The Overseer Class: A Manifesto

by Steven W. Thrasher

The author of the critically acclaimed The Viral Underclass (one of Kirkus Reviews best books of 2022) is back with The Overseer Class, which explores what happens when members of historically minoritized groups are selected for high-visibility positions of power within existing institutions—but under the conditions of a kind of Faustian bargain.

Our society places so much weight and attention on those who become the first or only of their identifying group that we miss one of the inherent issues in that model. This book is about the kinds of compromises made by a small but influential group of people from minoritized groups in the United States as they have entered segregated institutions in highly visible positions. People in the overseer class wield enormous institutional power, even necropolitical power over who lives and who dies; it’s just that their power is predicated upon repressing other people who look (or speak/have sex/come from places) like them.

The most obvious contemporary overseer is the Black police officer. The Overseer Class begins with this quote from James Baldwin from 1967:

“The poor, of whatever color, do not trust the law and certainly have no reason to, and God knows we didn't. ‘If you must call a cop,’ we said in those days, ‘for God's sake, make sure it's a white one.’ We did not feel that the cops were protecting us, for we knew too much about the reasons for the kinds of crimes committed in the ghetto; but we feared black cops even more than white cops, because the black cop had to work so much harder--on your head--to prove to himself and his colleagues that he was not like all the other n******.”

But this dynamic does not only exist within law enforcement, it exists in many different spheres and The Overseer Class explores what it looks like in mass media, universities, corporate America, the military, and government. The Overseer Class aims not only to educate us and start this discussion but to provide a framework for challenging that dynamic. It is a weighty topic but one that Dr. Thrasher is well-equipped to handle.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Race, Politics, Theory, Audiobook

Audible Audio

Published May 19, 2026

Reviews

[Sunny Lu · Rating 5 out of 5]

A solid and comprehensive attack on the concept of getting a seat at the table

4.5

[Corvus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Steven W Thrasher's The Overseer Class is an important and well-written expansion upon old conversations. There has been extensive discussion about representation of marginalized groups in positions of power. People have discussed how propping up systems with tokenism is never going to be enough. Thrasher takes all of this to a more complex extent, arguing that tokenism is not an apt description for many of the people of marginalized identities who end up in positions of power. He takes the reader outside of the reductive neoliberalism of assuming that black cops or a gay governor will automatically improve things as well as makes an excellent argument as to how the system itself will never be solved by adding some color to authoritarianism.

We often hear about companies, governments, and organizations putting a marginalized person in a position as a token. Thrasher discusses how tokenism is different than the overseer class. Tokens tend not to have much power and are used by those with more power as a tool to further said power. The overseer class is given the power to oppress their kin, the term coming from black overseers on slave plantains.

The overseer class not only uphold power, they are also sometimes worse in how they exercise it than their less marginalized coworkers. This is especially true with the police which is something that has been known for some time. Often people of marginalized communities must prove themselves to their peers and thus can end up being more violent or oppressive in order to not be like the other girls. The overseer class therefore in isolates themselves from both their peers inside their profession, who are never truly on their side, and their own communities outside of it. Thrasher shows how joining the overseer class is always going to be a mistake, even if one is completely selfish in thinking about it.

He discusses how DEI is a scam, but not for the reasons the right wing claims it is. First narratives- the first person of x community who ends up in a power position- reinforce power structures rather than dismantling them. They create the illusion that progress has been made if certain demographics hold authoritarian positions. His argument is not the progress has not been made anywhere, but that authoritarianism is not where you're going to find evidence of it.

He is also not arguing that someone in a position of power is always of the overseer class. He also reclaims the character of Uncle Tom, who has come to be misrepresented in popular culture over time, and labels liberatory actors as Tonis- as in Toni Morrison. These people are those who use their position to dismantle structures of power or who sacrifice themselves and their power for the greater good. These individuals are unfortunately the minority of the minority, but they do exist.

There is a good bit of media analysis in the book, which I can sometimes find very boring, but I liked what he did with it here. There is also a bit of memoir that can feel a little out of place at times, but Thrasher tells the reader ahead of time that memoir is going to be part of the book. The isolation and ostracism that he has faced from academic and other communities due to his fight for the liberation of Palestine and his defense of students is still obviously very raw for him. I think I would have preferred this to be given its own chapter rather than to be woven throughout the text, but I didn't find it so distracting that it ruins the experience for me.

I really enjoy this author's work and how he brings his own personal experience into the way he thinks, not feigning a non-existent objectivity. I also enjoy how accessible even the more academic parts are written. Thrasher clearly cares about his work reaching wider audiences. I hope that his ostracism from Israeli zionist factions in academia means he has more time to write more books in the near future.

This was also posted to my storygraph and blog.

[dani B) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished this and my brain is still buzzing. If you read Thrasher’s last book, The Viral Underclass, you know he doesn't hold back, but this one feels even more personal and urgent.

You know how we always celebrate when someone becomes the "first" Black or Brown person to lead a major institution? The author basically steps in and asks: "But at what cost?" He argues that these positions are often a Faustian bargain. Our society picks people from minoritized groups for high-visibility roles, but only if they agree to protect the institution rather than change it. He calls this the "Overseer Class", people who have power, but use it to keep their own communities in check.

What stands out to me the most was The "Black Cop" Dilemma; He starts with a heavy James Baldwin quote from the 60s about why people in the ghetto often feared Black cops even more than white ones because they had to work "twice as hard on your head" to prove they weren't "one of them." It’s everywhere: It’s not just about police. He looks at media, universities, and corporate America. It really made me rethink those "diversity wins" we see in the news. Next I loved was the necropolitics. It sounds like a big academic word, but he makes it simple: it’s about who gets to live and who dies. When people in power make decisions that hurt their own communities to stay in the good graces of an institution, that’s real-world "overseer" behavior.

I learned so much from this. It gave me the vocabulary to explain that weird "unease" I feel when I see a diverse face at the top of a system that’s still doing the same old damage. The only reason it isn’t a 5 for me is that it’s heavy. It’s a lot to process, and while he talks about how to challenge this dynamic, I left wishing there was a bit more of a "day one" guide for how we actually fix this without just opting out of everything.

YOU NEED TO READ THIS NOW IN 2026 WHEN IT COMES OUT! We’re at a point where just having a "representative" face in the room isn't enough anymore. We’re tired of seeing the same policies wrapped in a new package. This book is a warning for the next generation: don't let your success be used as a shield for a system that isn't actually looking out for you.

It's essential, uncomfortable, and will definitely change how you look at the news.

Thank you Amistad Books for my arc copy.

[Stella of the Void (They Them) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, I do feel as though this book has pushed me to fight for communal care and to say “no” more radically in my everyday life. The conclusion itself is beautifully done and could act as its own standalone piece.
I liked learning more about the author’s background and his own personal experiences with the overseer class. Journalism is so much more interesting when the writing isn’t void of emotional ties.
Parts of the book are easier to get through than others; I personally got the point about copaganda without needing a breakdown of the entire media timeline. And I also hope that the version of the advanced reader copy that I received is more heavily edited before final publication because holy typos, Batman 😅
Big thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for a fair review. It’s rare that I find nonfiction exciting enough to request an ARC!

[Ten Cats Reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

Early thoughts: I really loved THE VIRAL UNDERCLASS, the author's first book, which was about how COVID affected poor and institutionalized populations.

Feeling: Burn it down

I’m curious about: I've learned to expect a lot from this writer and I hope to find something subversive here. Maybe explosive.

