s and led to monumental changes in American social policy, including laws that banned overt segregation and gave voting rights to Blacks. Jim Crow had its match. Then came a reaction, the Southern Strategy that found a new way of disestablishing African Americans. This time it was more covert, but it was just as effective in limiting the advancement of people of color. It was a divide and conquer effort that resegregated the South through private schools, reduced funding for public schools, diminished health care and so-called tough on crime legislation that impacted African Americans more than other community. This has led to what is known as the "New Jim Crow," or mass incarceration, often on disproportionate sentences on drug offenses.
The Third Reconstruction is now underway. Expressions of it include the election Barack Obama, which in turn led to new forms of reaction. The Moral Monday and Forward Together Movements are expressions of what Barber calls fusion politics. It is for him deeply rooted in his faith, but the partnerships cross faith lines. This isn't any set of victories. Political extremists on the right have found an effective way of obtaining power by playing fears of the other. Dividing and conquering people of color and whites, especially the poor, has allowed this to occur. We're seeing it in current politics, with attacks on Muslims and immigrants. Building walls rather than bridges is the politics of the day. In response, Barber is calling for the creation of new fusion alliances. What is important to note here is that he has no interest in helicoptering in as the "national voice." Success requires indigenous coalitions that build bridges. While class is part of the equation, we must not lose sight of the role race plays in the conversation.
This is a powerful book Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove has done a wonderful job transmitting Barber's vision of a Third Reconstruction. This is a must read book. It is prophetic! So take and read so that we might move into a new day, where fear no longer divides!