When the Stars Begin to Fall: Overcoming Racism and Renewing the Promise of America

by Theodore R. Johnson

A bold, thought-provoking pathway to the national solidarity that could, finally, address the ills of racism in America




"Racism is an existential threat to America," Theodore R. Johnson declares at the start of his profound and exhilarating book. It is a refutation of the American Promise enshrined in our Constitution that all men and women are inherently equal. And yet racism continues to corrode our society. If we cannot overcome it, Johnson argues, while the United States will remain as a geopolitical entity, the promise that made America unique on Earth will have died.When the Stars Begin to Fall makes a compelling, ambitious case for a pathway to the national solidarity necessary to mitigate racism. Weaving memories of his own and his family's multi-generational experiences with racism, alongside strands of history, into his elegant narrative, Johnson posits that a blueprint for national solidarity can be found in the exceptional citizenship long practiced in Black America. Understanding that racism is a structural crime of the state, he argues that overcoming it requires us to recognize that a color-conscious society--not a color-blind one--is the true fulfillment of the American Promise.

Fueled by Johnson's ultimate faith in the American project, grounded in his family's longstanding optimism and his own military service, When the Stars Begin to Fall is an urgent call to undertake the process of overcoming what has long seemed intractable.

Genres: Race, Nonfiction, Politics, History, Essays, Academic, Americana

339 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 8, 2021

Reviews

[Lindsay McBride · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It made me think differently and gave me hope and a different view of patriotism.

[Bonnye Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free electronic copy of When the Stars Begin to Fall from Netgalley, Theodore Roosevelt Johnson, and Atlantic Monthly Press. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this work of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work.

Theodore Roosevelt Johnson brings to this work a retrospective of the American Promise through the history and eyes of a black man, and a tremendous amount of faith in the premise that equality is doable in our society. I am white with various historical strains of Southern native Americans. Any time I felt that Johnson's statements seemed excessive or skewed from a black agenda, I simply substituted another definition of any American to make it all fall into shape. Native American. Single parent. Immigrant. Woman, for crying out loud. I only hope he is right in predicting the coming of true equality in our world. It is long overdue. This is a book I am pleased to recommend to friends and family.
pub date June 8, 2021
Atlantic Monthly Press
Reviewed on June 24, 2021, at Goodreads, Netgalley, AmazonSmile, Barnes&Noble, BookBub, and GooglePlay. Not available for review at Kobo.

[Cadence · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Such an important topic, and I appreciated the author’s perspective and suggestions for achieving solidarity as a nation, but it was a little too “wordy” and I ended up skimming the last few chapters.

[Sharlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author is a retired Navy Commander with experience at the White House and research at NYU. A fascinating look at both his family's history with racism but his own and the country. He has not given up hope but his interesting point is that we have to become a color-conscious society instead of color-blind one. A thought-provoking read.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Johnson makes the case for national solidarity as a means to overcoming racism. There were a few pages on why the idea of being colorblind is inadequate that I think is one of the best explanations I've seen. I also appreciated his action steps at the end.

[Matt Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully written, deeply personal meditation on race in American Life. Ted Johnson weaves his own story and that of his families into a narrative about overcoming racial barriers and the persistence of racism despite generations of what he calls "exemplary citizenship." He argues that racism, what he calls a "crime of the state," is an existential threat to the United States. In his calls for racial solidarity and a color conscious society, he paints an ultimately optimistic vision (maybe overly so) of where we can go from here.

Ted is a leading expert on politics and public opinion, especially in the Black community, and he is a gifted writer and storyteller. This book should have gotten much more attention - it is far better than a lot of recent books on this subject that got more - and it is worth your time.

[Shannan Harper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recounting his family history, the author gives us a history lesson in regards to race relations in this country. Although a little triggering at times, you will get a well researched and well rounded account of racism as well as some steps that can be done to counteract some of the issues we tend to face.

I received a copy of the book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review

[Jamal Rankins · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author is clearly well read, and informed. I have come to think of this book as a continuation of Begin Again by Glaude Jr. This book outlines an actual (though) broad plan for helping America live up to the promise of America for all denizens not just improving race relations.

[Robert D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ted Johnson has done a great job on a very difficult subject. The book was hard to read, not from how it was written, but as a result of some of the very unpleasant things and happenings related. Well done!

[David Carlson · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is strength in the personal connections the author has with his family as well as his name, Theodore Roosevelt Johnson. Good discussion of racism, some suggestions at the end.

[Malena · Rating 4 out of 5]

DNF. Not because it’s not good, but because I had to return it to the library. It very much reads like a textbook and makes some valid points

[Bobbie N · Rating 3 out of 5]

Weaving memories of his family's multi-generational experiences with history, Johnson demonstrates that racism is a structural crime of the state, not the personal failing of some individuals, and that overcoming it calls for a national solidarity in order to achieve the fulfillment of the American Promise for us all.