"“Many of us have made a life of hoping to get chosen for jobs, chosen for awards, chosen for acceptance from people, structures and corporations bred on white supremacy. We’re hoping to get chosen by people who cannot see us. Knowing that they hate and terrorize us doesn’t stop us from wanting to get chosen.” Kiese Laymon, 2015" p8

Who this is for: readers of political nonfiction and social justice themes

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"America was acting as the world’s police force to consolidate power in the hands of a few— and Wood was acting as a kind of global Black cop for the ruling class. Wood reminded me of a warning James Baldwin issued in 1967 about the police: “The poor, of whatever color, do not trust the law and certainly have no reason to, and God knows we didn't,” Baldwin wrote. ‘If you must call a cop,’ we said in those days, ‘for God's sake, make sure it's a white one.’ We did not feel that the cops were protecting us, for we knew too much about the reasons for the kinds of crimes committed in the ghetto; but we feared Black cops even more than white cops, because the Black cop had to work so much harder—on your head— to prove to himself and his colleagues that he was not like all the other niggers.”" p16

Content Notes:
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. Racism, racist language, institutional racism, police violence, violence against Black and brown people, war, corruption, cycles of abuse, slavery,

[ELK · Rating 4 out of 5]

Particularly appreciated the note this ended on: the way forward (and through) is found in collective care, shared risk, and imagining a world beyond racial capitalism. Couldn't agree more.

[Tess Raser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I think this book is valuable and makes an important argument. I agree with this general thesis and think this "overseer class" should be called out. I really liked the portion of the book that focused on Black mayors and elected overseers, as well as the military section. The higher ed section had me thinking about overseers in my own life and opportunities I've lost because of my advocacy for Palestine. I love that he called gentrification ethnic cleansing because it is.

I mostly agreed with everything except for two things that I thought were a bit unfair for different reasons--

1) Thrasher e at one point wrote something about social workers getting paid and writers being ignored (really paraphrasing). I know many writers and work with many social workers. There are so many incorrect misconceptions about social workers held by abolitionists. Most every social worker I know is 100% committed to prevention programs and keeping families out of the carceral system. Plus, they're mostly all poor and underpaid. Whereas the writers I know are much more financially comfortable and held on a higher pedestal in our society. Social workers are not getting paid to spend weekends in Martha's Vineyard or in the Catskills on artists retreats. They're supporting children who are experiencing horrific abuse, poverty and supporting families who need support in their addictions. It's a stretch to call them overseers, although I get the instinct and his logic.
2) Thrasher writes that Zohran is part of the Black Radical Tradition. I do not agree that Zohran is part of the "Black Radical Tradition." He might have been born in African country and lived in another African country as a toddler, the history and story of Indians living in Africa, particularly East Africa is complex, and in most instances doesn't tell a story of Pan-African cross-racial solidarity. I volunteered on Zohran's campaign for months and witnessed months of anti-blackness in that Black voters were not really a central part of organizing efforts until after the primary, despite pushback from volunteers like me. And most importantly, the Black radical tradition is anti-cop and Zohran, during his election, apologized to the NYPD for previously calling them racist in 2020. He essentially called that former statement naive. He is not a Black man, and Black men are overwhelmingly the target of police brutality..

I think the writing could've been tightened too. I am not a big TV watcher and some of the media examples were a bit excessive or overly descriptive. I maybe would've reordered the book's sections too. I thought the sections on real people, rather than fictitious were stronger, and I perhaps would have put them at the start of the book. Although I do know the role of media is quite strong in shaping how we vote, see ourselves and see our leaders.

[Madison ✨ (mad.lyreading) · Rating 4 out of 5]

While The Overseer Class has a drawing of a Black cop front and center of its cover, this book is about more than just Black/minority cops. This book examines racial, sexual, and gender minorities who work their way up a power ladder only to turn around and pull the ladder up behind them. Think of the (cultural usage of the) concept of "Uncle Tom" or, in gender dynamics, "Aunt Lydia." (Note: Thank you, Thrasher, for teaching me that the real Uncle Tom was not an Uncle Tom in our current way of understanding him. I vote we all stop using the term Uncle Tom and instead use the term "Clarence Thomas" who we can all agree is the worst)

While this book has theory, it is also Thrasher's own manifesto, with many personal examples of minorities in power using that power to harm other minorities. I picked this book up with zero knowledge of Thrasher, and from what I have learned about him through this book, he appears to be an incredibly kind and welcoming man who anyone would be lucky to have as a mentor or professor. While I sometimes found his examination of his own experiences to be a bit drawn out, they were clear examples of the power dynamics he was trying to explain.

This book was incredibly eye opening to me, and I learned so much. However, I am a white woman, so there were many times when I was uncomfortable with the topic. I chose to read this book as an 'observer' of Thrasher's extremely well thought out points, but I will not be using them to critique anyone myself.

I did not realize this book was written by the author of The Viral Underclass. I have not read that book yet, but it has inspired me to do so.

Thank you to Amistad and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Josie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2026!

"The Overseer Class" is one of the books that is going to sit with me for a while and I plan to revisit. Thrasher examines how throughout history and in various facets of society, people from minoritized groups have moved into positions of power and become overseers. Being the "first" doesn't always create progress or result in outcomes that are uplifting to a community. Overseers are broken down into three categories Uncle Toms, tokens, and Tonis and provided examples of throughout the book. There were a few moments in the Hollywood/media portion of the book that I was a bit lost but it was only because I was not familiar with some of the characters or shows referenced. However, Thrasher provides enough detail to get his point across in those instances. Lastly, I greatly appreciated how Thrasher's family history and personal experiences were interwoven into his analyses.

This was an excellent follow up to "The Viral Underclass" and I am looking forward to more of Thrasher's works in the future.


Thank you Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[J Earl · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Overseer Class by Steven W Thrasher is an eye-opening look at something we already sorta understood and showed how it is more common and subtle than we realized.

Most of us have thought about a person or two, whether on the national stage or the local stage, or even the corporate stage, that seem to have been chosen to be the bearer of bad news because they come from the group(s) most affected. Often this is a role or position within government or a corporation. What Thrasher shows here is that far more officials are in these positions and that it is less about a bad actor betraying their people (though there are plenty of them) and more about a class of positions that are filled with an eye toward seemingly presenting progress but is actually the face of defending little or no progress.

This isn't an indictment of every such person, many had the intention of helping others succeed within a bigoted society, but a call for all of us to be more aware and conscious of what many of these people and positions actually represent.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance reader copy.
This is a very thought provoking read about a specific and powerful social pressure experienced by many people of color in American society. Part memoir, part social history, part journalistic overview, the book makes its argument successfully, but this is a challenging read that will have you thinking deeply about the structures and systems that are constantly pushing us to reenforce the hierarchies and disparities that keep us divided. The terms Thrasher uses like "overseer" and "Uncle Tom" are intentionally provocative, and there are moments in the book when his anger is palpable. But it's clear from the chapter on academia that he has just cause to feel indignant at the reprisals and betrayals he experienced during his time as a journalism professor. Recommended reading if you are interested in debates about reform vs abolition. Let's get free, y'all.

[Sam (world’s gassiest) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, and think Thrasher does a great job of creating a framework for analyzing overseers as a class of their own. His media studies and public health background mean that he’s able to contextualize overseers for a really wide range of readers, rendering his thesis more effective. I did find some of his assertions overly repetitive, and sometimes the writing made me feel as if I were doing a reading for class. This makes sense, Thrasher being an academic, but I wonder if a reader who is not fresh out of school would enjoy that or not. Overall a really well-written argument for moving away from copaganda and toward the collective.
Also the PMC is a really helpful way of framing “librarians as cops” and if I were ever to teach at library school I’d toss this on my syllabus.

[Anika (Encyclopedia BritAnika) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hoo boy what a book. Really looks at how people of color are used to prop up white supremacy and how the poc are complicit in the evils perpetrated because they want the mantle of whiteness or proximity to it. Historical examples to recent - most horrendously seared in my brain is the example of the Black woman and Black man sent by the US to the United Nations to be the sole votes against stopping GENOCIDE over and over. Those lone hands of color in the air are haunting. I love the way he combined fights - policing, Palestinian freedom, politics. And the way out is to stand up and say no. Thrasher having walked the walk and losing his professor position for dare speaking for Palestinian freedom. He knows the price of saying no but also the moral imperative to do it. Really great read.

Thank you to Amistad and NetGalley for the review copy.

[Venneh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a blend of really thorough and incisive views of how Black people can be used to enable some of the worst kinds of people institutionally (think: Condolezza Rice, Colin Powell, Kamala Harris, Lori Lightfoot) and how diversity can be used as a tool to attack solidarity. There are a few points where it one hundred percent feels like an old man yelling at the clouds about his rivals, and it's vaguely uncomfortable when it goes that route, but overall, solid theory wise and scathingness wise. Worth a read when it comes out in May.

[Louisa]

It’s definitely a manifesto.

In my opinion, the author often lost sight of the overall argument of the overseer class in favor of (deservedly) eviscerating individual “overseers.”

The conclusion was fantastic, though -I feel this would have been more poignant and persuasive as a shorter piece.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Rebekah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this as much as I love everything Dr Thrasher writes. It validated so much of what I'd observed and struggled with and been truly perplexed by as I've been conducting my own political education over the past two decades. I'll probably gift a few copies of this for other folks who could use the perspective as well.

[kailym · Rating 4 out of 5]

in the follow up to his debut, The Viral Underclass, dr. steven w. thrasher brings his signature blend of journalistic & intellectual vigor, conversational tone, thorough analysis, and contagious personal passion to a pointed critique of the bureaucratic stratifications that repress revolutionary imaginations and maintain the oppressive status quo of racial capitalism & the US empire. heavily inspired by olúfémi o. táíwò’s Elite Capture, The Overseer Class specifically explores the uniquely damaging effects (and causes) of elites in academia, media, and politics rising from (in particular, racially) marginalized groups only to weaponize that status against their own to defend it. through anecdote from his own experience being ousted from academia for his continuous vocal & physical support of Palestinian liberation & student protests, and extensive research into US governmental figures at local, state, and national levels in legislative, executive, and carceral circuits, thrasher invites readers to join in his compelling interrogation of systems of power, who and what those systems really serve, and the moral cost of bureaucratic “success” under empire. incredible, and incredibly thought-provoking work per usual

[Micah Woodbury · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is FULL of information that will make the way that you look at things change. Every day we are shown the people from marginalized groups that rise above but at what cost? What are they doing to stay there? Steven W Thrasher explores that in this book.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book, Thrasher draws distinctions between overseers, Uncle Toms, tokens, and “Tonis” (ie Toni Morrison). Overseers are members of the oppressed group elevated by the dominant class to police, control and limit their own people. After all, why enforce oppression yourself when you can outsource it?

Thresher doesn’t pull his punches. His “Universities” chapter gets personal. He calls out specific people in his past that threw him under the bus after he protested against the Palestine genocide. At first, I was a bit aghast about the personal nature, but I see his point after reading that chapter. After all, Phillip Harper went public first.

You won’t agree with everything he says, but that’s fine. The book is provocative rather than prescriptive, inviting readers to think rather than demanding agreement.
While I didn’t agree with all of his arguments, it genuinely challenged and changed my perspective. As a trivial example, I definitely don’t agree with him about Brooklyn 99. I also felt at times the book lacked nuance.

This is an educational book, one that made me wish I was still in college where I could discuss the book with others. That said, it’s not an entertaining read and I had to read it in chunks rather than all at once.

Review of ARC book from NetGalley

[Iza Cupial · Rating 5 out of 5]

🖤🖤🖤

[Khadesia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review to come.

[Rachel C · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 instead of 5 stars only because as a reader I personally didn’t enjoy all of the plot summarizing of various films (compared to Viral Underclass, which felt like it had the right amount of Media Studies).

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Overseer Class opens strong with a James Baldwin quote that sets the tone for the book. When people think of an overseer class, the first thing that comes to mind is law enforcement but Thrasher also dives into that dynamic within media, universities, government, etc. One of the things I really enjoy about Thrasher's work is that it always pushes you into a place of reevaluation about your beliefs and actions. If you enjoyed The Viral Underclass, I highly recommend checking this one out as well!