Race and Reckoning: From Founding Fathers to Today’s Disruptors – An Incisive Work on Democracy, White Nationalism, and Historical Truth in America

by Ellis Cose

Ranging from chattel slavery, through the New Deal to the Covid pandemic, a groundbreaking work that investigates how pivotal decisions have established and perpetuated discriminatory practices, even as the rise of disinformation and other modern advertising techniques have plunged democracy into an ever-deepening crisis.  Throughout our nation’s history, numerous racialized decisions have solidified the fates of generations of citizens of color. Some of the earliest involved race-based slavery, the removal of Indigenous peoples from their lands, and the exclusion of most Asians. More have proliferated over time. While America grew into a superpower in the twentieth century, it continued to discriminate against people of color—both soldiers who served overseas and civilians on the home front, herding Japanese Americans into internment camps during World War II and denying Black citizens their right to vote.  American Politicians have waxed eloquently and endlessly about bettering the nation. But bettering it for whom? journalist and cultural commentator Ellis Cose asks. From Reconstruction to the New Deal to the unceasing fight for civil rights, Cose reveals how the hopes of many Americans for a true multicultural democracy have been repeatedly frustrated by white nationalists skilled at weaponizing racial anxieties of other whites.  In  Race and Reckoning  Cose dissects chapter-by-chapter how America’s overall narrative breeds racial resentment rooted in conjecture over fact. Through rigorous research and with astute detail, Cose uncovers how, at countless points in history, America’s leaders have upheld a narrative of American greatness rooted in racism, as he offers a hopeful yet clear-eyed vision of American possibility. It is a story grounded in history, and it demolishes the myths that ultimately allowed one of the most ill-prepared, unethical, vindictive, and truth-challenged politicians in history to position himself as America’s savior by tapping into the nation’s darkest tendencies.  A "pointed rebuke of American exceptionalism,” was Publishers Weekly's description of  Race and Reckoning .  Whereas many politicians argue for ignoring or rewriting unflattering history, this is a passionate and incisive argument for accepting—and learning from—historical truth and rejecting ignorance disguised as patriotism. An important work “that merits a place on ethnic studies—and American history—curricula,” observed Kirkus. 

Genres: History, Nonfiction

256 pages, Hardcover

First published July 12, 2022

About the author

Ellis Cose is a former columnist for Newsweek, chairman of the editorial board of the New York Daily News, contributor and critic for Time, and columnist for USA Today. The author of numerous books, including the bestselling The Rage of a Privileged Class, he lives in New York City.

Reviews

[J Earl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Race and Reckoning by Ellis Cose is a history of the United States using key moments when we could have chosen to try to live up to our founding principles (on paper anyway) but instead chose to maintain a white supremacist society.

These historical moments are explained in clear, very well-researched prose. What comes through is that none of these were simply "the way things were." There were people at every juncture who tried to steer us toward a better and more inclusive society, who argued for doing the right thing. Yet the powers that be did some amazing mental gymnastics, throwing out any sense of ethics or morality, in order to rationalize their racism.

On the topic of inclusivity, Cose includes the ways every group other than those considered at the time to be white were targeted. Black, indigenous, Asian, Muslim have all been, and remain, the targets of those who believe the lie of white supremacy.

I would recommend this for readers who both want to better understand these moments in history and want the details in order to refute those claiming some kind of "just the way it was" justification, especially since these acts have continued into the present.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.

[Ben Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Up to a point, Race and Reckoning includes a fantastic overview of the role of race within American history and how African Americans have been systemically denied opportunities and equality within American society. For the first three quarters of the book, Cose recounts American history from the colonial era through the Nixon campaign's "Southern Strategy". Cose expertly points out how discrimination has been built into the foundations of America.

However, the final quarter of Cose's book jumps from the Nixon campaign to modern day, focusing on the Trump presidency predominantly. By doing this, Cose, fails to mention a number of important events or developments in the story of race in America: the War of Drugs, the Reagan administration, the Clinton administration and the Crime Bill, Ferguson and the rise of the Black Live Matter Movements.

While no book can cover every event in American history, and certainly this book is attempting to create a broad overview that the average reader can engage with, leaving such a massive chunk of American history out of the analysis makes for an incomplete retelling of the African American story in the United States.

[Christina (A Reader of Fictions)]

A good overview of the racist underpinnings of American politics throughout the country's history. The opening and concluding chapter's are by far the strongest, with the author's actual thesis and aims. The intervening chapters are the evidence and countenance a brief covering of the history being reckoned with. Those read like a textbook or essay with frequent citing of other works.

[Michael Dunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can sometimes feel like a cliff notes version of various historical events, but it’s ultimately a very easy read thanks to good writing that tells the stories within the book well. Might not be as detailed as other books that cover similar topics, but what we get is quality stuff from a writer clearly passionate about honoring the subject material.

[Debby · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 This slim history/commentary covers a lot of ground. Read my full review here.

[Rob · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this on a whim having been familiar with Cose's previous work. It was a serendipitous selection. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Ron Badgerow III · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good exploration of the correlation between the history of racism and American polity and the effects of each other upon the other. I found the dive into the switch between the two political parties' addressing Black equality particularly interesting. Unfortunately, as with most U.S. historical ruminations, getting into the nitty gritty of the past with all of its blemishes can be quite depressing. Hopefully, we can learn from these mistakes of the past and continue on a better path forward. Would have rated it 5 stars instead of 4, but there seemed to be a weird transition in style of writing towards the end that was not off putting, but it didn't quite sit right with the rest of the book, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

[Dottie Resnick · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good review of race relations in the United States. Unfortunately we still have the racism and prejudice and the lies that perpetuate the idea that all peoples are NOT created equal.