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Know Your Price: Valuing Black Lives and Property in America’s Black Cities
Changing perceptions about the worth of African Americans and their communities
Know Your Price establishes new means of determining value of Black communities. The deliberate devaluation of Blacks and their communities, stemming from America’s centuries-old history of slavery, racism, and other state-sanctioned policies like redlining have tangible, far-reaching, and negative economic and social impacts. Rejecting policies shaped by flawed perspectives, the book gives fresh insights on these impacts and provides a new value paradigm to limit them.
In the book, noted educator, journalist, and scholar Andre Perry takes readers on a guided tour of five Black-majority cities whose assets and strengths are undervalued. Perry begins the tour in his hometown of Wilkinsburg, a small city east of Pittsburgh that, unlike its much larger neighbor, is struggling and failing to attract new jobs and industry. Perry gives an overview of Black-majority cities and spotlights four where he has a deep connection to—Detroit, New Orleans, Birmingham and Washington, D.C.—providing an intimate look at the assets residents should demand greater value from.
Know Your Price demonstrates through rigorous research and thorough analysis the worth of Black people’s intrinsic strengths, real property, and traditional institutions. All of these assets are means of empowerment, as Perry argues for shifting away from simplified notions of equality and moving towards maximizing equity.
224 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 19, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
June 20, 2020
That this book was better than I expected turned out to be exactly the point.
Andre Perry's "Know Your Price" is two masterclasses in one. It is a masterclass in how to deconstruct systems, how to peel layers of depth with literary finesse, how to paddle upstream in the river of screaming babies. I picked up this book after hearing Perry in a housing podcast, and had no idea that the book would cover not just the devaluation of Black property but also the devaluations of Black businesses, Black schools and teachers, Black mothers and babies, and Black politicians and votes. It is also a masterclass in how to weave scholarly research and insight with personal narrative, which here feels so natural, authentic, and urgent. To be published weeks before our streets erupted almost imbues this story with a ghostly premonition, and at the same time an aura of dispassionate wisdom. One shudders in anticipation of what else Perry has to say, only one month after publication; the depth of surprising insights this book provided leaves one with no guarantees of what is to be learned from a sequel. Again, exactly the point.
P.S., so as not to otherwise compromise my primary thoughts above: If you are thinking of reading one book to help you think about race in America, please, I implore you, do NOT pick the book "How to Be an Antiracist" by Ibram X. Kendi, and instead please read this one. I feel so strongly about this that I almost want to go back in Goodreads and change my review for that book from 2 stars to 1 star so as to better account for the maturity gap I feel there is between these two treatises on how we should think about racism and structural inequities. Better yet to read both to see if you agree.
Andre Perry's "Know Your Price" is two masterclasses in one. It is a masterclass in how to deconstruct systems, how to peel layers of depth with literary finesse, how to paddle upstream in the river of screaming babies. I picked up this book after hearing Perry in a housing podcast, and had no idea that the book would cover not just the devaluation of Black property but also the devaluations of Black businesses, Black schools and teachers, Black mothers and babies, and Black politicians and votes. It is also a masterclass in how to weave scholarly research and insight with personal narrative, which here feels so natural, authentic, and urgent. To be published weeks before our streets erupted almost imbues this story with a ghostly premonition, and at the same time an aura of dispassionate wisdom. One shudders in anticipation of what else Perry has to say, only one month after publication; the depth of surprising insights this book provided leaves one with no guarantees of what is to be learned from a sequel. Again, exactly the point.
P.S., so as not to otherwise compromise my primary thoughts above: If you are thinking of reading one book to help you think about race in America, please, I implore you, do NOT pick the book "How to Be an Antiracist" by Ibram X. Kendi, and instead please read this one. I feel so strongly about this that I almost want to go back in Goodreads and change my review for that book from 2 stars to 1 star so as to better account for the maturity gap I feel there is between these two treatises on how we should think about racism and structural inequities. Better yet to read both to see if you agree.
February 5, 2021
Story meets Scholarship
If you are a white/Caucasian Person living in the United States you should be reading s book by a black author on history, racism, white privilege.You should be engaged in regular discussions with your peers and mentors and neighbors with the intent of gaining a deeper understanding of the realities of systemic racism.
Andre Perry is well positioned to assist in this project. His book reflects back to us his own struggles, his personal story, and a level of scholarship that unravels for us the pervasive policies which are as racist and insidious as they are hidden in plain sight. When you devalue a place you devalue the people who live there; and we in the US have been devaluing homes and communities, hiding behind "urban renewal" and a host of other projects headlined as "improvements" - projects that by design (and intent) rob people of their worth.
Perry tells the story honestly, but with evidence that provides unwavering optimism and hope for a people - HIS people - and their tenacity in building and sustaining a community and culture that is distinctly their own even as it enriches all.
If you are a white/Caucasian Person living in the United States you should be reading s book by a black author on history, racism, white privilege.You should be engaged in regular discussions with your peers and mentors and neighbors with the intent of gaining a deeper understanding of the realities of systemic racism.
Andre Perry is well positioned to assist in this project. His book reflects back to us his own struggles, his personal story, and a level of scholarship that unravels for us the pervasive policies which are as racist and insidious as they are hidden in plain sight. When you devalue a place you devalue the people who live there; and we in the US have been devaluing homes and communities, hiding behind "urban renewal" and a host of other projects headlined as "improvements" - projects that by design (and intent) rob people of their worth.
Perry tells the story honestly, but with evidence that provides unwavering optimism and hope for a people - HIS people - and their tenacity in building and sustaining a community and culture that is distinctly their own even as it enriches all.
April 5, 2021
Perry does a wonderful job of making scholarship accessible and engaging, and weaving personal narrative into his exploration of the structural, systematic devaluing of Black assets. Beyond the scholarship, he also outlines strategies and case studies — almost like a brainstorm or an open discussion — that show promise in remedying various inequities.
He steers us away from personal responsibility narratives and toward community-oriented solutions and justice for historical exclusion from government-backed wealth-building mechanisms.
"There's nothing wrong with Black people that ending racism can't solve."
(Perry is an Allegheny College alumnus and an important scholar and emerging voice in this field, so particularly recommend this book for fellow Gators.)
He steers us away from personal responsibility narratives and toward community-oriented solutions and justice for historical exclusion from government-backed wealth-building mechanisms.
"There's nothing wrong with Black people that ending racism can't solve."
(Perry is an Allegheny College alumnus and an important scholar and emerging voice in this field, so particularly recommend this book for fellow Gators.)
April 30, 2021
Great read for anyone interested in working towards racial equity and justice. I learned a lot. It reinforced for me why listening and learning from Black voices is so important.
June 4, 2021
This book helped me reframe the way I think about addressing structural racism and helping people. Dr. Perry writes "There is nothing wrong with Black people that ending racism can't solve," p. 212. I don't agree in the most literal sense because I think suffering is part of the human condition, but his point is to rebut and reframe victim-blaming and focusing on deficits. He also writes "helping individuals doesn't require fixing them. Try fixing policy instead," p. 19, and "our relentless pursuit of disparities between Black and White people often omits the policies that were designed to devalue Black assets," p. 10.
He tells his autobiographical story, for example his upbringing in Wilkinsburg, PA. He goes into quantitative analysis, for example showing that comparable properties in majority Black neighborhoods are valued significantly less when controlling for other factors. He uses case studies, for example a man seeking to redevelop a block in Birmingham. A chapter focuses on charter schools and education reform. A chapter focuses on his own coming to understand his father's story. The variety of topics and narrative approaches held my attention and helped me understand his central messages. I found it easy to read, but very thought-provoking.
He tells his autobiographical story, for example his upbringing in Wilkinsburg, PA. He goes into quantitative analysis, for example showing that comparable properties in majority Black neighborhoods are valued significantly less when controlling for other factors. He uses case studies, for example a man seeking to redevelop a block in Birmingham. A chapter focuses on charter schools and education reform. A chapter focuses on his own coming to understand his father's story. The variety of topics and narrative approaches held my attention and helped me understand his central messages. I found it easy to read, but very thought-provoking.
July 2, 2020
As always, Dr. Andre Perry provides a nuanced, thoughtful, and in depth look at race and culture in America. Iterating throughout the book that "There is nothing wrong with black people that ending racism won't solve," Know Your Price is about the systemic and foundational challenges that have held black Americans back, and suggests tangible paths forward on a number of fronts.
As a former (white) charter school teacher, his chapter "The Apologies We Owe Teachers and Students" really resonated with me and re-ignited so many of the flames that kept me in education but working where I felt I could impact more change - especially as an outside to communities of color and where I can hopefully do something to inspire our leaders to invest where it matters. I witnessed (and was guilty of) so many of the issues he lays out in the chapter.
If you're looking for a research-backed examination of black majority cities in American and how we as society and culture can do better, look no further.
As a former (white) charter school teacher, his chapter "The Apologies We Owe Teachers and Students" really resonated with me and re-ignited so many of the flames that kept me in education but working where I felt I could impact more change - especially as an outside to communities of color and where I can hopefully do something to inspire our leaders to invest where it matters. I witnessed (and was guilty of) so many of the issues he lays out in the chapter.
If you're looking for a research-backed examination of black majority cities in American and how we as society and culture can do better, look no further.
October 16, 2020
Know Your Price combines personal memoir with wonky public policy, all written in a style that engages and keeps moving. I think the book is best read as a set of linked essays whose common theme is the way structural racism in America disvalues Black property, economic mobility, and lives. Some of the chapters outline strategies for solutions.
I found the introduction and the first four chapters most effective; they form an extended conversation about the ties between home and civic life, the way historic and current racism hold back Black families and communities economically, and how particular strategies - targeted investment, incubators and accelerators, and repurposed school buildings, as well as federal and state policy change - can set a better trajectory. The fifth chapter is an apology for the author’s role in dismantling the New Orleans school system that transforms into an argument for valuing and retaining Black teachers.
I found chapters 6 and 7 less effective. Chapter 6 ties together three important ideas: structural racism in the medical profession (a thematic segue from the devaluation of teachers in chapter 5); racial disparities in infant mortality; and the inaccessibility of fertility treatments for low-wealth Americans. These are all real problems, and Perry’s data and statistics are solid. But the nexus Perry uses to tie these together is his wife’s painful experience of being sanctioned in her medical practice around the same time he and she were trying to have a third child. He’s too close to his wife’s professional travails, and fails to set the stage for a general reader like me to understand how unevenly medical review boards can mete out sanctions. And, perhaps understandably, he doesn't describe the concerns raised against his wife, making his story feel incomplete, though his larger overarching point is clear.
The seventh chapter - a song of praise to Black women in politics - loses its way in a forest of name-checking, reaching the fairly basic conclusion that Black women electeds are a rising force in the Democratic party. On reflection, I think the main takeaway is that state and federal governments aren’t likely to make available the level of targeted investment needed to advance the solutions described in other chapters until more elected positions are occupied by Black women.
The last chapter examines possible futures and current tensions for Black-majority cities. The chapter sets the stage for what could be really interesting analyses: do the best chances for policy to drive equity look different in cities on different trajectories? How does a majority-Black city experience structural racism differently from a Black neighborhood within a majority-White city? Do the right policies to build up a Black neighborhood in a southern city look different than those for an urban, rust-belt town? (This last question is implicitly teed up by chapters 2 and 3, respectively on ‘buying the block’ in Birmingham, AL and repurposing a surplus school building in Wilkinsburg, PA). But having set the stage, Perry wraps the book up without pursuing these questions, instead returning to the theme that the stability and quality of Black home life is tied to civic and economic vitality and opportunity.
I’d love to read what Perry has to say about the implications of different demographic and economic trajectories for the choice of how to prioritize which policies in which locations - I hope he’ll write more about that in the future.
I found the introduction and the first four chapters most effective; they form an extended conversation about the ties between home and civic life, the way historic and current racism hold back Black families and communities economically, and how particular strategies - targeted investment, incubators and accelerators, and repurposed school buildings, as well as federal and state policy change - can set a better trajectory. The fifth chapter is an apology for the author’s role in dismantling the New Orleans school system that transforms into an argument for valuing and retaining Black teachers.
I found chapters 6 and 7 less effective. Chapter 6 ties together three important ideas: structural racism in the medical profession (a thematic segue from the devaluation of teachers in chapter 5); racial disparities in infant mortality; and the inaccessibility of fertility treatments for low-wealth Americans. These are all real problems, and Perry’s data and statistics are solid. But the nexus Perry uses to tie these together is his wife’s painful experience of being sanctioned in her medical practice around the same time he and she were trying to have a third child. He’s too close to his wife’s professional travails, and fails to set the stage for a general reader like me to understand how unevenly medical review boards can mete out sanctions. And, perhaps understandably, he doesn't describe the concerns raised against his wife, making his story feel incomplete, though his larger overarching point is clear.
The seventh chapter - a song of praise to Black women in politics - loses its way in a forest of name-checking, reaching the fairly basic conclusion that Black women electeds are a rising force in the Democratic party. On reflection, I think the main takeaway is that state and federal governments aren’t likely to make available the level of targeted investment needed to advance the solutions described in other chapters until more elected positions are occupied by Black women.
The last chapter examines possible futures and current tensions for Black-majority cities. The chapter sets the stage for what could be really interesting analyses: do the best chances for policy to drive equity look different in cities on different trajectories? How does a majority-Black city experience structural racism differently from a Black neighborhood within a majority-White city? Do the right policies to build up a Black neighborhood in a southern city look different than those for an urban, rust-belt town? (This last question is implicitly teed up by chapters 2 and 3, respectively on ‘buying the block’ in Birmingham, AL and repurposing a surplus school building in Wilkinsburg, PA). But having set the stage, Perry wraps the book up without pursuing these questions, instead returning to the theme that the stability and quality of Black home life is tied to civic and economic vitality and opportunity.
I’d love to read what Perry has to say about the implications of different demographic and economic trajectories for the choice of how to prioritize which policies in which locations - I hope he’ll write more about that in the future.
August 25, 2021
It's clear that Dr. Perry has done extensive research on the various ways in which Black communities and their assets are consistently undervalued by White people and thus most of the US. What many fail to realize is that racism and prejudice combined with ingenuity lead to infinitely many ways of holding Black people back. It's almost a waste of time to pick one old or existing way of devaluating Black people and trying to reverse it. Instead, we need to acknowledge the root cause, racism, and develop equally innovative strategies to counteract it. This book helps us see this simple truth.
I love the focus on net worth, total wealth, and generational wealth rather than just income. Racism has a long history and longer legacy; income disparities fail to capture the full picture. I also love the focus on iterative improvements so no one is priced out of their homes and neighborhoods. We deserve the full value of our assets, but we also deserve to keep the strong, supportive communities that enabled us to survive the injustices and indignities of US racism.
The coverage of research in educational disparities is more in depth than the housing disparities part of the book. Dr. Perry covers the work of many researchers, including his own. The firing of so many teachers post-Katrina was horrifying. The fact that this burden fell mainly on Black women teachers and principals was hard to swallow for me. The devaluation of Black lives clearly doesn't stop at home prices. In general, I love how the book acknowledges how Black women are devalued, even by Black men, and makes concrete suggestions for how we can correct these wrongs.
There is significant overlap and synergy between Know Your Price, The Color of Money, and The Color of Law. I highly recommend reading the three together if you're interested in understanding the devaluing of Black people in the US from multiple perspectives.
I love the focus on net worth, total wealth, and generational wealth rather than just income. Racism has a long history and longer legacy; income disparities fail to capture the full picture. I also love the focus on iterative improvements so no one is priced out of their homes and neighborhoods. We deserve the full value of our assets, but we also deserve to keep the strong, supportive communities that enabled us to survive the injustices and indignities of US racism.
The coverage of research in educational disparities is more in depth than the housing disparities part of the book. Dr. Perry covers the work of many researchers, including his own. The firing of so many teachers post-Katrina was horrifying. The fact that this burden fell mainly on Black women teachers and principals was hard to swallow for me. The devaluation of Black lives clearly doesn't stop at home prices. In general, I love how the book acknowledges how Black women are devalued, even by Black men, and makes concrete suggestions for how we can correct these wrongs.
There is significant overlap and synergy between Know Your Price, The Color of Money, and The Color of Law. I highly recommend reading the three together if you're interested in understanding the devaluing of Black people in the US from multiple perspectives.
October 23, 2024
If you are looking for a book that offers actionable solutions to racist policy problems that seemingly have no end in sight, I cannot recommend Andre Perry’s Know Your Price enough.
Know Your Price is the definition of literary integrity. I found myself referencing the 24 pages of references in the end notes frequently. Like few other books on urban planning failures, this backs up policy recommendations so convincingly with both data and persuasive reasoning that just about every page taught me something else that can be done to empower Black lives and realize their diminished value. It is educational in that it approaches less tired nuances to problems and convincing in that it supports solutions with quality data and rhetoric. Perry also frequently shares personal and family stories that enhance the messages and offer even more insight.
Here is an example of a racially-equitable policy recommendation that I had not considered before: Black Cities can offer first-time homeowner tax incentives on the condition that the homebuyers have lived in the city for an extended period of time. Andre Perry backed this up with research, highlighting that this approach would strengthen the city from within, rather than relying on gentrification (displacement) to increase perceived neighborhood value. This book is packed with nuggets like this.
It reads a little differently that most non-fiction I'm used to. It is often uncomfortable, insightful, and actionable. At times it’s a little data-heavy. For the most part it’s not dramatic or fun like some urbanist non-fiction works that are really intended to entertain readers who already agree with the author. Best of all, it was hopeful, not discouraging or otherwise unhelpful.
Know Your Price is the definition of literary integrity. I found myself referencing the 24 pages of references in the end notes frequently. Like few other books on urban planning failures, this backs up policy recommendations so convincingly with both data and persuasive reasoning that just about every page taught me something else that can be done to empower Black lives and realize their diminished value. It is educational in that it approaches less tired nuances to problems and convincing in that it supports solutions with quality data and rhetoric. Perry also frequently shares personal and family stories that enhance the messages and offer even more insight.
Here is an example of a racially-equitable policy recommendation that I had not considered before: Black Cities can offer first-time homeowner tax incentives on the condition that the homebuyers have lived in the city for an extended period of time. Andre Perry backed this up with research, highlighting that this approach would strengthen the city from within, rather than relying on gentrification (displacement) to increase perceived neighborhood value. This book is packed with nuggets like this.
It reads a little differently that most non-fiction I'm used to. It is often uncomfortable, insightful, and actionable. At times it’s a little data-heavy. For the most part it’s not dramatic or fun like some urbanist non-fiction works that are really intended to entertain readers who already agree with the author. Best of all, it was hopeful, not discouraging or otherwise unhelpful.
October 31, 2020
loved the jumping between different Black-majority cities and excellent weaving of personal narrative and academic tone in this book
learned so much about how to solve for devaluation of the Black community from many angles
some topics I learned more about:
- author roasting a lot of research centering white people and framing Black poverty as individual choices instead of structural racism
- the Tulsa Race Massacre
- the rooting out of Black female teachers and rise of charter schools in New Orleans post Katrina
- turning old school spaces into business and community incubators
- making sure urban planning is led by Black community instead of designed by and for outsiders. Many urban development plans end up fostering white growth and displacing Black people
- how to make reparations for massively devalued Black-owned property
learned so much about how to solve for devaluation of the Black community from many angles
some topics I learned more about:
- author roasting a lot of research centering white people and framing Black poverty as individual choices instead of structural racism
- the Tulsa Race Massacre
- the rooting out of Black female teachers and rise of charter schools in New Orleans post Katrina
- turning old school spaces into business and community incubators
- making sure urban planning is led by Black community instead of designed by and for outsiders. Many urban development plans end up fostering white growth and displacing Black people
- how to make reparations for massively devalued Black-owned property
September 11, 2020
How do you build strong, healthy, vibrant and thriving community in cities and towns ravaged by institutional racism? Perry goes down the road that other books (like The Color or Law, New Jim Crow, Pushout, American Sickness etc.) have done but he shows us something different with his presentation of the data. His writing is also strongly focused on the Black women who have been the heart of families (both biological and not), are voting contingent too long ignored, and suffer from the highest financial disparities when it comes to the wage gap. Well researched and hopeful for change this is a must read if you are looking for books about the intersection of race, housing, devaluation of communities, education, and community building.
July 25, 2021
Dr. Perry drives home the point “that nothing is wrong with Black People that ending racism can’t solve” and commences to show & prove how racism devalues the circumstances of our lives: property value, school systems, employment (particularly of Black women), and health / prenatal care for Black women. I really can’t emphasize enough how important this book is. Know Your Price: Valuing Black Lives and Property in America's Black Cities
January 15, 2022
Read this because the author is giving a presentation for the American Bar Association. If you have read or have been meaning to read The New Jim Crow and Caste, put this book on your must read list.
June 4, 2020
A very insightful, thoughtful and sadly ever more timely read.
Deep, inspirational, personal and meaningful.
Deep, inspirational, personal and meaningful.
May 25, 2021
Excellent book! If you work in community and economic development and/or urban development, this is a vital piece of literature.
November 19, 2022
Four books this semester were mentioned in other related material. Two of those books, The Color of Law and this one, Know Your Price, will now be my go-to books if anyone asks me how to understand racism and its effects.
The Color of Law is fantastic for understanding how seemingly innocuous laws can lead to a racist outcome - by design, not merely by happenstance.
This book, Know Your Price, is well written for understanding the collateral and cascading effects of racism in society.
I'd recommend The Color of Law first to understand the structure of what has happened, and Know Your Price second to see what the effects of Law have dealt to African-American society specifically, but also other minority groups as well.
If you're white and reading this, might I suggest avoiding feeling outraged? Yes, white people caused this. Not you. Not me. Mostly dead dudes. They made some horrible mistakes. Some of them were even our ancestors (I - probably - have slave owners in my past). Don't get defensive. Just take a moment to move the curtain and see behind it to the machinery and how it works, the product it is producing.
Then we work with those affected to fix it. It can be done. Remember, if you're Irish, Eastern European, or Southern European, the real whites once didn't consider you white once either. Now look at you. We can get past this, folks.
The Color of Law is fantastic for understanding how seemingly innocuous laws can lead to a racist outcome - by design, not merely by happenstance.
This book, Know Your Price, is well written for understanding the collateral and cascading effects of racism in society.
I'd recommend The Color of Law first to understand the structure of what has happened, and Know Your Price second to see what the effects of Law have dealt to African-American society specifically, but also other minority groups as well.
If you're white and reading this, might I suggest avoiding feeling outraged? Yes, white people caused this. Not you. Not me. Mostly dead dudes. They made some horrible mistakes. Some of them were even our ancestors (I - probably - have slave owners in my past). Don't get defensive. Just take a moment to move the curtain and see behind it to the machinery and how it works, the product it is producing.
Then we work with those affected to fix it. It can be done. Remember, if you're Irish, Eastern European, or Southern European, the real whites once didn't consider you white once either. Now look at you. We can get past this, folks.
May 23, 2020
So, I first picked up this book because I read it included a section on Birmingham and I have a side interest in urban policy.
The book has plenty of insights that I hadn't come across. I also really liked the fact that much of it reads as a memoir, especially because the author has a compelling life narrative.
But this book needs lots of editing. Typos, run-on sentences, and odd paragraph structure abound. There's a general lack of "tightness" throughout, in that (even though it's already on the shorter side) much of the tangents that permeate each chapter could be cut.
That said, I think the book is useful in as much as it reflects the perspective of an important thinker in the world of racial justice and urban policy. I thought it was most effective when taking a bird's eye view of the racist policies and ideologies that underlie much city planning today. Especially because of it's breadth, this book is worth a read.
The book has plenty of insights that I hadn't come across. I also really liked the fact that much of it reads as a memoir, especially because the author has a compelling life narrative.
But this book needs lots of editing. Typos, run-on sentences, and odd paragraph structure abound. There's a general lack of "tightness" throughout, in that (even though it's already on the shorter side) much of the tangents that permeate each chapter could be cut.
That said, I think the book is useful in as much as it reflects the perspective of an important thinker in the world of racial justice and urban policy. I thought it was most effective when taking a bird's eye view of the racist policies and ideologies that underlie much city planning today. Especially because of it's breadth, this book is worth a read.
June 15, 2023
Loved this one. Dr. Perry dives into the inequalities for black people such as housing and education. The section on education reform in New Orleans post-Katrina was a hard pill to swallow. He also dives into the inequalities that black women face such as having children.
One of my favorite things that was hit on is that data, policy, and research can only help so much to advance equity. Instead, we must not distance ourselves from black culture which is the most effective tool in advancing equity..
Some of my favorite quotes:
“Black majority cities are homes to our brothers and sisters, and although we may not be connected generally, we are connected civically.”
“The things white people love about black-majority cities were created by black people” !!
One of my favorite things that was hit on is that data, policy, and research can only help so much to advance equity. Instead, we must not distance ourselves from black culture which is the most effective tool in advancing equity..
Some of my favorite quotes:
“Black majority cities are homes to our brothers and sisters, and although we may not be connected generally, we are connected civically.”
“The things white people love about black-majority cities were created by black people” !!
July 23, 2021
“There is nothing wrong with black people that ending racism can’t solve” Andre Perry
This book was as eye opening as it was interesting. It took elements from other books that I have read this year and then refocused the message for black majority cities across the US.
Perry is clearly someone worth listening to based both in his lived experience as well as the extensive research he has conducted at Brookings. I would recommend this to anyone in a position to create actionable solutions that address social inequity and the ongoing threat of racism, but also to those who want to reflect on the consequences of their actions.
This book was as eye opening as it was interesting. It took elements from other books that I have read this year and then refocused the message for black majority cities across the US.
Perry is clearly someone worth listening to based both in his lived experience as well as the extensive research he has conducted at Brookings. I would recommend this to anyone in a position to create actionable solutions that address social inequity and the ongoing threat of racism, but also to those who want to reflect on the consequences of their actions.
July 28, 2020
Simply put, Andre Perry provides 8 chapters of how Black America has been devalued by government policies that have given other ethnicities an advantage. It's also a reminder that the Blacks will continue to run this race until these policies are corrected.
This is a great read for anyone willing to educate themselves on the ways Black Americans' upward mobility is upward mobility for the entire United States of America.
This is a great read for anyone willing to educate themselves on the ways Black Americans' upward mobility is upward mobility for the entire United States of America.
October 8, 2020
I didn't know about this book so didn't really go in with any expectations, but I learned a lot. Truly. What Perry does differently than other books on inequitable urban planning is that he actually provides solutions. Now, the solutions are not detailed enough to teach folks how to actually navigate these convoluted and historical municipal systems responsible for these inequities. That's probably a ridiculous ask anyway. It's a start. I enjoyed this very much.
January 20, 2023
Perhaps, I'm not the intended audience, but I found this book most interesting when the author talked about his personal experience and anecdotes. As a whole, it jumps all over the place, and the policy discussions are either hazy (racism no doubt is a huge problem, but it's too grand a trope for specifici policy discussions) or that I'd heard them a million times.
Want to read
October 8, 2020As heard on Planet Money: https://www.npr.org/2020/10/05/920342...
November 29, 2021
Well-researched, challenging, and deeply personal work of looking at the issues of developing value in Black communities.
December 19, 2021
Interesting, though I'm not sure I learned much I didn't already know. I feel like it's really somewhere on the boundary between being academic and a manifesto.
March 11, 2022
A look a racism through the financial lens - higher education, employment, housing, loans, etc.
April 16, 2022
Please read this book!
January 27, 2023
Interesting blend of hard data and personal anecdotes. Well worth the read.
May 4, 2024
a compelling policy book on urban economics illustrated through personal stories of growing up poor in Pittsburgh.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews