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The Rage of Innocence: How America Criminalizes Black Youth
A brilliant analysis of the foundation of racist policing in America: the day-to-day brutalities, largely hidden from public view, endured by Black youth growing up under constant surveillance and persistent threat of physical and psychological abuse by police.
Drawing upon twenty-five years of experience representing Black youth in Washington, D.C.’s juvenile court, Kristin Henning confronts America’s irrational, manufactured fears of Black youth and makes a powerfully compelling case that the crisis in racist American policing begins with its relationship to Black children. She explains how discriminatory and aggressive policing has socialized a generation of Black teenagers to fear, resent, and resist the police, and details the long-term consequences of racism and trauma Black youth experience at the hands of police and their vigilante surrogates. She makes clear that unlike white youth, who are afforded the freedom to test boundaries, experiment with sex and drugs, and figure out who they are and who they want to be, Black youth are seen as a threat to white America and are denied healthy adolescent development. She examines the criminalization of Black adolescent play and sexuality, and of Black fashion, hair, and music. She limns the effects of police presence in schools, and the depth of policing-induced trauma in Black adolescents. Especially in the wake of the recent unprecedented, worldwide outrage at racial injustice and inequality, The Rage of Innocence: How America Criminalizes Black Youth is an essential book for our moment.
Drawing upon twenty-five years of experience representing Black youth in Washington, D.C.’s juvenile court, Kristin Henning confronts America’s irrational, manufactured fears of Black youth and makes a powerfully compelling case that the crisis in racist American policing begins with its relationship to Black children. She explains how discriminatory and aggressive policing has socialized a generation of Black teenagers to fear, resent, and resist the police, and details the long-term consequences of racism and trauma Black youth experience at the hands of police and their vigilante surrogates. She makes clear that unlike white youth, who are afforded the freedom to test boundaries, experiment with sex and drugs, and figure out who they are and who they want to be, Black youth are seen as a threat to white America and are denied healthy adolescent development. She examines the criminalization of Black adolescent play and sexuality, and of Black fashion, hair, and music. She limns the effects of police presence in schools, and the depth of policing-induced trauma in Black adolescents. Especially in the wake of the recent unprecedented, worldwide outrage at racial injustice and inequality, The Rage of Innocence: How America Criminalizes Black Youth is an essential book for our moment.
512 pages, Hardcover
Published September 28, 2021
115 people are currently reading
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
September 19, 2021
“To thrive, Black youth must learn to resist and transcend harmful and racial ideas and stereotypes that seek to limit them.”
THE RAGE OF INNOCENCE
Thank you to Kristin Henning, NetGalley, and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this book. It releases on September 28th, 2021.
TRIGGER WARNINGS: Racism, Police Brutality, Violence, Murder, Suicide
The Rage of Innocence by Kristin Henning is a book that goes into the criminalization of Black youth that stems from systemic racism. Kristin Henning is the Blume Professor of Law and Director of the Juvenile Justice Clinic and Initiative at Georgetown Law and is probably the most qualified person to discuss this subject. In this book, she speaks from experience representing youth in our justice system. This book covers criminalizing Black Adolescent Play, Clothing, Music, and Sexuality. But she also goes into police in schools, the effects of childhood trauma, dehumanization, and what our country can do to change.
“Without free and unburdened play, Black youth are at a constant disadvantage–physically, mentally, socially, and academically. Because Black youth are under the constant surveillance of the police and other adults who expect them to be criminal, play becomes a source of anxiety instead of rest and relaxation.”
THE RAGE OF INNOCENCE
Emmett Till, George Stinney, Tamir Rice, Kalief Browder, The Central Park 5, Trayvon Martin, Ma’Khia Bryant…and this list goes on. We see these names on the news and more often than not, they are criminalized by the media to justify the way they are treated, incarcerated, and/or killed. The truth is…they are children! Take George Stinney. He was 14 years old when he was executed. He is one of the youngest to be tried, convicted, and executed in this country. They had to have him sit on a bible because he was too small for the chair.
