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The Accident of Color: A Story of Race in Reconstruction
A technicolor history of the first civil rights movement and its collapse into black and white. Brutal slavery existed all over the New World, but only America followed emancipation with a twisted system of segregation. The Accident of Color asks why. Searching for answers, Daniel Brook journeys to the places that resisted Jim Crow the longest. In the cosmopolitan port cities of New Orleans and Charleston, integrated streetcars plied avenues patrolled by integrated police forces for decades after the Civil War. This progress was ushered in during Reconstruction when long-free, openly biracial communities joined in coalition with the formerly enslaved and allies at the fringes of whiteness. Tragically, their victories―including integrated schools―and their alliance itself were violently uprooted by segregation along a stark, new black-white color line. By revisiting a turning point in the construction of America’s uniquely restrictive racial system, The Accident of Color brings to life a moment from our past that illuminates the origins of the racial lies we live by. 10 illustrations
368 pages, Paperback
Published November 24, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
July 24, 2019
I can’t recommend this book enough. The historical evidence presented was significant and helps understand today’s racial divide. The explanation of the scientific reality of race versus the social reality of racism was worth the read. Finally, “evolution” of race versus class distinction was well presented here. “Separate” by Steve Luxenberg is a great follow up read to “The Accident of Color”.
October 29, 2019
This is a very informative history of how free communities of color in two of America’s most cosmopolitan and diverse Southern cities - Charleston, SC and New Orleans - responded to their changing circumstances during Reconstruction and the subsequent rollback of civil rights gains as white supremacy reasserted itself.
In their campaigns opposing segregation on streetcars and trains and in theaters and universities, mixed-race activists challenged the very notion of race just as racial boundaries were hardening and individuals came to be identified as either Black or white. As Daniel Brook observes, the imposition of this racial binary is a denial of America’s history of racial mixture. Race is a social construct - it doesn’t actually exist - but racism is very real.
The Accident of Color introduced me to an aspect of post-Civil War history I had not previously considered. It deepened my understanding of an important period in US history and had me weeping for the brutal betrayal of the promises of Reconstruction.
In their campaigns opposing segregation on streetcars and trains and in theaters and universities, mixed-race activists challenged the very notion of race just as racial boundaries were hardening and individuals came to be identified as either Black or white. As Daniel Brook observes, the imposition of this racial binary is a denial of America’s history of racial mixture. Race is a social construct - it doesn’t actually exist - but racism is very real.
The Accident of Color introduced me to an aspect of post-Civil War history I had not previously considered. It deepened my understanding of an important period in US history and had me weeping for the brutal betrayal of the promises of Reconstruction.
September 18, 2020
This should be required reading.
September 30, 2025
Very well reasoned account of the reconstruction era and after. As a child during the 1960’s when desegregation occurred while I was in a third grade, I thought that was the first time it happened. I am grateful for the education of this time period. Fascinating history.
March 3, 2023
If you believe that race is binary, think again. To paraphrase the author's last sentence: Americans can't be black or white; we are too mixed to be sorted out. And nowhere was this more obvious than in Antebellum New Orleans & Charleston. Then the Civil War came, and Northen-style discrimination was introduced into these multiracial cities, and the South never looked back. What's sad is that in 2023, some politicians are still trying to 'redeem' Reconstruction. Perhaps they should read books like this one rather than banning them.
July 30, 2019
This book is tremendously informative. It is both uplifting and depressing. It focuses on the Reconstruction period, primarily in New Orleans, La., and Charleston, S.C., cities with large and influential populations of mixed race people. The author focuses on the great strides in both equal rights and racial harmony that took place under the watchful eye of federal troops and then multiracial Republican state governments elected by universal male suffrage. Streetcar lines and other public accommodations, police forces and even schools and colleges were integrated in many communities, and some former Confederates -- including former Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard -- played conciliatory roles. Then the hard-core pro-Confederacy Democrats regained power and the federal government backed away from enforcing civil rights laws. The end result was re-segregation of integrated institutions and a frenzy of activity to divide people into neat little racial boxes -- white or black. This wasn't easy in New Orleans and Charleston, where the ancestry of large numbers of citizens couldn't be classified by simply looking at them. The efforts to determine ancestry sometimes proved absurd. As progress slipped away, it is sad to think about how it resulted in 100+ years of racial oppression and strife.
September 1, 2020
A remarkable follow-on to Isabel Wilkerson’s “Caste”. Inclusive and racially mixed Charleston SC and New Orleans LA provide the back ground to the erosion of their pre-Civil War societies to binary communities by 1900, with segregation in place. It is a sad story, and tragic, since this history makes it pretty darn clear America has wasted a lot of time and talent being racist, not to mention the lives spoiled by such hostility and ignorance.
October 21, 2019
This is one that I may have to add to my home library. It was such a wealth of information and serves as an inspiration to continue with additional research.
July 5, 2023
I read to understand how the 2023 Supreme Court affirmative action ruling fits into our history.
Very interesting for the details of how we went from Reconstruction to Jim Crow, which most US history textbooks gloss over (both details and comprehension). Explains how the Supreme Court has always been a political factor in gutting laws that give equal rights, and insightful for understanding Plessy v Ferguson.
