Black Grief/White Grievance: The Politics of Loss

by Juliet Hooker

How race shapes expectations about whose losses matter

In democracies, citizens must accept loss; we can’t always be on the winning side. But in the United States, the fundamental civic capacity of being able to lose is not distributed equally. Propped up by white supremacy, whites (as a group) are accustomed to winning; they have generally been able to exercise political rule without having to accept sharing it. Black citizens, on the other hand, are expected to be political heroes whose civic suffering enables progress toward racial justice. In this book, Juliet Hooker, a leading thinker on democracy and race, argues that the two most important forces driving racial politics in the United States today are Black grief and white grievance. Black grief is exemplified by current protests against police violence―the latest in a tradition of violent death and subsequent public mourning spurring Black political mobilization. The potent politics of white grievance, meanwhile, which is also not new, imagines the United States as a white country under siege.

Drawing on African American political thought, Hooker examines key moments in US racial politics that illuminate the problem of loss in democracy. She connects today’s Black Lives Matter protests to the use of lynching photographs to arouse public outrage over post–Reconstruction era racial terror, and she discusses Emmett Till’s funeral as a catalyst for the civil rights struggles of the 1950s and 1960s. She also traces the political weaponization of white victimhood during the Obama and Trump presidencies. Calling for an expansion of Black and white political imaginations, Hooker argues that both must learn to sit with loss, for different reasons and to different ends.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Womens, Politics, Sociology, Race

360 pages, Hardcover

First published February 3, 2009

Reviews

[Jack]

I was really struck by this book’s exploration of quotidian moments of Black grief and resistance. As a reader, I was pushed to sit with the physical and emotional pain Harriet Jacobs experienced in her years of hiding from chattel slavery; the way material losses endured in racial riots in Missouri disrupted the day-to-day life of Black residents; the image of Emmett Till examining plums in a grocery store.

By compiling these moments together, I think Hooker effectively helped the reader recognize the fullness of Black civil rights activists, who are often relegated to the symbolic and robbed of their personhood.

This book also pushed me to critically think about the end goals of protest, and the limitations of working within a democratic system predisposed to marginalizing non-white citizens. This feels particularly resonant today in light of the scrutiny placed on Palestinians in Gaza and pro-Palestinian protesters in the United States.

Who is allowed to wield grief and grievance? Why should those victimized by racial systems of oppression be forced to work within the boundaries of white democracy, when it already precludes the advancement of Black and Indigenous communities? Black Grief / White Grievance is a worthwhile read, and a meaningful exploration of true multiracial democracy in the United States.

[KMart Vet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Black Grief/White Grievance offers a profound exploration of the intricate dynamics of race and democracy in the United States. Hooker dissects the profound impact of white supremacy on the political landscape.

The central premise revolves around the juxtaposition of Black grief and white grievance, two powerful forces that shape racial politics in contemporary America. Hooker's analysis skillfully connects present and historical instances of racial violence, highlighting the enduring struggle for racial justice.

The book doesn't shy away from the difficult truths it presents. It serves as a poignant reminder of how societal structures have been shaped by white supremacy, making it a challenging yet crucial read. Hooker's scholarly approach adds weight to her arguments, grounding the narrative in a thorough examination of historical and contemporary realities. "Black Grief/White Grievance" encourages readers, especially those unfamiliar with the depth of racial issues, to confront uncomfortable truths about society's foundations. It challenges white readers to reflect on their biases and consider the systemic structures and personal feelings perpetuating inequality.

This book stands as a beacon of intellectual rigor, contributing significantly to the ongoing dialogue on race, justice, and democracy.

Thanks to libro.fm for the ALC. This is an honest review.

[Brittany]

disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I enjoy most books for what they are, & I extract lessons from them all. Everyone’s reading experiences are subjective, so I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me on Instagram: @bookish.millennial or tiktok: @bookishmillennial

I listened to an ALC from Libro FM and am providing an honest review voluntarily. I would definitely buy a physical copy, and probably want to re-read via physical copy or ebook too. I typically like audiobooks for nonfiction books. However, I think I'd want to try reading to myself next time.

Overall, I thought this was a much needed read for our current zeitgeist. Hooker clearly lays out the different implications of how Black grief operates versus how white grievances are weaponized. It's an evocative read, and also frustrating because it truly seems that Black people must be the "perfect victims" or the loudest social justice warriors if they have lost a loved one to federally-sanctioned violence. Hooker brings up the emotional labor and expectations that are placed upon those left grieving their loved ones, while these act as the impetus for White people to finally care/pay attention (if only, for a while).

I recommend this to everyone, and think it's quite disheartening that empathy is not a universal trait that everyone has. No one should have to die for you to care about their safety, quality of living, and their life!

[Alan Cohen · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Black grief and white grievance are linked because white grievance obscures and supplants Black grief and is often mobilized in response to it. White grievance functions to ensure white priority and inattentiveness to Black loss.”

Black Grief/White Grievance is a dense and complicated book that delves into the concept of loss from a racial perspective, including the experience of grief and grievance among white and non-white people, public vs. private mourning among Black people, the issues that come with using Black suffering as a symbol and Black victims as martyrs, Black activism in America (including a defense of rioting), and the concept of ‘white democracy’ and a call to abolish it. The book, written by a political theorist and scholar on race, cites many Black intellectuals and thinkers, as well as other racial activists as they grapple with these issues.

Hooker’s arguments are at times difficult to discern and her language hard to follow, but I have done my best to compile my favorite quotes from the book, most of which encompass important parts of the book’s thesis. Click here to read the highlighted quotes.

[Kaitlyn (ktxx22) Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an interesting and rich look into Black Grief and White Grievance, and I’ll be honest prior to starting this I was anticipating something different than what this is actually and I come away with a bone deep desire to learn more about pre civil rights era post slavery nonfiction from black writers. There’s a whole exposé in this book on Ida B. Wells and her contributions that fascinated me. There’s also a discourse here on current politics and on ways to engage that are productive for the hopes of future equality and also how to recognize the falsehood of ally’s unable to desire equality from an actual attainable standpoint. Those folks are all bark and no bite. This is one I would reread to snatch extra tidbits and book recommendations from for further education as well.

[Samantha]

Thank you to Libro.FM's ALC program for this title.

Not rating it, but this was so well done. Hooker discusses the constant tension between Black grief and loss from the hands of white violence spurred by grievance throughout the course of US History. This taught me or reminded me of some truly shocking and awful moments of history that cannot be forgotten no matter what. I felt sick hearing that the 911 operator didn't believe the folks in Buffalo that they were victims of a mass shooting???? the f....?

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

A subject I care about and am interested in, but not the type of book I really love reading (I am much happier reading fiction). I listened to this audiobook at about 2.7x speed or something crazy, and that felt about right for me; I wouldn't have had the patience to listen to it a lot longer, but I was still able to get the gist of Hooker's argument.

[Potassium · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whoa this book changed my life and gave me the language for what I've been feeling. Really really smart writing. I got it from the library but I think I'm going to need to buy it so I can add notes and bookmark my favorite ideas. It's a slow read because it's definitely an academic book, but so much good stuff in here.

[Rolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hooker’s central thesis, that politically in the US public moments of loss are processed and filtered through a racial lens based in the ideology of white supremacy, is very well-articulated and is a compelling contribution to how we think about public tragedies. It definitely pushed my thinking, and would be a great read for a number of possible university seminars.

[Dannie Lynn Fountain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating exploration of the topic. I received a complimentary audiobook from the publisher via libro.fm.

[Marian Alexander · Rating 3 out of 5]

A worthwhile read. In parts it was too academic for me.

[Elliot Earles · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hooker is very much fluent in Yapanese

[Sendey · Rating 1 out of 5]

Marxist, propagandist book. Shameful that this person teaches at brown university

[Elizabeth]

I took too much time between listens to feel I can give this a fair rating. It definitely gave me some concepts to ponder, and I like how the author incorporates some of my favorite poets.

[Carolyn Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 155 of 2023 - “Black Grief White Grievance - the Politics of Loss” by Juliet Hooker, narrated by Joana Garcia. All I can say is: WE NEED TO KEEP EDUCATING OURSELVES. Another one that is not a comforting read but one that revealed even more injustices that I hadn’t even considered!