She argues what is needed for Black children to thrive. For instance, free play, access to mental health, police-free schools, and ending the school-to-prison pipeline. But we also need to be accepting of Black youth and their culture. Rappers and hip hop are often more condemned and vilified than other types of music, even when pop and country artists have just as much, if not more problematic lyrics and insinuations. Then there is Black hair and clothing. Black hair actually has deep roots culturally and historically. But we often see headlines where teachers have colored the fade on a child’s head with a sharpie or made it to cut their dreadlocks before a wrestling match. If you have more interest in Black hair and its history, I highly recommend Don’t Touch My Hair by Emma Dabiri.
This book is full of examples to back up the arguments. But let me tell you, it is full of irrefutable statistics. In fact, her list of sources take up the last 30% of the book. If you have any doubt about the harm and trauma inflicted on our Black youth, I highly recommend giving this book a chance. I have learned so much and will use that knowledge when it comes time to vote for policies that will help. We need to tell our Black youth that they matter and they are worthy. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars.
THE RAGE OF INNOCENCE
Thank you to Kristin Henning, NetGalley, and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this book. It releases on September 28th, 2021.
TRIGGER WARNINGS: Racism, Police Brutality, Violence, Murder, Suicide
The Rage of Innocence by Kristin Henning is a book that goes into the criminalization of Black youth that stems from systemic racism. Kristin Henning is the Blume Professor of Law and Director of the Juvenile Justice Clinic and Initiative at Georgetown Law and is probably the most qualified person to discuss this subject. In this book, she speaks from experience representing youth in our justice system. This book covers criminalizing Black Adolescent Play, Clothing, Music, and Sexuality. But she also goes into police in schools, the effects of childhood trauma, dehumanization, and what our country can do to change.
“Without free and unburdened play, Black youth are at a constant disadvantage–physically, mentally, socially, and academically. Because Black youth are under the constant surveillance of the police and other adults who expect them to be criminal, play becomes a source of anxiety instead of rest and relaxation.”
THE RAGE OF INNOCENCE
Emmett Till, George Stinney, Tamir Rice, Kalief Browder, The Central Park 5, Trayvon Martin, Ma’Khia Bryant…and this list goes on. We see these names on the news and more often than not, they are criminalized by the media to justify the way they are treated, incarcerated, and/or killed. The truth is…they are children! Take George Stinney. He was 14 years old when he was executed. He is one of the youngest to be tried, convicted, and executed in this country. They had to have him sit on a bible because he was too small for the chair.
She argues what is needed for Black children to thrive. For instance, free play, access to mental health, police-free schools, and ending the school-to-prison pipeline. But we also need to be accepting of Black youth and their culture. Rappers and hip hop are often more condemned and vilified than other types of music, even when pop and country artists have just as much, if not more problematic lyrics and insinuations. Then there is Black hair and clothing. Black hair actually has deep roots culturally and historically. But we often see headlines where teachers have colored the fade on a child’s head with a sharpie or made it to cut their dreadlocks before a wrestling match. If you have more interest in Black hair and its history, I highly recommend Don’t Touch My Hair by Emma Dabiri.
This book is full of examples to back up the arguments. But let me tell you, it is full of irrefutable statistics. In fact, her list of sources take up the last 30% of the book. If you have any doubt about the harm and trauma inflicted on our Black youth, I highly recommend giving this book a chance. I have learned so much and will use that knowledge when it comes time to vote for policies that will help. We need to tell our Black youth that they matter and they are worthy. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars.
November 7, 2024
A very true and depressing book. Even interesting for foreigners. So much of this you always get on the news or American police reality shows.
And, unfortunately, I predict now it probably get worse.
Sad though that quite a few American people of colour have just behaved like turkeys voting for Christmas without realising.
And, unfortunately, I predict now it probably get worse.
Sad though that quite a few American people of colour have just behaved like turkeys voting for Christmas without realising.
April 20, 2022
Mandatory. And then we fix it.
May 5, 2022
This is a heavy read with many, many, many content/trigger warnings, mostly notably: racism.