The most disturbing historical fact Brooks addresses is school desegregation has always been "a bridge too far" for racial equality, including for Northerners. Despite no scientific validity that skin color is a basis for intellectual stratification within the species, the richest country on the planet uses the color of one's skin as a proxy for whiteness (and therefore one's intelligence) when limiting access to society's benefits is economically desirable, and furthermore enacts Jim Crow legislation which the Supreme Court often upholds.
July 14, 2020
I'm a fan of historical books, so my review will be coming from that angle. I have read a lot of books about Reconstruction and the backroom dealings that led to the abandonment of the Civil Rights Act of 1875, Plessy v. Ferguson and the return of segregation. This book comes at it from a different angle by tackling the American institution of race and the role people of mixed-race families played from the antebellum period until the turn of the 20th century.
Brook uses a lot of primary sources and tells the story of this period without sugar-coating the reality of the situation. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and feel like I have learned a lot from reading it. I think when you're reading historical non-fiction, that is the best review you can give the book...acquisition of knowledge.
Brook uses a lot of primary sources and tells the story of this period without sugar-coating the reality of the situation. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and feel like I have learned a lot from reading it. I think when you're reading historical non-fiction, that is the best review you can give the book...acquisition of knowledge.
September 29, 2019
I’m giving the book four stars even though it was a three star read for me because my head just wasn’t in the right space. I have a bunch of library books due yesterday with no renewals so I found it difficult to take the time needed with this text.
I will say I found the first part of the book to be the most interesting. The antebellum cities of Charleston and New Orleans are utterly fascinating and I learned so much about the people who lived there and how they related (figuratively and literally) to each other. That’s why it’s particularly interesting to learn about what happened to these cities after the war. Their entire essence was destroyed.
I will say I found the first part of the book to be the most interesting. The antebellum cities of Charleston and New Orleans are utterly fascinating and I learned so much about the people who lived there and how they related (figuratively and literally) to each other. That’s why it’s particularly interesting to learn about what happened to these cities after the war. Their entire essence was destroyed.
February 23, 2023
The Accident of Color is a masterful undertaking that provides background on how race took place in America. The book covers the edentured bondsman system, chattel slavery, then progresses to explain how colorism began as a means to separate the classes and keep a workforce of “Slaves for life.”
There are many interesting historical moments and sadly many bad ones. I enjoyed learning more about the creole culture and Louisiana history. The inclusion of laws put on the books to prevent race mixing, stifle economic progress, and the violent tactics used to regain political control are also noted. This is a fascinating read full of facts and sources to further an understanding of racism in America.
There are many interesting historical moments and sadly many bad ones. I enjoyed learning more about the creole culture and Louisiana history. The inclusion of laws put on the books to prevent race mixing, stifle economic progress, and the violent tactics used to regain political control are also noted. This is a fascinating read full of facts and sources to further an understanding of racism in America.
January 21, 2020
Race in Reconstruction with a focus on New Orleans and Charleston. The book looks at education and transportation, and how the Civil War did not solve racism, but may have instigated it in some ways. Mostly tales of sadness. While the theme of the book is unmistakable, there is not a strong narrative thrust.
December 22, 2020
quote from book:
"What they believed they were right about was not merely that separate could never be equal but that, in America, separate was not even possible. As New World people,we were too mixed up to sort back out. Say what we may, Americans would never be black or white. We are mestizos, Creoles, misfits all."
"What they believed they were right about was not merely that separate could never be equal but that, in America, separate was not even possible. As New World people,we were too mixed up to sort back out. Say what we may, Americans would never be black or white. We are mestizos, Creoles, misfits all."
February 20, 2021
This book was excellent and terrifying. Reading about our past, and looking at the parallels in the headlines TODAY makes me wonder why we are doomed to repeat our criminal failures. The myth of American Exceptionalism was never true, and it is frightening to see the same racist policies emerge and take hold as those documented.
January 21, 2022
Race in Reconstruction with a focus on New Orleans and Charleston. The book looks at education and transportation, and how the Civil War did not solve racism, but may have instigated it in some ways. Mostly tales of sadness. While the theme of the book is unmistakable, there is not a strong narrative thrust.
September 22, 2020
Very comprehensive history of the lead-up to Reconstruction in America and the Reconstruction Era, as well as looking specifically at the communities of free people of color in New Orleans and Charleston, South Carolina.
October 4, 2020
Provided a view into two progressive cities whose view of race turned backwards to "catch up" with the rest of America's views on race and the definition of blackness. A peak into history unheard of in school's history classes
May 12, 2024
I had read this book out of curiosity. I enjoyed reading this book because I learned more about how reconstruction the cities of New Orleans, Louisiana and Charleston, South Carolina. I loved that it was both informative and engaging. I thought the novel was well written. It is a must read.
July 21, 2019
Very approachable read on the construct of race through Reconstruction.
November 11, 2019
Read this book. There is so much in it you'll be surprised you never knew. I only wish it had a more thorough footnote selection, as it mentioned my alma mater and I wanted to know the source.
August 4, 2022
Good understanding of the evolution of the Civil Rights Movement and mixed-race challenges.
February 23, 2023
A bit dense but very informative and thought-provoking.
Does a great job showing how we created and constructed and think about race.
Slow at times but rich in content.
Does a great job showing how we created and constructed and think about race.
Slow at times but rich in content.
May 21, 2023
Absolutely crucial to the understanding of politics today
April 8, 2020
The Accident of Color is about the creation of race in America, before, during, and following the Reconstruction period. New Orleans and Charleston are the focal points of the book, as the two cities with the most nebulous definitions of race, with large, powerful mixed race populations - the Browns.
This is, obviously, an incredibly rich and relevant topic. I wasn't able to devote as much brainpower to The Accident of Color as it really demands, as I read it while moving, while everything started shutting down due to COVID-19, so my understanding and absorption of the information was less than I might hope.
Even still, I felt that I learned a lot. My pre-knowledge of Reconstruction was fairly limited to what I learned in high school, which was mostly, "Some really incredible advances were made and then lost." Learning what those advances actually were, and the brutality of the losses, was heartwrenching. I hadn't known that schools and public transportation were integrated for years. I hadn't known how many men of color were elected to state and federal office. I hadn't known the New Orleans police force was fully integrated.
All of my reading about race in the United States is about trying to understand the world I live in, the political faults and why things are the way they are. In that respect, The Accident of Color is hugely successful, even with my limited absorption. I highly recommend it.
This is, obviously, an incredibly rich and relevant topic. I wasn't able to devote as much brainpower to The Accident of Color as it really demands, as I read it while moving, while everything started shutting down due to COVID-19, so my understanding and absorption of the information was less than I might hope.
Even still, I felt that I learned a lot. My pre-knowledge of Reconstruction was fairly limited to what I learned in high school, which was mostly, "Some really incredible advances were made and then lost." Learning what those advances actually were, and the brutality of the losses, was heartwrenching. I hadn't known that schools and public transportation were integrated for years. I hadn't known how many men of color were elected to state and federal office. I hadn't known the New Orleans police force was fully integrated.
All of my reading about race in the United States is about trying to understand the world I live in, the political faults and why things are the way they are. In that respect, The Accident of Color is hugely successful, even with my limited absorption. I highly recommend it.
November 6, 2019
This is one of those books you get as a reference book. Like most history discussions, it is full of details, which I have never really had the patience to absorb. What I get out of it is the concepts and there is a lot of insight about our countries history.
The primary cities under discussion are Charleston SC and New Orleans, La. A lot of the New Orleans stuff I was already at least vaguely familiar with, but it was good seeing it spelled out. The fact is that both cities were more cosmopolitan and less likely to have racial tensions.
New Orleans, especially, had a very nuanced view of race in general and there is a reason why New Orleans, even today, is acknowledged as not being like any other southern city..in fact it might also not be an American city at all, really.
Which is exactly what I like about it by the way. I have no great admiration for especially southern culture except for the politeness and the apparently slow and easy movement. When it comes to being different and being around those of different cultures, I need a more European style city, which New Orleans qualifies as in large measure.
The primary cities under discussion are Charleston SC and New Orleans, La. A lot of the New Orleans stuff I was already at least vaguely familiar with, but it was good seeing it spelled out. The fact is that both cities were more cosmopolitan and less likely to have racial tensions.
New Orleans, especially, had a very nuanced view of race in general and there is a reason why New Orleans, even today, is acknowledged as not being like any other southern city..in fact it might also not be an American city at all, really.
Which is exactly what I like about it by the way. I have no great admiration for especially southern culture except for the politeness and the apparently slow and easy movement. When it comes to being different and being around those of different cultures, I need a more European style city, which New Orleans qualifies as in large measure.
October 14, 2021
“The Accident of Color: A Story of Race in Reconstruction,” by Daniel Brook examines the history of the United States, the South, in particular, in the Reconstruction period after the Civil War.
The formerly enslaved’s plight for Civil Rights through the enforcement of the Reconstruction Amendments: 13th, 14th and 15th, the cases that came before state and the Supreme courts, and the backlash from former Confederates, hate groups, and those determined to uphold the doctrine of white supremacy.
Brook revealed information about Homer Plessy, Justice Cardozo, Justice Harlan, and Charles Sumner that I had never known before; it is somewhat a bittersweet history of the USA, but very important to read because it is true, and such lessons from the past remain relevant to this day.
The formerly enslaved’s plight for Civil Rights through the enforcement of the Reconstruction Amendments: 13th, 14th and 15th, the cases that came before state and the Supreme courts, and the backlash from former Confederates, hate groups, and those determined to uphold the doctrine of white supremacy.
Brook revealed information about Homer Plessy, Justice Cardozo, Justice Harlan, and Charles Sumner that I had never known before; it is somewhat a bittersweet history of the USA, but very important to read because it is true, and such lessons from the past remain relevant to this day.
December 23, 2019
A highly recommended read on the construct of race in the reconstruction period in New Orleans and Charleston. This is an incredibly palatable work on the history of racial oppression and strife in the US— which the US constantly attempts to hide or deny.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews