Red, White, and Black: Rescuing American History from Revisionists and Race Hustlers
- Downloads：8011
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-09-06 00:19:03
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Robert L. Woodson Sr.
- ISBN：B098R3SCSS
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
An indispensable corrective to the falsified version of black history presented by The 1619 Project， radical activists， and money-hungry “diversity consultants。”
In the rush to redefine the place of black Americans in contemporary society， many radical activists and academics have mounted a campaign to destroy traditional American history and replace it with a politicized version that few would recognize。 According to the new radical orthodoxy， the United States was founded as a racist nation—and everything that has happened throughout our history must be viewed through the lens of the systemic oppression of black people。
Rejecting this false narrative， a collection of the most prominent and respected black scholars and thinkers has come together to correct the record and tell the true story of black Americans in all its complexity， diversity of experience， and poignancy。
Collectively， they paint a vivid picture of black people living the grand American experience， however bumpy the road may be along the way。 But rather than a people apart， blacks are woven into the united whole that makes this nation unique in history。
Featuring Essays by:
John Sibley Butler
Jason D。 Hill
Colman Cruz Hughes
John McWhorter
Clarence Page
Wilfred Reilly
Shelby Steele
Carol M。 Swain
Dean Nelson
Charles Love
Rev。 Corey Brook
Stephen L。 Harris
Harold A。 Black
Stephanie Deutsch
Yaya J。 Fanusie
Ian Rowe
John Wood， Jr。
Joshua Mitchell
Robert Cherry
Rev。 DeForest Black Soaries， Jr。
In the rush to redefine the place of black Americans in contemporary society， many radical activists and academics have mounted a campaign to destroy traditional American history and replace it with a politicized version that few would recognize。 According to the new radical orthodoxy， the United States was founded as a racist nation—and everything that has happened throughout our history must be viewed through the lens of the systemic oppression of black people。
Rejecting this false narrative， a collection of the most prominent and respected black scholars and thinkers has come together to correct the record and tell the true story of black Americans in all its complexity， diversity of experience， and poignancy。
Collectively， they paint a vivid picture of black people living the grand American experience， however bumpy the road may be along the way。 But rather than a people apart， blacks are woven into the united whole that makes this nation unique in history。
Featuring Essays by:
John Sibley Butler
Jason D。 Hill
Colman Cruz Hughes
John McWhorter
Clarence Page
Wilfred Reilly
Shelby Steele
Carol M。 Swain
Dean Nelson
Charles Love
Rev。 Corey Brook
Stephen L。 Harris
Harold A。 Black
Stephanie Deutsch
Yaya J。 Fanusie
Ian Rowe
John Wood， Jr。
Joshua Mitchell
Robert Cherry
Rev。 DeForest Black Soaries， Jr。
Reviews
Carolyn Kost
，
This uplifting collection of positive and affirming essays by Black intellectuals， scholars， thinkers， pastors， and Civil Rights activists begs to be read。 Each one offers some important takeaway。 The stories of "resilience and upward mobility and achievement against the odds" are so inspiring， and have an entirely different impact from focusing stories of past horrors。 It is imperative to "depict black Americans as leaders who triumphed over adversity and made the country a better place， not as This uplifting collection of positive and affirming essays by Black intellectuals， scholars， thinkers， pastors， and Civil Rights activists begs to be read。 Each one offers some important takeaway。 The stories of "resilience and upward mobility and achievement against the odds" are so inspiring， and have an entirely different impact from focusing stories of past horrors。 It is imperative to "depict black Americans as leaders who triumphed over adversity and made the country a better place， not as victims who led lives of tragic desperation" （73）。These essays demonstrate that "the Founding and everything that came after it were not perfect。 There have always been and are still those who have been forgotten， ignored or even gravely harmed in and by our country， while others have enjoyed great success。 Yet we are convinced that Americans fitting this description， far from being helpless victims in need of rescue， possess within themselves the very power necessary to renew their own lives and the life of our entire nation" （166）。 Consider: "Americans are the first individualist and， by design， the first non-tribal people in the world" （11）。The authors oppose Critical Race Theory's focus on victimhood， of "[b]laming today's families for the mistakes of our ancestors is not a prescription for unifying the country or empowering racial and ethnic minorities" （148） and advocate for alliances between blacks， whites， and others to resolve American problems and the teaching of "useful skills， rather than basket-weaving intersectional nonsense" （10）。The authors show us why we must define America more by ideals and moral triumphs and aspirations。 "This is what is so disturbing and dangerous about the 1619 Project's aspiration for children: to create in the minds of students and teachers of all races a vision of America that is imbued with a permanent malignancy that is hostile to the dream of students of color" （94）。 "What good does it do to tell a black child in 2019， based on nothing but thoughtless pessimism， that the only country he'll ever live in will forever reject him？" （117）。 Shouldn't our young people be taught to understand the pathways more likely to have them flourish financially， rather than perpetuate the noxious notion that black kids are owed something and that their path to success must be paved by a massive government handout？" （95） We must tell our children "they have power in their individual choices， and that those decisions can shape their destiny despite structural barriers associated with race， class and poverty" （96）。 Rev。 Brooks declares， "We seek to empower， not enable。 We seek to equip not excuse。 We seek to inform， not ignore" （52）。To focus on the systemic， structural harm perpetuated by Caucasians， "grants to the white race a wicked superiority， treating them as an oppressive people too powerful for black Americans to overcome。 It brands blacks as hapless victims devoid of the ability， which every other culture possesses， to assimilate and progress" （94）。 The message of the 1619 Project is to "condemn the conventional generative family and traditional Christianity， without which slavery could not have been overcome。。。You are alone and face a vast systemic threat。。。Only the agencies of the federal government can help you" （126）。 Government intervention used to supplement "family， church， and other mediating institutions" but is increasingly substituting for them （123）， leading people to rely on it， instead of the traditional institutions。 "Is this the world in which we really want to live？ An infantilized world， without adult perseverance and responsibility？ A world without hope， a world without reverence for those whose achievements belie the suffering they have endured and overcome？" （124）。We learn that present-day problems that plague the Black community are not the vestiges of the past we have been led to believe。 For decades， the narrative has been that 72% of all Black births are out-of wedlock births due to slavery， but in 1938， only 11% were， and in approximately 75% of the enslaved families， "all of the children had the same mother and father" （7）。 The academic pieces are more informative than inspirational， like Robert Cherry's， with a highlight finding that "states with high employment rates of 20-24 year olds also had higher rates of birth among 15-19 year olds。。。。in 1993， 20。9% of black teen girls became pregnant， 7。8% had abortions， and 10。7% gave birth。" This rate decreased by 44% and the share of girls earning at least an associate's degree rose 28% between 2006 and 2014， the Great Recession， proving that the birth rate was an economic decision on the girls' part （59）。The models are striking。 Rev。 Brooks， who reforms Chicago gang members， and Carol Swain went from high school dropout and teenage mother to tenured professor at Princeton。 Their lessons: take responsibility， an echo of the famous statement of Frederick Douglass in 1859: "The lesson taught at this point by human experience is simply this， that the man who will get up will be helped up; and the man who will not get up will be allowed to stay down。 This rule may appear somewhat harsh， but in its general application and operation it is wise， just and beneficent。 I know of no other rule which can be substituted for it without bringing social chaos。 Personal independence is a virtue and it is the soul out of which comes the sturdiest manhood。 But there can be no independence without a large share of self-dependence， and this virtue cannot be bestowed。 It must be developed from within。 。 。"These essayists agree wholeheartedly。 They espouse and promote the bourgeois norms Amy Wax and other scholars identified as the practices that "will do far more to move working-poor Americans toward success" than "culturally responsive teaching: "Get married before you have children and strive to stay married for their sake。 Get the education you need for gainful employment， work hard， and avoid idleness。 Go the extra mile for your employer or client。 Be a patriot， ready to serve the country。 Be neighborly， civic-minded， and charitable。 Avoid coarse language in public。 Be respectful of authority。 Eschew substance abuse and crime。"（See https://www。inquirer。com/philly/opini。。。 ）。 "Indeed， a staggering 97% of millennials who followed the 'success sequence'--getting at least a high school degree， working full-tie， and marrying before having any children， in that order--avoided poverty。 And 'Black Men， Making It in America: The Engines of Economic Success for Black Men in America，' reveals that a number of factors--education， work， marriage， church participation， military service， and a sense of personal agency--are all highly correlated to black male success in America。" See https://www。aei。org/research-products。。。And the false promise of materialism leads to perdition as well。 Rev。 Soaries freed his congregation from their collective debt burden。 He led his people to reject "the false promise that material consumption will lead to fulfillment。。。retail therapy。。。fast and loose with credit。。。compensatory consumption: buying things to compensate for feelings of insignificance。 The more we accumulate， the more we want， because our spending never satisfies us the way the master promises it will。 