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The Burden: African Americans and the Enduring Impact of Slavery
The African Americans and the Enduring Impact of Slavery is a plea to America to understand what life post-slavery remains like for many African Americans, who are descended from people whose unpaid labor built this land, but have had to spend the last century and a half carrying the dual burden of fighting racial injustice and rising above the lowered expectations and hateful bigotry that attempt to keep them shackled to that past.
The Burden , edited by award-winning Detroit newspaper columnist Rochelle Riley, is a powerful collection of essays that create a chorus of evidence that the burden is real. As Nikole Hannah-Jones states in the book's foreword, "despite the fact that black Americans remain at the bottom of every indicator of well-being in this country―from wealth, to poverty, to health, to infant mortality, to graduation rates, to incarceration―we want to pretend that this current reality has nothing to do with the racial caste system that was legally enforced for most of the time the United States of America has existed." The Burden expresses the voices of other well-known Americans, such as actor/director Tim Reid who compares slavery to a cancer diagnosis, former Detroit News columnist Betty DeRamus who recounts the discrimination she encountered as a young black Detroiter in the south, and the actress Aisha Hinds who explains how slavery robbed an entire race of value and self-worth. This collection of essays is a response to the false idea that slavery wasn't so bad and something we should all just "get over."
The descendants of slaves have spent over 150 years seeking permission to put this burden down. As Riley writes in her opening essay, "slavery is not a relic to be buried, but a wound that has not been allowed to heal. You cannot heal what you do not treat. You cannot treat what you do not see as a problem. And America continues to look the other way, to ask African Americans to turn the other cheek, to suppress our joy, to accept that we are supposed to go only as far as we are allowed." The Burden aims to address this problem. It is a must-read for every American.
The Burden , edited by award-winning Detroit newspaper columnist Rochelle Riley, is a powerful collection of essays that create a chorus of evidence that the burden is real. As Nikole Hannah-Jones states in the book's foreword, "despite the fact that black Americans remain at the bottom of every indicator of well-being in this country―from wealth, to poverty, to health, to infant mortality, to graduation rates, to incarceration―we want to pretend that this current reality has nothing to do with the racial caste system that was legally enforced for most of the time the United States of America has existed." The Burden expresses the voices of other well-known Americans, such as actor/director Tim Reid who compares slavery to a cancer diagnosis, former Detroit News columnist Betty DeRamus who recounts the discrimination she encountered as a young black Detroiter in the south, and the actress Aisha Hinds who explains how slavery robbed an entire race of value and self-worth. This collection of essays is a response to the false idea that slavery wasn't so bad and something we should all just "get over."
The descendants of slaves have spent over 150 years seeking permission to put this burden down. As Riley writes in her opening essay, "slavery is not a relic to be buried, but a wound that has not been allowed to heal. You cannot heal what you do not treat. You cannot treat what you do not see as a problem. And America continues to look the other way, to ask African Americans to turn the other cheek, to suppress our joy, to accept that we are supposed to go only as far as we are allowed." The Burden aims to address this problem. It is a must-read for every American.
200 pages, Paperback
First published February 5, 2018
53 people are currently reading
472 people want to read
About the author
Rochelle Riley
8 books5 followersRochelle Riley is an award-winning newspaper columnist who is no longer seeking permission to put the burden down. She has fearlessly called out elected officials who should have been ashamed of themselves and has helped raise millions of dollars for just causes, especially the fight for improved adult literacy. She offers commentary on MSNBC and NPR and contributes to Essence and Ebony magazines. She was inducted into the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame in 2016, received the 2017 Ida B. Wells Award from the National Association of Black Journalists and Northwestern University, and was awarded the 2017 Eugene C. Pulliam Fellowship by the Society of Professional Journalists. She also is a global wanderer who has visited twenty-six countries and counting.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
September 10, 2017
Tepid. This assortment contains entries from a lot of journalists/columnists and subsequently their pieces read like op-eds. It feels like the fire has been turned down or in some cases extinguished and keeps this collection from searing and singeing the page. And that kind of fire is what is urgently needed now if the intention is to wake up people and spur them into some kind of action.Editor Rochelle Riley, she too a columnist, gets things off to a rousing start with her title essay that sets the foundation for the book.She states in the introduction that the book has been swirling in her head ever since the columnist Jack Kelly intimated that yes slavery was horrible but no living African-American has suffered from it and indeed are better off here than they would have been if they remained in Africa. She was inspired to bring various voices to refute this type of thinking.
Rochelle Riley, a twenty year columnist states"Slavery is not a relic to be buried, but a wound that has not been allowed to heal. You cannot heal what you do not treat. You cannot treat what you do not see as a problem. And America continues to look the other way, to ask African Americans to turn the other cheek, to suppress our joy, to downplay our achievements, to accept that we are supposed to go only as far as we are allowed."So, the intent of the book, amongst the various voices is put the burden of slavery down lest we let it continue to darkly color our journey.
Unfortunately, Ms. Riley's beginning essay is one of the highlights of this volume and most of what follows doesn't measure up to the high bar Ms. Riley initially sets. T’Keyah Crystal Keymáh has a strong entry with, 'It's Not Just Hair.' An example of how slavery has impacted our psychology of hair. All the entries are really encouraging readers to understand and examine, "Yes, America has found unconscionable comfort in historical amnesia to racism. That has led to the nurturing of enablers of white supremacy who question the impact that race plays in the 21st century. Or do not care what role it plays." The challenge for books like this is to find an audience that normally falls under the 'do not care.' Otherwise it is more of preaching to the choir. Thanks to Edelweiss and Wayne State University Press for advanced ebook. Book publishes February 5, 2018
Rochelle Riley, a twenty year columnist states"Slavery is not a relic to be buried, but a wound that has not been allowed to heal. You cannot heal what you do not treat. You cannot treat what you do not see as a problem. And America continues to look the other way, to ask African Americans to turn the other cheek, to suppress our joy, to downplay our achievements, to accept that we are supposed to go only as far as we are allowed."So, the intent of the book, amongst the various voices is put the burden of slavery down lest we let it continue to darkly color our journey.
Unfortunately, Ms. Riley's beginning essay is one of the highlights of this volume and most of what follows doesn't measure up to the high bar Ms. Riley initially sets. T’Keyah Crystal Keymáh has a strong entry with, 'It's Not Just Hair.' An example of how slavery has impacted our psychology of hair. All the entries are really encouraging readers to understand and examine, "Yes, America has found unconscionable comfort in historical amnesia to racism. That has led to the nurturing of enablers of white supremacy who question the impact that race plays in the 21st century. Or do not care what role it plays." The challenge for books like this is to find an audience that normally falls under the 'do not care.' Otherwise it is more of preaching to the choir. Thanks to Edelweiss and Wayne State University Press for advanced ebook. Book publishes February 5, 2018
July 9, 2019
Rochelle Riley is a strong writer, local columnist and observer of current culture and events. Her introduction to this volume was very solid and I wished for more of that. The balance was a series of reflections of varied strength. Some were very insightful and thoughtful, others more personal reflections on the African American experience in the later half of the 20th century and carrying forward into the fears and discomfort created by the election of President Trump. I found the best of these thought provoking and interesting, others were more like a an amuse-bouche which I enjoyed but wished for substantially more.
January 23, 2019
Finally, a modern book that talks about the burden, the burden to carry a load that can be oh so heavy. I am unsure how some think that the past has no effect on the future...but this book explains why it does, in detail through a collection of essays.
August 7, 2018
If you are White, and you have any inclination… even the smallest inkling… to want to understand what life in the United States is like for people whose skin is not the same as yours, this is the book for you. If you have one friend who is a person of color, and you discuss race, but you know that your one friend cannot and does not speak for their whole race, and you would like a broader perspective, this is the book for you. If you do not understand why “Black Lives Matter” or why there is a Black History Month, then this is the book for you. If you have read Howard Zinn and Ta-Nehisi Coates and know that most history is whitewashed but that you’re aware of that, this is still the book for you.