This is also a must read for anyone dedicated to understanding/advocating anti-racism and how to make meaningful changes to help protect Black people and Black youth specifically. This is ABOUT racism and racist tactics that lead to the (over)policing of Black youth and ways that all of us can turn it around. It won't be easy but it IS necessary. I would love to be able to get a copy of this into the hands of every single politician, teacher, officer, in America. It is a great place to start in addressing systemic racism and implicit biases and start toward healing America. Kris Henning has practically handed us a manual on how to do it.
This is also a must read for anyone dedicated to understanding/advocating anti-racism and how to make meaningful changes to help protect Black people and Black youth specifically. This is ABOUT racism and racist tactics that lead to the (over)policing of Black youth and ways that all of us can turn it around. It won't be easy but it IS necessary. I would love to be able to get a copy of this into the hands of every single politician, teacher, officer, in America. It is a great place to start in addressing systemic racism and implicit biases and start toward healing America. Kris Henning has practically handed us a manual on how to do it.
June 9, 2024
5 ⭐️ for the content and information presented in this book - an important read for many people, and even more important for folks who work in education (me included!). The author provides a ton of research, data, and case studies to show the depth and impact race can and has had on children.
4.5 ⭐️ for the writing style. This book is DENSE with fact and data, which can be difficult to read quickly. It took me forever to finish this book (not necessarily a bad thing, but something to consider when picking it up). It ends with a section on paths forward, which I appreciated!
4.5 ⭐️ for the writing style. This book is DENSE with fact and data, which can be difficult to read quickly. It took me forever to finish this book (not necessarily a bad thing, but something to consider when picking it up). It ends with a section on paths forward, which I appreciated!
December 21, 2021
A powerful look at what it is like to be a teenager with black or brown skin. I appreciated at the end that there were examples of what is working and how we can change things.
Henning is in the perfect place to see the impact of laws, policies, culture, race, and institutions (including public education) combine to make being young and black a sometimes insurmountable barrier to progress .
The only thing that would have made it better were more anecdotes and stories to balance the beautifully researched facts.
Henning is in the perfect place to see the impact of laws, policies, culture, race, and institutions (including public education) combine to make being young and black a sometimes insurmountable barrier to progress .
The only thing that would have made it better were more anecdotes and stories to balance the beautifully researched facts.
October 27, 2021
i could see 'the rage of innocence' becoming a referential staple. my first thought, is this should be required reading for all teachers and those studying education, namely secondary ed. henning's main point is all children are children and should be seen as such, adolescents are developmentally all over the place, reasoning takes a backseat to their hierarchy of concerns; while "boys will be boys" is a racist, sexist rationale namely excusing white boys (and even men) from causing harm, there is something to be said, conversely, about the broader: kids will be kids. there is a good mix of statistics and anecdotal cases henning, a public defender and professor, piles up, overwhelming evidence, even, to counter racist skeptics. this book will infuriate you, but hope is found knowing people like henning are doing what they can to make a difference. perhaps my only critique is that solutions presented don't call for abolition, but still places faith in reformation. a point i thought was quite unique was the discussion of how siblings are affected by the criminalization of Black youth, how often we focus namely on parents, but little attention and resources go to siblings, and we hardly ever follow up with them after tragedy. 'the rage of innocence' is quite the undertaking, it's ambitious and voluminous, but reads straight forward and isn't overly-academic (or textbook-ish), so it's quite accessible, too. star bump because it's worthy of more attention.
December 6, 2021
I read this book twice; once for myself, and again with my 15 y.o. Black son. It is a poignant and powerful accounting of how Black children are adultified and criminalized in stark comparison to their White peers. There is no conjecture in this book; it contains fascinating studies of Ms. Henning's juvenile clients and many we've heard or read about in the media and their interaction with law enforcement and the court system. Ms. Henning undergirds the book with solid research and data to illuminate the stories. It is a must read for school administrators, teachers, police officers, parents of Black children, and Black youth.
March 2, 2022
Wow. This is book is equal parts heartbreaking, maddening, and informative. Reading this book immediately following my reading of Ibram X. Kendi’s “Stamped: Racism, Anti-Racism, and You” was a solid one-two punch. Highly recommend this book.
January 13, 2022
I’m not sure what I can say that will do this book justice, except to say that I think everyone should read it. It took me a long time to get through. Not because it was hard to read, but because I tend to get overly sensitive when reading about children. Kristin Henning provides many examples for each chapter, backed up by studies, and statistics. Yet even with all of this information, this does not read like a text book. I both read and listened to this and found both equally easy to follow.
This is definitely a book I will re-read.
Thank you @pantheonbooks for the complimentary ARC.
This is definitely a book I will re-read.
Thank you @pantheonbooks for the complimentary ARC.
August 7, 2023
This book is extremely informative and caused me to examine my own unconscious assumptions. It’s lengthy but only because the author provides example after example of how scrutiny and surveillance falls upon Black children - mostly boys - for behavior that is often accepted among white children. The consequences of this further accelerate crime and stereotypes.
I also appreciated how Henning added her experience as a DC juvenile defense lawyer to the book. It offered a human lens to her and her clients.
I would categorize this book as an essential read!
I also appreciated how Henning added her experience as a DC juvenile defense lawyer to the book. It offered a human lens to her and her clients.
I would categorize this book as an essential read!
Want to read
August 1, 2021I won a copy of this book through Goodreads Giveaways. I am a steward for a Little Free Library and I'm excited to share this one with the community!
August 22, 2022
This was a hard book to read. The criminal justice system mistreats Black youth from so many perspectives - clothing (hoodies), hair, sexualization, cops in schools, over policing Black neighborhoods, policing by proxy *think nextdoor.com*, dehumanization of Black youth, and Black families torn apart due to mass incarceration.
I don’t like listening to problems without examining solutions and the author delivered in the final chapter “#BlackBoyJoy and #BlackGirlMagic”, citing programs and policies like police-free schools, healing and resilience, youth led activism, restorative justice, social emotional learning, community engagement, holding police accountable, decriminalizing Black adolescence, and storytelling. Highly recommend for those who are interested in reforming the criminal justice system, and those whose heads are buried in the sand.
I don’t like listening to problems without examining solutions and the author delivered in the final chapter “#BlackBoyJoy and #BlackGirlMagic”, citing programs and policies like police-free schools, healing and resilience, youth led activism, restorative justice, social emotional learning, community engagement, holding police accountable, decriminalizing Black adolescence, and storytelling. Highly recommend for those who are interested in reforming the criminal justice system, and those whose heads are buried in the sand.
November 1, 2023
Heart wrenching but necessary read!
September 30, 2025
stories that need to be told
October 3, 2023
Well-researched, data driven, immensely readable. Kristin Henning is an important voice at this critical juncture.
June 15, 2022
this should be required reading for everyone.
December 30, 2023
Must read for anyone in the criminal legal field. It’s gonna piss you off.
December 1, 2021
The Rage Of Innocence focus in detail on the marginalization and criminalization of Black youth caused by systemic racism.
What we read in this book is the author's experience representing youth in justice system. The author controls and observes school to research how damaging childhood trauma and dehumanization is and what can be done in the country to change them.
She explores what’s needed for black children to be healthy and succeed. and how important it is for black youth and their culture to be accepted.
The Rage of Innocence is a book that I recommend to those who want to learn about the racial disparities in our society.
This book should be mandatory for all teachers and educators.
June 7, 2021
**This book was provided to me by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.**
As director of the Juvenile Justice Clinic at Georgetown Law, Henning is in an excellent position to write about the treatment of black youth in the criminal justice system. She does so with a judicious blend of anecdote and data, allowing this heavy book to nonetheless feel well-paced and highly readable even to the legal novice. Thoroughly researched and smartly laid out, The Rage of Innocence is a must-read for anyone who wishes to be educated on the racial disparities in our society. I will certainly be recommending it to everyone I know.
As director of the Juvenile Justice Clinic at Georgetown Law, Henning is in an excellent position to write about the treatment of black youth in the criminal justice system. She does so with a judicious blend of anecdote and data, allowing this heavy book to nonetheless feel well-paced and highly readable even to the legal novice. Thoroughly researched and smartly laid out, The Rage of Innocence is a must-read for anyone who wishes to be educated on the racial disparities in our society. I will certainly be recommending it to everyone I know.
June 19, 2024
Took me way too long to finish because it was more academic than I realized at first and was hard to read on top of my school work. BUT such an important and well researched book. Meeting her and getting to talk with her at W&M law made this book all the better because she is just an incredible human being - genuinely have no idea where she finds time to sleep, let alone write a whole book.
February 26, 2022
I hate to give 5 stars because it's horrible how our black and brown youth are treated in America. Kristin Henning, a former Washington, DC public defender, witnessed first-hand how black and brown youth were overwhelmingly represented in cases that were oftentimes against civil rights, or lacked any sort of evidence. She does an excellent job of showing how from a super young age, children (even babies!) are socially conditioned to view black and brown people as bad or criminal. It starts young and it's a disgrace that our criminal justice system treats children with such disdain based on the amount of melanin present in their skin. Recounting some high-profile cases like Trayvon Martin to some other lesser-known cases, Henning describes with stunning accuracy how black and brown youth are oversexualized, criminalized, policed by proxy, and it starts young. So when people ask, "Well why did do and so run from the cops?" you will know EXACTLY why. If you're not black or brown you will never have to experience this horrible treatment so it is IMPERATIVE that you understand it so you can be part of the change. What is happening to black and brown youth is not okay. They are no different than any other child and deserve just as much love, compassion, and understanding as is given to white youth when they experiment with their world. My heart goes out to the young men and women profiled in this book. I hope to make a difference somehow and this book is a start.
September 11, 2022
It took me a while to digest this book to figure out how I wanted to write my review. First and foremost, this is a very important topic and book. It addresses prejudices and privilege that occurs in our society in relation to crime, specifically juvenile crime and how kids are perceived. This is 100% true. These things exist and black kids/adults are disproportionally arrested and deemed to be guilty based on the color of their skin.
I don’t disagree with the topic of the book and I don’t disagree with 75% of the book. But there were parts of the book that made me pause, question my own prejudices or privilege and determine if what I was feeling was based on privilege, based on my profession, or based on faulty reasoning.
One part of the book that I didn’t like was the writing style. You could definitely tell it was written by a lawyer. There was a lot of “lawyer speak” or courtroom verbiage throughout the book. Due to this, I felt like the book was one sided at times, as if the author was standing in a courtroom and trying to persuade the jury. It just wasn’t my cup of tea in terms of style when reading.
The main area that caused me to lower my review score for this book were the examples that dealt with school violence. School violence is a touchy topic right now in our world. It has been a touchy topic for me since 2003 when a middle school student in my district shot and killed the middle school principal and himself. For those who have lived in our school district and taught there since then, it is not something we take lightly. Others who have moved in years after this, don’t quite understand what it has done to the community. I feel like the parts that touched on school violence were bad examples to put in this book. I feel like that topic needs to be taken seriously, at all times, no matter the race of the person. I didn’t like how it was presented. It honestly turned me against the author for a bit. But she won me back later on. But it definitely made me question the validity of her argument. Had she not included these examples in this book, it would have been a 4 star read for me.
Thanks so much to Penguin Random House for gifting me a Net Galley copy of this book!
I don’t disagree with the topic of the book and I don’t disagree with 75% of the book. But there were parts of the book that made me pause, question my own prejudices or privilege and determine if what I was feeling was based on privilege, based on my profession, or based on faulty reasoning.
One part of the book that I didn’t like was the writing style. You could definitely tell it was written by a lawyer. There was a lot of “lawyer speak” or courtroom verbiage throughout the book. Due to this, I felt like the book was one sided at times, as if the author was standing in a courtroom and trying to persuade the jury. It just wasn’t my cup of tea in terms of style when reading.
The main area that caused me to lower my review score for this book were the examples that dealt with school violence. School violence is a touchy topic right now in our world. It has been a touchy topic for me since 2003 when a middle school student in my district shot and killed the middle school principal and himself. For those who have lived in our school district and taught there since then, it is not something we take lightly. Others who have moved in years after this, don’t quite understand what it has done to the community. I feel like the parts that touched on school violence were bad examples to put in this book. I feel like that topic needs to be taken seriously, at all times, no matter the race of the person. I didn’t like how it was presented. It honestly turned me against the author for a bit. But she won me back later on. But it definitely made me question the validity of her argument. Had she not included these examples in this book, it would have been a 4 star read for me.
Thanks so much to Penguin Random House for gifting me a Net Galley copy of this book!
March 13, 2022
This is an incredible work of passion and scholarship for racial justice! The author builds on each section with an anecdote from either her personal practice or a national story, followed by data and research before applying that to practical circumstances. “Black children have learned to adapt their behaviors to survive under the relentless scrutiny of police officers who see and treat them as a perpetual threat.” This is essential rising for anyone in the justice and school systems. “Black students don’t feel welcome or trusted at school and are less likely than white students to report that school police and security officers have treated them with respect.” As a youth and adult defender, I can tell you that these stories ring true to circumstances I see every day. “Black kids just want to be kids and yet they know their lives are profoundly limited by the constant surveillance and persistent threat of police violence.” And in reality, “those who don’t want to believe we live in a nation that kills innocent children because of the color of their skin must convince themselves that police stories about dangerous black youth are true.” But the dangerous black youth narrative is false and must be fought against - join the fight and read the book! 5 stars
August 14, 2021
Interesting concept, lots of facts and figures. I got an ARC (advanced readers copy) and you may want to go back and check some figures. Some, don't equal up to 100%.
I found the stories interesting, that you shared.
Some people, over reacted with these kids. But, that does not excuse the kids behavior.
But saying white kids, got off more often, is true. I am white, and I have seen it. However, the white parents have jobs, and money so that happens. While, these other kids, parents don't even try to better themselves, in most cases. Children emulate what they see.
The one thing, that really got me, was Niecey's case. That should never have happened to her.
But, I disagree, with the statement on page 257 paraphrased quote "If we left most teenagers alone, and did nothing at all in response to crime, we would get better results." Nope.........there must be consequences for actions, regardless of race, gender, etc. NO free pass. For anyone.
But this was a good book, even though, I do disagree with giving kids a free pass to commit crimes.
"Don't do the crime, if you can't do the time". Baretta, aka as Robert Blake.
I found the stories interesting, that you shared.
Some people, over reacted with these kids. But, that does not excuse the kids behavior.
But saying white kids, got off more often, is true. I am white, and I have seen it. However, the white parents have jobs, and money so that happens. While, these other kids, parents don't even try to better themselves, in most cases. Children emulate what they see.
The one thing, that really got me, was Niecey's case. That should never have happened to her.
But, I disagree, with the statement on page 257 paraphrased quote "If we left most teenagers alone, and did nothing at all in response to crime, we would get better results." Nope.........there must be consequences for actions, regardless of race, gender, etc. NO free pass. For anyone.
But this was a good book, even though, I do disagree with giving kids a free pass to commit crimes.
"Don't do the crime, if you can't do the time". Baretta, aka as Robert Blake.
February 15, 2024
From the time a Black child is born, there is a target on their back. It’s simply a matter of time before they are stared at down the barrel of a gun - whether it’s law enforcement or another citizen that has decided to take the law into their own hands. What I really thought about throughout reading this book was how very different Black mamas have to prepare their children for the ways of this world.
Henning does a great job of presenting the facts alongside many tragic and real events. Not only does she talk about the cases most of us are aware of - Emmett Till, Tamir Rice, Trayvon Martin, etc - she also brings attention to other lesser known cases. The fact of the matter is, this dehumanizing of Black youth is happening every single day - on the streets, in our schools, and sometimes, even in their own homes.
This is a must-read for everyone - but especially school personnel, anyone interested in anti-racism, law enforcement, and politicians. We have to learn how to empower Black youth instead of continuing to traumatize them which, in turn, exasperates their distrust of police and those in a position to help.
Henning does a great job of presenting the facts alongside many tragic and real events. Not only does she talk about the cases most of us are aware of - Emmett Till, Tamir Rice, Trayvon Martin, etc - she also brings attention to other lesser known cases. The fact of the matter is, this dehumanizing of Black youth is happening every single day - on the streets, in our schools, and sometimes, even in their own homes.
This is a must-read for everyone - but especially school personnel, anyone interested in anti-racism, law enforcement, and politicians. We have to learn how to empower Black youth instead of continuing to traumatize them which, in turn, exasperates their distrust of police and those in a position to help.
February 3, 2023
I found this book in my public highschool library, the fact that this book was displayed front in center by the librarians is a victory. This book made me realize the evil in my school, and the evil within my family and the evil within my community.
The only criticism I have this book is how grounded it is in 2020, which isnt that big of a deal, but I fear the connectabiliy in the future, for future readers I mean. I felt the slight disconnect between now and then while reading now within 2023. I think it could have benefited with a more general story telling without unnecessary dates ... but thats such a small gripe it doesnt even really matter...
The final chapters made me sob, the story about how the killings effect the mothers of the victims really hurt me. This book is insanely important, and I pray that more highschools,like mine, make it shine front in center. As the future judges, police officers, and teachers, we are the people who need to hear this story most.
The only criticism I have this book is how grounded it is in 2020, which isnt that big of a deal, but I fear the connectabiliy in the future, for future readers I mean. I felt the slight disconnect between now and then while reading now within 2023. I think it could have benefited with a more general story telling without unnecessary dates ... but thats such a small gripe it doesnt even really matter...
The final chapters made me sob, the story about how the killings effect the mothers of the victims really hurt me. This book is insanely important, and I pray that more highschools,like mine, make it shine front in center. As the future judges, police officers, and teachers, we are the people who need to hear this story most.
June 18, 2022
Kristin Henning writes that this is a book for "everyone who believes that Black children are children too." I really wish this book didn't have to be written, and it is heartbreaking to read at times, but so incredibly important to understand. Henning draws on her own legal experience representing youth in court, as well as data that speak to larger trends. Henning clearly lays out how Black children are treated completely differently than white children in our criminal justice system, and the racism that infects every corner of our American society. If you haven't already realized it, or if you need a reminder, this book highlights why we cannot stand by and be complicit in the racist double standards our society is built upon.
July 29, 2022
Thank you, Kristin, for your wonderful book. Your clients are so lucky to have been supported by you. Your care and continued fight are so important and will have such an impact, just like this book does. It’s a must-read for anyone wanting to do the work on dismantling systemic racism and if people don’t understand it after reading this book then I don’t know how else to get through to them. It’s a painful exploration of the system that was built to break Black people and to explore the impact on Black youth is truly heartbreaking. There’s a lifetime of work to be done on dismantling racism but it does inspire to do more. To take bigger steps. This system was very carefully crafted, to undo it will take just as much care, attention, initiative, contagion and recruitment and that is work that should matter to us all! Thank you for sharing your work!
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December 8, 2022“Professor Henning's beautifully written stories of lived experiences of our children ground a book about youth, police, racism, and our criminal and juvenile legal systems. Written by a teacher and lawyer who has made a career of fighting injustice shoulder to shoulder with kids in an unjust system, Prof. Henning’s book is both meticulously researched and practically grounded in what we all need to know about juvenile justice in America. If we follow her recommendations for change, we will create a criminal and juvenile system that makes us more safe and affirms the humanity of all of our children.”
— Craig B. Futterman, Clinical Professor of Law, Director of the Federal Criminal Justice Clinic
— Craig B. Futterman, Clinical Professor of Law, Director of the Federal Criminal Justice Clinic
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