Instead it creates overwhelming stress that takes a serious toll on marriages and families。 I'd love to say that the American church has stepped up with answers， but unfortunately， one of our fastest-growing segments is full of prosperity preachers who go on television and tell people that God actually wants them to have things they can't afford （80）。It's time to replace resentment with gratitude to the ancestors for their perseverance and strength and take advantages of the opportunities the U。S。 offers。 Harold Black compares the U。S。 Black household income of $59，000 to the that of three nations indicated by his DNA test: Mali $822， Togo $610， and Cameroon， $1451 （66）。 That provides some essential perspective。 So does Coleman Cruz Hughes' powerful statement: "In the history of multi-ethnic societies， it is difficult to find a single example in which a minority group rose from poverty to affluence by pursuing a strategy that focuses primarily on nursing historical grievance （however valid）， seeking atonement for them， and stigmatizing those within its ranks that advocated an inward-looking strategy。 By contrast， history is replete with examples of minority groups， even ones who have suffered routine political repression and violence， rising to affluence by pursuing the opposite strategy: avoiding politics entirely and focusing single-mindedly on entrepreneurship and education。 Rarely does history provide a lesson as unambiguous as this one" （p。 119）。Providing supposedly compensatory advantage in various ways to Blacks is likely to have a backlash。 It is difficult to justify the conglomeration of the extremely diverse cultures gathered in the group currently labeled "Hispanic，" far less providing compensatory advantage。 Indigenous people in Guatemala have nothing in common with German-Chilean oligarchs or Afro-Venezuelan revolutionaries or the many alabaster complected extraordinarily successful and entrepreneurial Cubans who trace their ancestry to Spain， as if Spain were on some lower cultural level than the rest of Europe。 It's a recipe for disaster and demagoguery。 One essayist writes， "Poor white Americans。。。ineligible for both affirmative action and legacy programs may be the most genuinely neglected population。。。making up the plurality or majority of those felled annually by suicide， auto wrecks， and opiate and other drug overdoses" （8）。While it's true I hadn't known the stories Stephen Harris shares about the Harlem Hellfighters in WWI or Olympian Alice Coachman， I had certainly learned all about indentured servitude， enslavement， Elijah McCoy， Madame C。J。Walker， Crispus Attucks， Ida B。 Wells， et al。 in Connecticut public school in the late 1970s through the 1980s。 It is shocking to me that people say they were never taught this history。 Frankly， I doubt it。 Consider that 26% of the U。S。 population does not know the earth revolves around the sun， which they most certainly were taught。 There is a difference between not being taught and not learning。There are important reflections here about integration and segregation。 John Sibley Butler， whose work on Black entrepreneurship is classic， is a fourth generation college graduate。 He states， "As a southern black bourgeoisie， I was shocked to find that most northern blacks grew up with no system of black private colleges or great communities that were built by blacks" （155）。 "I am happy to be from the segregated South， where private colleges and great communities flourished because the ex-slaves who created them had a vision for black excellence" （159）。 He laments that it has become more fashionable to say one is from the ghetto than the black bourgeoisie。 Similarly， Harold Black recalls "。。。my parents simply could not envision the circumstances under which black would want to live with whites and especially worship with them" （64）。 This is echoed in the article in The New Yorker about Black homeschoolers in June 2021。 "In a study conducted in 2010 by professors from Temple University and Montgomery County Community College， homeschooling parents said that they thought Black Americans had been tricked into fighting for integration。 'Somebody put in our heads that being around your own kind was the worst thing in the world。 How you need to be in better neighborhoods， in neighborhoods where people don’t want you， in schools where people don’t want to teach you，' a mother in Virginia， who was homeschooling two children， said。"https://www。newyorker。com/magazine/20。。。In well over 100 webinars， Zoom sessions， conferences， etc。 on the theme of anti-racist education in the past few years， I have asked this question and no one wants to touch it。 I am sincere and earnest in my question， but there are now Questions That Must Not Be Asked， which is truly counter to the spirit of academic inquiry and， frankly， the pursuit of truth and authentic progress。 The evidence supports the statement that alumni of HBCUs and alumnae of women's colleges enjoy disproportionate and extraordinary success。 Students and institutions attribute this success precisely to the institutions' focus on a single particular identity of their constituents， which celebrates and affirms that identity in various ways that heterogeneous environments do not， provides critical mass of peers， teachers， and role models that share it， and perhaps responds to particular aspects of that identity。 Then there's research from Black academics that has given rise to various universities' building of "living learning communities" （like UCONN's Scholars House） just for Blacks， especially Black males， to help them excel。 Many colleges like Harvard have a special graduation ceremony just for Black students。 Should we conclude that the increased support in a homogeneous environment outweighs the benefits of diversity for Blacks and women？ The research seems to indicate that for Blacks and for women， there is much to be gained in separate higher education but what are the implications for society？ For K-12？ Do we just insist on integration in every institution because we "feel" it is the best for our society as a whole in spite of the research？ If so， wouldn't this militate against the extraordinary success of HBCUs and women's colleges and call for their dissolution？ Ruminate on the timeliness of this statement:"There is another class of coloured people who make a business of keeping the troubles， the wrongs， and the hardships of the Negro race before the public。 Having learned that they are able to make a living out of their troubles， they have grown into the settled habit of advertising their wrongs — partly because they want sympathy and partly because it pays。 Some of these people do not want the Negro to lose his grievances， because they do not want to lose their jobs。” -- Booker T。 Washington in 1911。 Plus ça change， plus c'est le même chose。 These essays and the 1776 Unites initiative are so much more than just correctives to the 1619 Project。 "。。。Shelby Steele has observed that sometimes people who don't know how to handle their freedom will reinvent their oppression。 Will that be America's story fifty years from now: a nation gripped by grievance？ Or will we be in the midst of a new awakening in which people of all races are learning to embrace the ideals of family， faith， education， entrepreneurship， and hard work， as the pathway to move from persecution to prosperity？Now is a time for choosing" （176）。What an excellent anthology。 We would all do well to demonstrate such love of this country， God and fellow human， to reject victimhood， and to insist on taking responsibility for one's own destiny。 。。。more
Sanjay Vyas
，
A series of essays by mostly black academics regarding the 1619 project， and why they think that project failed to tell a relevant and helpful message to society。These essays are 4-8 pages long。 They require significant thinking; they are deeply provocative。I came away with a strong sense that these are important voices that should be amplified。 There's a sense of hope， of action that can be taken to make us a better country and society。 A series of essays by mostly black academics regarding the 1619 project， and why they think that project failed to tell a relevant and helpful message to society。These essays are 4-8 pages long。 They require significant thinking; they are deeply provocative。I came away with a strong sense that these are important voices that should be amplified。 There's a sense of hope， of action that can be taken to make us a better country and society。 。。。more
Geoffrey Greeley
，
A must read on the subject of race in America
skip thurnauer
，
"Red， White， and Black" is a collection of essays by "a black-led movement of scholars， grassroots activists， and other concerned Americans who believe America's best days lie ahead of us。" Spoiler alert - if you believe the 1619 project is the true history of America， "Red， White， and Black" is not for you。 The writers， all successful black Americans， relate their own stories， as well as the stories of those who preceded them - Frederick Douglas， Booker T。 Washington， Dr。 King， and lesser known "Red， White， and Black" is a collection of essays by "a black-led movement of scholars， grassroots activists， and other concerned Americans who believe America's best days lie ahead of us。" Spoiler alert - if you believe the 1619 project is the true history of America， "Red， White， and Black" is not for you。 The writers， all successful black Americans， relate their own stories， as well as the stories of those who preceded them - Frederick Douglas， Booker T。 Washington， Dr。 King， and lesser known Americans like Alice Coachman， the first black woman to win an Olympic gold medal。 These are inspiring and uplifting stories of individual success。 "Rather than reinforce this falsehood idea of powerlessness in the face of a system rigged against them， why not educate young people of color about the forces within their control that are most likely to put them on a pathway to power and economic success？" The "success sequence" - a high school degree， job， marriage， and then children - helped a staggering 97% of millennials avoid poverty。 The charge of evil in the white west is a pervasive accusation that supports victimization of not only blacks， but many other oppressed groups as well。 When one of the contributors visited Africa in the 70s he returned with the realization "that America for all its faults and failings， was not intractable evil。" The various authors are members of 1776 Unites， a nonpartisan and culturally diverse coalition of 'writers thinkers and activists focused on solutions to our country's greatest challenges in education， culture， and UPWARD MOBILITY [caps mine]。" 。。。more
Wendy Stotts
，
This is a series of essays written by Black authors who are part of 1776Unites。 It is a very important body of work as a counterpoint to CRT and The 1619 Project。 It is important to remember that the T in CRT stands for Theory， and it is just that - a theory with significant flaws， one of which is that it entirely overlooks any progress the nation has made。 Similarly， the 1619 Project has been shown to lack historical accuracy。 I don't have a problem with either of those being taught in our scho This is a series of essays written by Black authors who are part of 1776Unites。 It is a very important body of work as a counterpoint to CRT and The 1619 Project。 It is important to remember that the T in CRT stands for Theory， and it is just that - a theory with significant flaws， one of which is that it entirely overlooks any progress the nation has made。 Similarly， the 1619 Project has been shown to lack historical accuracy。 I don't have a problem with either of those being taught in our schools， as long as they are taught alongside the information and viewpoints presented in this book。 What is missing from education at the moment is critical thinking。 One needs to be presented with both sides of an issue， and be given the ability to debate either side with all its merits or flaws。 。。。more
Ted Hunt
，
This short book， which is a series of essays from a variety of black writers， is a full-fronted assault on the "1619 Project，" which these writers believe does a terrible to the African-American community。 This group is part of a larger project called "1776 Unites，" which is attempting to reset the "starting date" of the United States back to its traditional location: the Fourth of July， 1776。 The writers （and the larger organization） believe that the supporters of the 1619 Project have built th This short book， which is a series of essays from a variety of black writers， is a full-fronted assault on the "1619 Project，" which these writers believe does a terrible to the African-American community。 This group is part of a larger project called "1776 Unites，" which is attempting to reset the "starting date" of the United States back to its traditional location: the Fourth of July， 1776。 The writers （and the larger organization） believe that the supporters of the 1619 Project have built their analysis on group victimhood rather than individual agency and that by claiming that racism is "in the DNA" of the United States they have labeled the nation irredeemable， a conclusion that the contributors to this book profoundly reject。 Each of the essays contributes to the enterprise in its own unique way。 There are short pieces about individuals who overcame the adversities that racism presented to achieve success and recognition， a couple that emphasize the importance of education （Booker T。 Washington and Frederick Douglass are mentioned a number of times）， and one or two that point to the Black Church as an important part of the struggle for justice that is increasingly out of vogue。 But the overall take on American history in this collection is that while slavery and racism worked to make the lives of untold numbers of African-Americans incomprehensibly difficult， slavery does not continue to "define" the nation and the majority of the American people have worked to make it "a more perfect Union。" In this way the thesis of this book echoes the message of Barak Obama's 2008 speech about race when he was first running for president。 My chief concern about this book is that it is written by a handful of （self-described） "elites" in the black community。 Many， if not most， came from supportive， middle class families where education was stressed。 How well might they understand the challenges faced by individuals who did not have the advantages that they had？ One of the essays claims that the chief lesson of the Tulsa massacre was not what happened in 1921， but the fact that the people of that neighborhood rebuilt black Tulsa over the course of the next decade and a half。 I'm not so sure about that。 In any event， putting this book up against the material in the 1619 Project demonstrates， once again， that history is messy。 。。。more
Tejasian
，
The Past Is Just That， The Future Holds More PromiseAs a member of the generation that lived under de facto racial injustice， segregation and Jim Crow laws。 I can wonder where does this nonsense like BLM， the 1619 Project and liberal leftists， who actually cheer the ignorance of uneducated Americans of African ancestry。 Every wrongheaded notion and social pathology that can be inflicted on the American experience is being done。 We black “Baby Boomers” have failed miserably to teach both sides of The Past Is Just That， The Future Holds More PromiseAs a member of the generation that lived under de facto racial injustice， segregation and Jim Crow laws。 I can wonder where does this nonsense like BLM， the 1619 Project and liberal leftists， who actually cheer the ignorance of uneducated Americans of African ancestry。 Every wrongheaded notion and social pathology that can be inflicted on the American experience is being done。 We black “Baby Boomers” have failed miserably to teach both sides of the coin of the American Experience。 What now？ My Mom used to tell me that was “that a hard head will make for a soft arse”。 Sometimes just saying， don’t touch that fire， will not measure up to actual experience being burnt。 。。。more
David L。 Gaylor
，
The essays， which are the make up of this book， are insightful， educational，and absolutely the truth。 I sincerely recommend this book to all Americans especially those who are trying to combat theFabrications of the 1619 project。The authors are intelligent thoughtful men， that truly believe the strength of Americans， all Americans， rests in their ability to rise above their situations and achieve great things
Dustin F。 Hecker
，
Not a "great book"， but a very good and important book。This collection of essays seeks to shift the public debate about race to an optimistic view。 The essays focus， mostly， on celebrating African-American entrepreneurs， scholars， and leaders throughout our Nation's history。 Their successes were earned through grit but more importantly， on the shoulders of those who came before them and established the under celebrated black community institutions of churches， schools， banks and businesses。 Inte Not a "great book"， but a very good and important book。This collection of essays seeks to shift the public debate about race to an optimistic view。 The essays focus， mostly， on celebrating African-American entrepreneurs， scholars， and leaders throughout our Nation's history。 Their successes were earned through grit but more importantly， on the shoulders of those who came before them and established the under celebrated black community institutions of churches， schools， banks and businesses。 Interesting stuff。 Sadly showing how pathetically omnipresent it has become， the spectre of the 1619 "Project" is ever present in the book。 Rather than attacking it head on， though， the book largely tries to out flank the 1619 Project。 It offers a hopeful view of a pluralistic America in which black and white Americans all have agency， opportunities， and hope。 Good stuff， and well worth the read。 And money。 。。。more
Matthew Werner
，
A powerful group of essays everyone should read。
Robert Pondiscio
，
From my published review at the website of the Thomas B。 Fordham Institute: The book’s aggressive subtitle， “Rescuing American History from Revisionists and Race Hustlers，” makes clear its uncompromising editorial stance。 The authors did not set out to engage in a polite colloquy but to respond forcefully to today’s dominant narrative about race in America， one advanced most visibly by the New York Times’s 1619 Project， which famously argued that the nation’s “true founding” was marked by the ar From my published review at the website of the Thomas B。 Fordham Institute: The book’s aggressive subtitle， “Rescuing American History from Revisionists and Race Hustlers，” makes clear its uncompromising editorial stance。 The authors did not set out to engage in a polite colloquy but to respond forcefully to today’s dominant narrative about race in America， one advanced most visibly by the New York Times’s 1619 Project， which famously argued that the nation’s “true founding” was marked by the arrival of first enslaved Africans 400 years ago and which sought to “reframe the country's history” by placing the consequences of slavery at the very center of our national narrative。 The mission statement of 1776 Unites leads the collection and stands as a cri de coeur for the essays that follow， authored mostly by Black intellectuals， journalists， and entrepreneurs: “We acknowledge that racial discrimination exists—and work towards diminishing it。 But we dissent from contemporary groupthink and rhetoric about race， class， and American history。” Indeed， they do。 And how。Readers seeking a point-by-point refutation of the 1619 Project are best directed elsewhere。 The authors of Red， White， and Black concern themselves mostly with countering the metanarratives about the role of race in America that 1619 centers and supports。 “In the end， what do America’s youth， especially those of color， need to equip themselves for success？” asks Dr。 Lucas E。 Morel， in the foreword to the collection。 This is the essential question for K–12 educators， who are often tasked unfairly with shouldering the burden of answering it independent of other institutions or， when out over their skis， take it upon themselves to answer unilaterally， thereby turning teaching into activism。More here: https://fordhaminstitute。org/national。。。 。。。more
Caleb Blevins
，
Some cool stories of black successes in American history。 Some cool accounts of what black pastors are doing for their communities。 Yet in rejecting CRT many fall into the idolatry of nationalism。 Many authors here care far too much about maintaining a more mild picture of the American experience。 I don’t write this as a believer in 1691 Project either， it has some issues I agree。 Yet in terms of Virginia History in my state’s schools， there is still a glorification of the antebellum south， redu Some cool stories of black successes in American history。 Some cool accounts of what black pastors are doing for their communities。 Yet in rejecting CRT many fall into the idolatry of nationalism。 Many authors here care far too much about maintaining a more mild picture of the American experience。 I don’t write this as a believer in 1691 Project either， it has some issues I agree。 Yet in terms of Virginia History in my state’s schools， there is still a glorification of the antebellum south， reduction in the brutality of chattel slavery and a glossing over of the Reconstruction Period。 。。。more
Rose Schmitt
，
Required Reading This is a valuable glimpse into those black Americans who led successful lives。 Should be required reading in all high schools and colleges。
Shiela
，
Such an amazing collection of writers’ pieces about the United States！ Incredibly well written pieces。 Well thought out and explained thoroughly！ A must read！！
Drtaxsacto
，