Why Didn't We Riot?: A Black Man in Trumpland

by Issac J. Bailey

An award-winning journalist deals forthrightly with what it means to be black in Trump Country.

In Why Didn’t We Riot?, South Carolina–based journalist Issac J. Bailey reflects on a wide range of topics that have been increasingly dividing Americans, from police brutality and Confederate symbols to poverty and respectability politics. Bailey has been honing his views on these issues for the past quarter of a century in his professional and private life, which included an eighteen-year stint as a member of a mostly white Evangelical Christian church.

This book speaks to and for the millions of black and brown people throughout the United States who were effectively pushed back to the back of the bus in the Trump era by a media that prioritized the concerns and feelings of the white working class and an administration that made white supremacists giddy, and explains why the country’s fate in 2020 and beyond is largely in their hands. It will be an invaluable resource for the everyday reader, as well as political analysts, college professors and students, and political consultants and political campaigns vying for high office.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, Race, Essays, Sociology, Social Justice, Memoir

169 pages, Hardcover

First published October 6, 2020

Reviews

[Marc · Rating 5 out of 5]

This brief book is a powerful and necessary gut-punch. Bailey relies on research (some scholarly, most cultural), personal experience (including his work as a journalist), and persuasive analysis to argue that Americans--particularly the media--have minimized the impact of Trump's presidency on minorities in an effort to not offend anyone (i.e., whites). Through short chapters on a range of national and personal topics, Bailey demonstrates that throughout our country's history blacks have been expected to overlook injustice, discrimination, and violence; try to assimilate into a culture that has historically devalued them; and hold themselves to a higher standard than whites. He shows that blacks are chastised and punished for speaking out against racism while whites achieve success and power through using it to their advantage (e.g., Trump, David Duke). In this sense, Bailey covers much of the same material as Wilkerson's "Caste," though with an often more-direct and less-scholarly style.

Even in a short book there's a range of material on how discrimination impacts so many areas of our culture--politics, justice, education, religion, communities, health--and his arguments are focused and compelling. He uses stories both familiar and new to give his arguments personal resonance and make them real. Throughout its pages, Bailey challenged me in ways I need to be challenged. I saw myself and my friends in the arguments he knocks down. I appreciate that he's tired of being sensitive to the needs of the powerful at the expense of the needs of those who struggle. I recognize that sometimes I want to be comforted instead of challenged.

Like many, I wish I could believe he was wrong. I wish the pundits who claim our country isn't as racist as it seems were correct. I wish we were closer to our claim of a just and equal society than we are. Bailey won't let me indulge in that fantasy. He has confronted his own prejudices (as explained in detail throughout his book) and his courage forces the reader to do the same. While less comprehensive than recent works by the likes of Wilkerson and Kendi, the emotional call to reckoning in this book makes it a critical addition to the conversation.

[Trevor Seigler · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the wake of the murder of George Floyd, America has seen a dramatic shift in the way that we address race in this country and the obvious racial divide that perpetuates a cycle of violence and repression aimed at non-white citizens in what is supposedly "the greatest nation on earth." It has provided fuel for countless essays and books about our current moment and why, honestly, it's not that surprising that Black men and women are often the victims of state-sanctioned harassment and murder. What's different, at least for now, is the greater call on the part of younger people of all races to address this. Whether this moment transforms us from what we are to what we strive to be remains to be seen, but we can't in good faith say that we're no longer aware of the consequences for being Black or brown in America today (I said "in good faith," there are plenty of bad-faith actors in this country and one of them is sitting in the White House right now).

Issac J. Bailey's collection of essays, "Why Didn't We Riot?," is in the vein of James Baldwin's "The Fire Next Time" and Ta-Nehisi Coates' "Between the World And Me." It's a clarion call of anger and sorrow at the current political moment, when white evangelicals helped elect a man who has absolutely nothing but contempt for anyone not named "Donald Trump" (especially if they're Black or brown). The book takes aim not so much at Trump, who is honestly an easy target at this point (his every action is to distract you from even more egregious violations of others' civil liberties and rights) but at those who helped put him in office, and at those who, on the ground level around Mr. Bailey, justify their support of Trump and his policies and yet remain mystified that Black Americans like Bailey can no longer trust them.

There's a repetition of facts from Bailey's life in some essays, points that make sense to bring up if you haven't read the other essays before (or if the essay was published in a different context and you weren't familiar with Bailey's story). But that's a very minor complaint, because the overall effect of the essays is a cry not so much of anger as anguish, especially at the ways in which his neighbors (white evangelicals) don't see the impact of their negligence of the issues that affect him and other Black Americans because it doesn't affect them (the white evangelicals) as much, if at all. Bailey pulls no punches in highlighting instances where he felt pressured to go along with the status quo, because to stand up and speak out would alienate him from his white neighbors and co-workers. And his best essays (like the one about Liam Neeson's comments about wanting to kill a "black bastard" after one of his friends was raped by a Black assailant, or the story of a Black man who was convicted of assault and robbery despite the recantation of his main accuser) resonate in ways that will stick with you as a reader for a long time to come.

Whether or not we can be rid of Trump come next month's election, we'll all be living in Trumpland for years to come. It's an ugly truth that movements rarely die with the leaders who started them, and the unmitigated racism that fueled Trump's rise will not go away just because he may be defeated. We'll all be dealing with the repercussions, and it's best if we're honest about them. Issac Bailey has issued an honest challenge to our notion that voting for Trump doesn't make someone racist. It's up to us to acknowledge that the case for Trump was built on a racist footing, and no matter what an individual's "reason" was for voting for him, racism was key to the appeal.

[Fatima A. Alsaif · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's an informative brief book that I would recommend to anyone to read. Those essays indicate some scholarly and cultural research as well as personal experiences of the author himself.

I would recommend it to anyone who'd like to get a perspective of what Black people and people of color are going through in the US due to racism. However, I can easily see some people may miss the point, or get very defensive without any empathy or understanding of the generational trauma, slavery and racism the black and African American communities had to endure in centuries.

My only complaint is that some info and thoughts are a bit redundant in some essays. I think that's due to these essays being written separately before being collected in this book. However, these discussions/stories/information make sense in each essay alone.

[Tyler Kolmansberger · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 rounded down. Wow! This book was fairly surprising because a lot of it seemed off topic to me. Generally, I agreed with many of the author's beliefs, but failed to understand his logic. Some of his self admitted "radical" beliefs were objectively false. The end of this book saved its rating - last 40 or so pages were well written and what I wish the whole book could have been more like.

[Tucker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting and beautifully written. Recommended. Wrote more on Books Are Our Superpower.

[Ietrio · Rating 1 out of 5]

Trumpland. Cute! The rest is quite uniformly stereotype. What a pity!

[Joseph · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read this because I was told I "lacked perspective". It's typical "trump and all his followers are literally worse than hitler" hyperbolic liberal nonsense. The racist author in the first 40 pages literally actually blames his autoimmune disease on the existence of white people. Read that again incase you didn't understand. People like this author are a massive problem in society and he's a college professor! Absurd! The only value this book holds is it gives a glimpse into the mindset of race baiting morons who only seek to divide, and the first rule of war is know the enemy

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had to read this book for my Intro to College Writing class — very well-written and thoughtful. The longest chapter in the book, "Guilty Even If Proven Innocent," was a lengthy retelling of a trial of several young Black people who were unfairly convicted of armed robbery and home invasion. That was a little hard to keep track of, personally, but it still made an impact on me nonetheless. Great for criminal justice and law-minded folks.

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.

[Veronica Carpenter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this in second-term-Trumpland was weird, difficult, depressing, and a few other descriptors. Bailey put a lot of concepts into sharp relief for me here. Unfortunately, in the year 2025, this book is so outdated as to be almost funny. Almost. But mostly just sobering to see how much we truly bungled it, y’all.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short, very personal read. The author holds no bars against racist police, white Christians, our justice system, journalists who tiptoe around reporting on white supremacists, hypocritical pro-lifers. In a world after George Floyd was murdered, I wouldn't say this book added anything I didn't already hear in the dialogue. But reading the author's personal narrative (e.g. how he know longer positions himself as a successful Black man so as to not give ammo to whites to use as an example of bootstrap mentality) rather than, say facts and statistics, and the strong, clear writing makes this book a must read.

[Geoff Garnett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written by an a journalist who has experienced a life disturbed by extreme racism this series of essays is a cry of frustration about injustice, hypocrisy, and home truths about neglecting racism in the US. Baily writes extremely well, powerfully from personal experience. However, the essays lack the coherent narrative of of his earlier book My Brother Moochie which is an extraordinary book.

[Brett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why Didn't We Riot? is a necessary read that perfectly captures the anxiety that half of the United States held leading up to the 2020 election. This is an absolute zeitgeist in terms of the current political atmosphere, succinctly tackling the failings of the justice system, racial inequality, Trump voter double-standards, and the impact on black and brown lives caused by "Trumpland" down to the microcosm.

I found the chapter on Issac Bailey's Christian upbringing to be the most effective-detailing that Southern black children are inherently raised to be tolerant of racism and white privilege. Bailey draws on this beautifully with a quote from his colleague: "Has racism ever been truly incompatible with Christianity, as practiced in America?". This book tackles intergenerational exceptionally well-with Bailey drawing on the worst moments of his life (his hero big brother being arrested, his sister-in-law being killed in a drive by shooting) and breaking down their effect on his momentary self hatred of his race and the constraints that American society puts on non-whites. His hypothesis comparing a radical black extremist like Louis Farrakhan running for president to a white extremist like Trump is equally damning-whites lack the self awareness and critical thinking to not make the worst decision possible, despite holding all of the cards.

I think the only lull in the book is the chapter on the trial of Jamar Huggins. Huggins' case in horrifying and infuriating, but Bailey giving us every detail of the case just grew a bit reptitive. Despite this, Why Didn't We Riot? was the book on racial justice that I was looking for this year. Other books I've read this year, like The Fire This Time, Wandering Strange Lands, and How To Argue With A Racist, have tackled similar sentiments and issues but not quite as effectively as this one.

[Gemini · Rating 4 out of 5]

There so much to learn about this book. Understanding what it's like to be Black man during the Drumpf era isn't necessarily surprising considering the fact this country was founded by white racist colonizers. The stories he shares may shock some people, but others will be like of course that happened. He tells about jobs as a journalist, the hate mail, & threats he would receive due to him telling his viewpoint about race. Some people just couldn't handle that which included his editors/bosses, & would try to censor him, as a journalist, seriously unreal. Since he is in South Carolina, that is the primary source for what he shares. As we know, things that happen in the South are very different than the North but it isn't always the case though. Racism exists everywhere in the world. Although it's unfortunate how these issues continue to exist today is pretty awful & ridiculous. The fight continues since it's the only way. Seeing how even the courts/judicial system really views white people (positive) very different than Black & Brown people (negative) is a problem in itself which has yet to change unfortunately. There is a part towards the end of the book where I got a little lost, he goes through how a man ends up in prison when there was really no reason for him to be there & goes into such detail so it seems like you're actually there going through this whole thing that has kept him playing things in his head over & over again. Other than that part, I really enjoyed this book.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hate that this is more poignant than ever 8 years later. That said, it’s an essential read for anyone who doesn’t understand the insidious nature of our systems here in the US.

Evangelicals Christians deserve their own book, but the chapter touching on their ties with racism is incredibly well said.

I’ll be quoting this book for a while, but ideally not forever.

“To make a bigot president is to inflict his bigotry upon black and brown communities no matter the reason you chose to support him.

That’s what Trump voters did, including the majority of middle class and wealthy white Americans not just the poor whites have received so much attention.

They did not care that they were inflicting Trump upon black and brown communities. They only cared about themselves and what they might get out of the deal.

Black people are imperfect too. But there are some racial lines black voters wooden cross. The reason Democrats have not and would not elect a man like Trump or black demagogue like Farrakhan is because Black people wouldn’t let them.In 2016 Republicans prove they have no such racial constraints because white Americans were comfortable crossing racist line.

That they stuck with Trump through his first term despite the ugly things Trump kept saying and doing says they still don’t get it. I’m losing hope they ever will.”

[Dylan O'Hara · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book was powerful in its ability to use culturally relevant examples to express the convoluted place of racism in our national discourse. i especially like the chapters examining unfair policing, interrogation, and prosecution. Bailey was also able to really smartly outline what life is like in Trumpland's majority white landscape, in which he both describes and demonstrates his tendency to over-explain the presence and function of racism to white audiences as a writer - i thought that was vulnerable and a really insightful addition to the work. i also loved how the work tracked Bailey's life as an author and an intellectual, following him through his career, his interest in writing, and where that passion has taken him in his journey. because of the windows he gives us into his journey as a writer and a person, you can feel in the narrative where Bailey is holding back and being private. you can feel when he's self-editing and that there's anguish there. this book left me thinking for a long time about all the things Bailey leaves purposely unsaid about his personal life and in the anecdotes he selected for the work.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were some fairly informative anecdotes of the "why"s that went into some complaints of the whole BLM movement, and told from the viewpoint of a seemingly honest journalist who has, and continues to struggle with making his way as a person of color/African-American/black in the American culture. Some of his repetitions of "Trumpland" got a bit old, but he never quite tipped himself into the "Trump Derangement Syndrome" camp.

I actually think his best writing came in the descriptions he gave for what transpires in the courtroom and and jury room in the criminal justice system. I could find myself forgetting the skin color of the participants that he was describing even as the absurdities of the performance of judges, prosecutors, defense lawyers and police keep changing positions as the most egregious part of that system. I may have to look up other of Bailey's work in the judicial world if they exist.

[Samantha Orszulak · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclaimer: This book isn't really about Trump. It is about the millions of black and brown people who continue to deal with racial discrimination, prejudice, and hate crimes - within the US, specifically the South - and how they are dealing with it. It is about them.

As highlighted in the book, the Trump era just demonstrated how far we haven't come as an inclusive society. The fact that 78 million people decided bigotry and racism was not a deal breaker is something our fellow citizens are grappling with.

Written right after the murder of George Floyd and during the onset of the summer 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, this book is extremely timely considering nothing has changed since then. I think this book should be read by everyone, especially white people. We need to listen to our fellow Americans when they say they are frustrated, angry, sad, and conflicted and how we can all be doing better.

[Susie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is required reading for my daughter as she enters college, which is what put it on my radar. I enjoyed reading it, though it is far from perfect. My main criticism is that since the author is a journalist, much of the writing seems strung together from multiple pieces, leading to repetition at some points. This led to a disjointed feeling throughout some of the book. Overall, I think this is an important read. One doesn't have to agree with every point the author makes to concede that the message should be conveyed. To sum up: anyone who feels that this country no longer has any racism and/or that the Confederate flag is a valid symbol of Southern "heritage," this book is especially for them. However, they will be the least likely to read it and even if they do, it is unlikely to penetrate their white supremacist attitudes.

[Ryan Mishap · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I found most engaging here is Bailey's wrestling with how anti-Black prejudices infected his own thinking so much, it caused him to not only associate negative traits with Black people, but also to care take for the white people in his life lest they be considered racist.

He's done with all that. As he tells us why, he lays waste to the bullshit euphemisms attempting to sugarcoat the racism of most white folks and the people in power, most notably but not only, Trump.

Seeing someone like Bailey talk honestly, struggle with the issues and being fair, and try to engage with his white coworkers, friends, and churchgoers in South Carolina illustrates how disingenuous, fatuous, and fucked up most conservative--and a lot of liberal--white people truly are.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trump may no longer be president, but Trumpism permeates the U.S. It threatens to inflict even greater trauma and damage on American society, particularly for African Americans. Bailey puts Trumpism into the larger historical context. He is unflinching in his fact-based analysis of how it fits into the long trajectory of American racism and structural inequality. I listened to the audiobook version during a long afternoon car drive with my husband. He couldn't sleep that night, turning over in his mind Ike Bailey's perspectives. No one should sleep well at night until all Americans are secure in the respect for their civil rights and human dignity. I also strongly recommend Bailey's other book, "My Brother Moochie."

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Riot conjures up images of ‘mobs’ or ‘gangs’ of black people stalking the streets with baseball bats staring down police in military gear and throwing Molotov cocktails. I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about a communal scream. I’m talking about a public declaration of black anger, the kind that scares white people, scares not a few well-off, comfortable black people.” (50)
The essay “Guilty Even if Proven Innocent,” is about Jamar Huggins ‘trial,’ where the prosecutor and judge sent him to prison for fifty years because he is Black man, not because they found him guilty. He. Is. Not. Guilty. South Carolina ought to exonerate him, pay his family a lot of money, and make the prosecutor and judge resign. I borrowed this from interlibrary loan.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why Didn't We Riot? Good question. Not sure I entirely found the answer in this book, because based on what we read here, precious little else has changed our white-centric society. What options are left? The final essay, illustrating how whites continually excuse behavior in Trump they claimed to find offensive in Obama, is the most powerful. It has never been about white economic angst, despite what the media would have us believe. More of that kind of illumination would make this a stronger book.

[TheObsessiveCupcake · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was insightful and each chapter covered a different story and perspective as a black man in Trumpland. I thought the author was very honest, even when admitting not pleasant things, which I always admire in authors of books like this. We all have made mistakes and we all can try to do better in the future. Part of the doing better is reading and learning about the different perspectives around you. So, now go and read.

[Sravya · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Although many of the ideas presented in the book are probably things you’ve heard before, especially if you’re picking up a book like this, the author’s use of personal anecdotes and overall engaging writing wild still make this a worthwhile read. There was one chapter detailing a court case that was very long winded, but overall I’d recommend this to anyone, at any point in their ABAR learning.

[Amber Kendle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading Bailey's perspective and his views. There were points in which it did get a bit dry however, this was read for information purposes mainly so I appreciated the details and history. Reading this book definitely helped open my eyes to many things going on in our current society and I wholeheartedly appreciate Issac Bailey for sharing that with the world!

[James Schisler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really compelling and well written. This is a book that's designed to make you think and consider your ideas just as much as you consider his ideas. The essays are not all equal in quality, and it shows that they were originally written as distinct pieces, rather than as one whole. That was most obvious in the repetition of some basic facts, but that is a quibble.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

So frustrating to read historical racism and bigotry from recent years. Our country and its blind love from Trump. It’s so sad and discouraging. Our government is imperfect our court systems aren’t perfect. We have so many wonderful things in this country and yet we are so unequal regarding the color of our skin. It’s shameful.

[Aida Sall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read! This book was a compelling blend of memoir and commentary. Bailey calls for more than symbolic change; he insists on a reckoning that pushes past monument removals toward the roots of oppression. The book is sharp, emotional, and essential for readers seeking to grasp how race, politics, and America’s identity collide in the Trump era and beyond. Very relevant & worth the read!

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bailey is a journalist living in the middle of Trump-land S. Carolina. In a series of essays he takes on a variety of aspects of race issues facing our country. He is angry, well reasoned and eloquent. It gave me much to think about.