_The Burden: African Americans and the Enduring Impact of Slavery_ is a physically small volume, only 178 pages. It is edited by Rochelle Riley, an investigative reporter who authored one of the essays in the volume. She invited a wide variety of people of color to reflect on what burden they still carry because of the color of their skin and the history of their race. What follows is both accessible and painful. There were essays that I could read and move on, and ones that brought me to tears, and I had to put the book down. There are few avenues of life that are not brought into the light, from being a child to raising one, from memory to reflection, from deep history to projections about the future. Writers discuss the violence of slavery, the violence of mass incarceration, and the violence of being torn from the roots of family history and connection. We read about the struggle to claim financial independence, bodily independence, and freedom of thought. There are sufficient voices to make clear the message that no one writer can claim “I have the answer,” yet the collective can assert “There is a statement here.”
This is a statement that I needed to read; that I recommend to everyone who has even the slightest inclination to open themselves to hear.
_The Burden: African Americans and the Enduring Impact of Slavery_ is a physically small volume, only 178 pages. It is edited by Rochelle Riley, an investigative reporter who authored one of the essays in the volume. She invited a wide variety of people of color to reflect on what burden they still carry because of the color of their skin and the history of their race. What follows is both accessible and painful. There were essays that I could read and move on, and ones that brought me to tears, and I had to put the book down. There are few avenues of life that are not brought into the light, from being a child to raising one, from memory to reflection, from deep history to projections about the future. Writers discuss the violence of slavery, the violence of mass incarceration, and the violence of being torn from the roots of family history and connection. We read about the struggle to claim financial independence, bodily independence, and freedom of thought. There are sufficient voices to make clear the message that no one writer can claim “I have the answer,” yet the collective can assert “There is a statement here.”
This is a statement that I needed to read; that I recommend to everyone who has even the slightest inclination to open themselves to hear.
April 25, 2018
Ms. Riley has responded with brilliance to the charge that no black Americans alive today have suffered from slavery — by compiling a set of essays that detail personal and cultural experiences in the post-slavery era. For those who understand that slavery imposed a burden that still affects African Americans today, they will like to support the collection, will enjoy the insight of the essays, and will find new anecdotes that assist in those discussions. For those who believe continued racial or slavery discussions hinder the path to equality or believe that African Americans in today’s world now have equal opportunity despite a burdensome past, I encourage you to read these essays, both to hear different perspectives and to challenge those ideas. The Burden is an unapologetic and thought-provoking collection, and I am grateful the writers spent the emotional labor—another aspect of The Burden—to share their experiences and foster continued dialogue.
P.S. I don’t want to take away from importance of the content, but I am compelled as a publisher to compliment the cover design. It’s so excellent.
P.S. I don’t want to take away from importance of the content, but I am compelled as a publisher to compliment the cover design. It’s so excellent.
March 27, 2019
This book was a selection we read for my Thursday men’s group at my church. The essays were generally excellent, although some were more impactful than others, and the book was eye opening. I’ve never considered myself “woke” when it comes to understanding other ethnicities; “The Burden” made clear how un-woke I am. We read the book two essays a week, which was a very insightful way to read it - it meant that each essay hit home much more effectively than if I’d just read through the book quickly. I’m still relatively un-woke, but whatever wokeness I have has been greatly increased via this reading.
This book is an anthology of a diverse group of Black writers edited by Rochelle Riley, not written by her as Goodreads implies (except one essay).
This book is an anthology of a diverse group of Black writers edited by Rochelle Riley, not written by her as Goodreads implies (except one essay).
August 6, 2018
What an incredible collection of voices, backgrounds, and perspectives on the enduring impact of slavery. This opened my eyes to notable history I feel I should have learned at some point (like how an African American woman was nominated for VP of the US in 1952) and to everyday nuances that I've never stopped to consider before (the way that black girls are criminalized and sexualized from a very young age). With essays from men and women; journalists, academics, and actors; those sharing personal stories and those sharing broader social critiques, The Burden is a must-read, and emphasizes that we must acknowledge the continuing impact of slavery if we are to ever move forward.
August 1, 2018
Rochelle Riley’s collection evokes in me a similar response to when I read Audre Lorde’s Sister Outsider for the first time. What is here are a series of short essays that tie into what Saidiya Hartman elsewhere describes as the afterlife of slavery. Some contributors’ work are more stirring than others, but there is much to work with here regarding a theory of African American suffering in the 21st century.
May 13, 2018
This “chorus” of voices as Riley calls it, is in part a response to the insistence I too often hear among other white people, that our modern day inequalities have NO connection to slavery. Each essay left me with new perspective and to be honest discomfort at the level of pain these writers feel in their experiences of discrimination first hand or generationally. As Nikole Hannah-Jones sums it up in her forward “black Americans remain at the bottom of every indicator of well-being in this country” and the subsequent reflections pull the rug out from underneath any white supremacist notion that that reality is not our responsibility to repair and repair now.
I was particularly moved by Mark Auslander’s telling of a mother’s gift to her daughter as she was sold away from her; and Carolyn Edgar’s reflection on everyday rebellions which gave me at least a little hope in all the resistance both big and unnoticed. Unfortunately I’m not sure those who need to read this most would even open it but I’m certainly going to try to share it.
I was particularly moved by Mark Auslander’s telling of a mother’s gift to her daughter as she was sold away from her; and Carolyn Edgar’s reflection on everyday rebellions which gave me at least a little hope in all the resistance both big and unnoticed. Unfortunately I’m not sure those who need to read this most would even open it but I’m certainly going to try to share it.
October 31, 2018
I love reading Rochelle Riley's sometimes scathing, always honest editorials so I was intrigued to see this work which she edited. Being white I don't know a thing firsthand about the remnants of slavery, but being an anthropologist, I will try my best to learn. Riley's opening essay was a rousing call to other African Americans to out down their collective "burden" that is the lasting impact of slavery. The rest of the book features essays by other black writers, scholars and activists that demonstrate the various forms of this "burden" in modern society. Overall the essays were eye-opening and persuasive, although some were more fiery and inspiring than others. Some read more like historical accounts rather than a call to action which is why I rate this four stars.
December 28, 2025
I thought the essays in this book we're really great. If I had any problem with it, it was only because it was really sad to read how it all came back again. I find it hard to believe that only a few years ago there was seemingly such a progressive era, compared to what we have at the current moment. However, history shows that this is the story of our country, and hopefully it'll turn around soon.
March 27, 2018
Powerful essays from a wide range of people including the editor Rochelle Riley, T’Keyah Crystal Keymah, and Patrice Gaines. The topics address The Black Press, Lemonade (yeah that one), military service and lack of respect for Black lives. The messages aren’t anything surprising or new, but the essays could be used to initiate small group discussion.
April 15, 2018
This is a phenomenal book. Edited by Rochelle Riley, with essays by a number of writers, each approaching the enduring burden of slavery - and their fight against it - from a different perspective. If you think their is no racism in America - read this book, and widen your horizons.
May 12, 2018
In one of the essays, Michael Simanga quotes Ida B Welles, "The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them." This book is eye-opening and shows how much there still is to do.
August 21, 2018
A collection of essays illustrating through personal experiences why African Americans -- and really, all Americans -- can't and shouldn't just "get over slavery".
September 28, 2018
Wow. An amazing collection of voices about the impact of slavery on all of our lives - black and White.
February 14, 2020
Excellent collection of essays
December 1, 2020
essays sharing experience of being Black in USA.
February 21, 2021
I think I would have got more out of this in print rather than an audiobook but alas, that was my only library choice.
September 20, 2021
I read this book slowly. Just picked it up when I saw it on the table. Pertinent essays about slavery & white privilege make up the entire book. Well done.
May 20, 2022
Powerful, poignant and deeply thought-provoking. I am looking forward to reading the sequel.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews