When Crack Was King: A People's History of a Misunderstood Era

by Donovan X. Ramsey

LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD • A “vivid and frank” (NPR) account of the crack cocaine era and a community’s ultimate resilience, told through a cast of characters whose lives illuminate the dramatic rise and fall of the epidemic
 
“A master class in disrupting a stubborn narrative, a monumental feat for the fraught subject of addiction in Black communities.”—The Washington Post

“A poignant and compelling re-examination of a tragic era in America history . . . insightful . . . and deeply moving.”—Bryan Stevenson, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Just Mercy

FINALIST FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD • ONE OF THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY AND VULTURE’S TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR
A BEST BOOK OF THE Time, The Washington Post, NPR, Chicago Public Library, Publishers Weekly, She Reads, Electric Lit, The Mary Sue

The crack epidemic of the 1980s and 1990s is arguably the least examined crisis in American history. Beginning with the myths inspired by Reagan’s war on drugs, journalist Donovan X. Ramsey’s exacting analysis traces the path from the last triumphs of the Civil Rights Movement to the devastating realities we live with a racist criminal justice system, continued mass incarceration and gentrification, and increased police brutality.
 
When Crack Was King follows four individuals to give us a startling portrait of crack’s destruction and devastating Elgin Swift, an archetype of American industry and ambition and the son of a crack-addicted father who turned their home into a “crack house”; Lennie Woodley, a former crack addict and sex worker; Kurt Schmoke, the longtime mayor of Baltimore and an early advocate of decriminalization; and Shawn McCray, community activist, basketball prodigy, and a founding member of the Zoo Crew, Newark’s most legendary group of drug traffickers.
 
Weaving together riveting research with the voices of survivors, When Crack Was King is a crucial reevaluation of the era and a powerful argument for providing historically violated communities with the resources they deserve.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Politics, Audiobook, Race, True Crime, Crime

416 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 11, 2023

Reviews

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thorough account of the crack cocaine era and its sociological and political ramifications. What stands out the most about this book was Donovan Ramsey’s smart decision to include the perspectives of four people whose lives were actually affected by the crack epidemic. This lived experience made the impacts of discriminatory policies feel more vivid and visceral. I also thought Ramsey did a nice job of choosing which perspectives to include, such that he featured someone who was addicted to crack, someone who sold it, someone whose family member was addicted, and someone who tried to affect it from a policy level.

For those who are already aware of the racist consequences and underpinnings of the war on drugs, this book might not offer you too much new information. Though it may still be worth a read given Ramsey’s solid writings and the lived experiences pieces.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

"First of all let's get one thing straight. Crack is cheap. I make too much money to ever smoke crack. Crack is wack." - Whitney Houston

I grew up in the 90's and early 2000s, so I endured lots of anti drug propaganda. My team won the D.A.R.E. competition.

What did we do?

I don't remember but my mom kept my award on the mantle for years. I've never done hard drugs. So does that mean that D.A.R.E. worked. No. I don't think I was ever going to do drugs or I simply haven't gotten addicted to drugs yet. I will say I'm the only one on my 4 person winning D.A.R.E. team to not have become a drug dealer or trafficker( 1 is in prison, 1 is a stay at home mom now and the other is a cop) ..So there's that.

When Crack Was King is an expansive account of the crack cocaine era and the impact it had on the Black community. Crack not only ravaged the Black community but politicians and law enforcement used it to enact racist criminal justice reforms that we are still dealing with to this very day. I was glad that the book talked about the CIA's involvement in creating the crack the epidemic in order to pay for the war in Nicaragua. It's pretty clear that it happened but the mainstream media all teamed up to say that it didn't happen because the CIA told them it didn't happen.

The biggest evidence of the way crack was racially exploited is that crack addiction was treated as a criminal act but years later meth addiction was treated as a public health crisis.

What's the difference??

Crack addicts were mostly Black and meth addicts tended to be white. In 1980 the amount of people incarcerated for drug offenses was 40,900, by 2013 the number had exploded to 489,000. With that many people in prison we obviously won the war on drugs...right?

No. The answer is no.

This book did anger me but I thought it was really enrage me. That's why I put off reading it for so long. Donovan X Ramsey told this history in a very human way. He not only gave the history of drugs in the U.S. but he also told us the story of a former crack addict, a crack dealer, the son of a crack addict and the mayor of Baltimore during the height of the crisis. If you love the old TV series The Wire you will love hearing some of the real life stories.

I don't think I have to say that I highly recommend When Crack Was King. It's a fantastic and quick read. Even if you don't normally read Nonfiction I think you'll enjoy this book.

[Traci Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very very good. A standout debut author with skill in storytelling and the craft of writing. I loved the mix of reporting and history and then personal stories of those who survived the epidemic. I wished there was a touch more history and less antidotes at points. Overall very very very good!

[laurel [the suspected bibliophile] · Rating 5 out of 5]

Through interweaving narratives, Ramsey documents the rise and fall of crack cocaine among Black communities, and the uneven and racist response to its presence from the government.

Ramsey maintains the humanity of the people whose stories he records, reminding his readers over and over that the so-called "crackheads" were people deserving of respect and care.

And that the term crackhead is racist as hell, because the difference between crack, freebase and powder cocaine are negligible. The difference is the stereotypical user (and the consumption). Just by all the derogatory terms for people who used crack cocaine, you can probably guess which one was demonized as the most addictive, brain-rotting substance on the planet, and which one was shrugged off as just another fad rich white college boys tested out once or twice on their boys-will-be-boys road to adulthood.

Anywho, this is one more nail in the Reagans' coffins. I hope they are burning in hell.

[Brandice · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Crack Was King is a narrative nonfiction account of the the crack epidemic that began in the 1980s in America. Donovan Ramsey explores this through 4 different people, sharing their experiences and telling their stories. I was rooting for each of them. ⁣
⁣
This book was informative. I knew very little about how the epidemic started and am not sure I realized the true extent of its devastation or how long lasting the impact has been on certain communities. I couldn’t help but be reminded of Matthew Desmond’s books, Evicted and Poverty, by America as I listened to When Crack Was King. Together, these reads would make a good book flight. ⁣
⁣
When Crack Was King is well-researched and insightful, and Ramsey does an excellent job highlighting the humans, not just the concept of this tragedy’s impact.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The devastation of the crack epidemic was not just the drug use itself but also the government’s response to the drug use. On the policy level, the US government turned a blind eye despite knowing the fact that large quantities of cocaine were being shipped into the US. Coca leaves don’t grow in the ghetto; coca leaves are grown in the Andes, where we happen to have our hands in lots of conflicts.

The US government wanted to fund the overthrow of governments like the government in Nicaragua and Congress would not approve that kind of meddling in a foreign government. So, very simply, we turned the other way while Nicaraguan rebels distributed cocaine into the United States and, as a result, we saw the crack epidemic really take off. The government, instead of intercepting and interceding in that drug trafficking, decided to criminalise drug possession.”


In-depth social history of the 1980/90s crack epidemic and the failed War on Drugs. Ramsey interweaves chapters of history and policy with the lives of 4 people whose lives were shaped and impacted by crack cocaine: an addict in LA, a dealer in Newark, a child of an addict in NY, and a city mayor of Baltimore.

Outstanding research and writing by Ramsey, with added bonus of learning a lot of local (to me) history of Washington DC and Baltimore in the 80s and 90s.

[Gabriella · Rating 2 out of 5]

Note: I read this book as part of my home library system’s Read More in 2024 Challenge. Challenge Prompt: Choose a nonfiction title about science.

Actual Rating: 1.5 stars

How underwhelming!!!

I initially picked this book up because it was the least scientific option I could find to fill the category (let’s just say I know my limits—I once received a C-minus in an undergrad Geology course that was described as “so easy you could pass with your eyes closed.”) Donovan X. Ramsey’s book had been featured on a few longlists and best-of categories in 2023, and I particularly perked up at its mention on The Stacks End of Year Awards, since I particularly enjoy the recommendations of readers who are fans and guests of that podcast. I say all this to say that while When Crack Was King: A People's History of a Misunderstood Era came with some praise from sources I trust, I should have done a LOT more of my own investigation before downloading this audiobook on Libby, and WASTING 12 hours of my life that I will never get back.

My friend Michaela has said before that one of the worst experiences as a reader is encountering a book that has a topic with immense potential, and learning it’s been written by an author who squanders said potential. This experience is particularly tragic because you know that an author with better politics, a stronger understanding of nuance, and greater talent won’t get the opportunity to write their book about the topic, because the mediocre author at hand has already received the only book deal available for the topic in the next five years.

In the hands of a stronger author, When Crack Was King could have helped readers in my age bracket better understand the political, cultural, and emotional context of the crack epidemic, an epidemic that has left many of our older relatives with hardline, trauma-based responses to any form of drug use. In the process of working to develop more compassion for the people who use drugs in my life, I’m also trying to develop compassion for the people whose childhood and young adult experiences of observing drug use have permanently scarred them. Ramsey’s first few chapters offer the promise that he might have been able to thread this needle. He focuses on a group that he calls second-generation survivors of the crack epidemic, mostly younger Gen X and older Millennials who were born in the late 1970s and 1980s. These individuals would have been children or teens during the height of the crack epidemic, meaning they were often too young to use the drug themselves, but old enough to have a lasting memory of how its use impacted their families and neighborhoods.

This is a fascinating micro-generation to situate this book’s arc within, because the group’s formative experiences are often lost between the stereotypical narratives of latchkey Gen Xers and helicopter-parented Millennials. Unsurprisingly, Ramsey himself was born in 1987, and it’s clear that this experience is the one he knows best. Unfortunately, I think his narrow focus on this micro-generation is part of how he loses the potential scope of this story. The crack epidemic casts a large shadow over how the current generation of Black parents (mostly Gen X) are handling their children’s addictions to “new” substances. These children (mostly Zillennials) have also been deeply shaped by familial and cultural messages about the crack epidemic. By contrast, Ramsey seems to believe that his agemates have largely engaged in lifelong sobriety, due to their traumatic experiences coming of age in the crack epidemic. This mindset forecloses his book’s potential to thoughtfully engage with the past, and bring forward useful lessons about what that period has to say about our present and future.

He had me in the first half!
While I hated how shortsighted this book ultimately became, I do have to credit Ramsey’s work as a historian. I was thoroughly engaged as he set up the political and sociocultural context that led up to the crack epidemic. His coverage of the dissolution with the Great Migration and Civil Rights Movement, the upswell of riots during the 1960s and 1970s, and the unprecedented (and unsustainable) expansion of the Black middle class are some of the most entertaining chapters of the entire book. Ramsey takes great efforts to outline how our society created all of the necessary conditions for an epidemic of this proportion, and one that would so devastatingly target a particular segment of the population. His discussion of the particular plight of Black mayors dealing with the twin forces of renewed ambition and deindustrialization was particularly intriguing, and I think that anyone interested in the politics of Chocolate Cities would enjoy his take on these issues. Because of these sections, I have actually added a half star onto my review!

But…he couldn’t stick the landing
Ramsey’s generational myopy becomes more and more grating as the story evolves. In the sections where the book should have been focusing on coming to a natural close and shift towards the present time, we instead seemed to be going back in time (like the section when he finally discussed the CIA’s involvement in cocaine trafficking seemed very out of place.) I was particularly annoyed by how he cut off the stories of his interviewees—like he literally ends Elgin’s entire story a sentence after explaining how he left his wife of 25 years. What kind of narration is this?!?!? I felt robbed of a true “where are they now” element with these characters. I kept thinking how all of them are still alive, and many surely have opinions on current matters. It felt shortsighted to cut off the book in the way that he did, as if the epidemic was the only relevant time of their lives. I would’ve enjoyed seeing how the focal period loomed over the rest of their characters’ lives, which were worthy of discussion.

Ramsey’s political analysis also leaves much to be desired. As I noted, he is mostly of the opinion that young Gen Xers and elder Millennials were saintly beings too ruined by the crack epidemic to ever pick up a drug! However, when he does acknowledge his generation’s proclivities for weed (mostly through annoying rap anecdotes), he frames weed use as not nearly as bad as “hard drugs.” Ramsey’s lack of awareness of how his very language is contributing to the enduring stigmatization of crack users is present THROUGHOUT this book. He talks at the end about how “he’s never met a crackhead—only people”, but uses that word REPEATEDLY in the earlier chapters of the book. He mentions certain mayoral attempts to provide more funding for drug treatment programs instead of policing, but has no seeming awareness of how many treatment options were also incredibly punitive, if not carceral. Ramsey is disappointingly lax in his evaluation of these alternatives to policing, and as if he had no clue that the stigma crack users faced in the law extended to the social workers and detox workers and therapists charged with helping these people “get clean.”

I was particularly surprised that the present-day chapters and epilogue failed to even mention the opioid epidemic. Admittedly, Ramsey rushes through the final sections at breakneck speed, but this issue is just so big to mostly ignore. Given Ramsey’s constant references to 90s rappers’ messages about crack, I thought he might discuss modern rappers’ obsession with prescription pills, many of which are opioids. Instead, this discontinuity becomes just another example of this book’s pitiful follow-through. It’s really unfortunate, because the legacy of the crack epidemic has so much to do with how we continue to punish this new generation of Black drug users, and how these users punish themselves. Many young people have developed opioid dependencies amidst their parents’ unforgiving approaches to drug use, which stems in part from trauma from the crack epidemic. As these kids attempt to reconcile familial lectures about drug use with their current experiences, they often engage in troubling patterns of denial, defensiveness, self-hatred, and imposed hierarchies of substances. I kept hoping this book would have SOMETHING—any thing—to say about all this—and I hoped until the very last page. If you’re looking for a thoughtful book that truly explores the oversimplification of how our society has been "nice to opioid users but hard on crack users", a book that explores how millions of Black people have been impacted by both crises, you definitely should keep looking.

Final Thoughts
Overall, When Crack Was King is a disjointed collection of personal stories and political histories. The book is long, but neither impressive nor particularly insightful. Its author is just woefully inconsiderate about the nuances of his subject matter, and frequently fails to instill his passages with the same ethics he references in the epilogue’s moral platitudes. I literally burst out laughing when he talked about how he felt “the story fighting back” as he suffered various post-traumatic symptoms when writing this book. Maybe the story was fighting back because wanted to be told by someone who could tell it WELL!!!

So, I would not recommend this one—let’s all hope and pray a better book on the topic gets published.

P.S. This is a random gripe, but I am particularly tired of being disappointed by male authors who are clearly intelligent in characterization of men, but seem to lose all capacity for nuance when it’s time to write about women. (I last had this problem in All The Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cobsy.) Ramsey is VERY weird in his discussion of the one focal female character’s sex work and repeated assault. I think the language he uses is his attempt at being matter of fact, but it verges on callousness. I would give him the benefit of the doubt, but this book also references Dr. Dre’s impactful messages about on drug use, and later thanks him in the acknowledgements for his overall impact on the author. Naming AND celebrating Dr. Dre, in 2024, is WILD I’m so sorry. Do better!!!

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rounding up to five, and only because I can’t help but compare to Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow, which was just a little more compelling. But this one is different. It’s part history and part mini biographies. Seeing it through personal experiences gives it a new lens worth reading through, and I found myself wanting happy endings for all of them, knowing there are millions more for whom a happy ending is an elusive fantasy only.

[Jon Zelazny · Rating 5 out of 5]

As far as I know, there was no cocaine at my nearly all-white suburban high school in the early eighties. Not that I got invited to the cool-kid parties, but I knew enough second-tier cool kids that I’m sure I would have heard about any hard drugs. Thus, my knowledge of cocaine was primarily De Palma’s SCARFACE (1983). Literally a remake of a classic thirties gangster picture, it made vividly clear that the villains responsible for cocaine were simply the latest version of the organized crime figures Hollywood had always depicted from THE PUBLIC ENEMY (1931) to THE GODFATHER (1972).

The value of Donovan X. Ramsey’s new book is that it isn’t really about gangsters. He mentions some of the kingpins in his historical recap sections, but the real gold is in the four personal narratives he interweaves into the timeline: one addict, two dealers, and a big city mayor. Of the four, I found the two young dealers the most compelling, mostly because their lives ranged so far beyond what I now realize is the crime fiction stock character of the soulless teenage thug.

Ramsey’s subjects were not hardened criminals, nor did they aspire to be. They simply came of age in broken families and poor neighborhoods where cocaine was so prevalent that any youngster with gumption who knew somebody involved in the trade would practically be a fool not to at least try dealing, because you didn’t have to be a tough guy, or a master salesman, to make incredible amounts of spending money for comparatively little time, investment, exertion, or risk.

As a young man, I was further fortunate to miss the coke plague that had swept Hollywood. I mean, I’m sure I could have scored if I’d wanted, but listening to slightly older friends and colleagues in the nineties describe what show biz had been like just a decade earlier was head-spinning; a world where cocaine was routinely offered and consumed the way bottled water is now. Would I have dabbled in such an environment; just to be a team player, just to be a regular guy? Hard to know.

I never did drugs, mostly because I got heavily into sixties rock when I was twelve. And whenever I started listening to a new band, I’d inevitably pick up some group biography at the library, and after about six or seven tomes like NO ONE HERE GETS OUT ALIVE or HAMMER OF THE GODS, it was pretty clear that booze and/or drugs had claimed at least one member of almost every great band that ever existed. By the time a hood offered me drugs in 10th grade math, that parade of sixties casualties had long since scared me straight. And, as far as Hollywood went, two of my first bosses lived a stone’s throw from the Chateau Marmont, the classic hotel where John Belushi overdosed.
That was about the only other thing I knew about cocaine. And it was enough.

But, hey, enough about me. Mr. Ramsey has written a stirring account of a horrific time, and whether the war on drugs directly impacted your life, or was just some background noise on the TV, this is an engaging and enlightening pop history.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received a digital ARC via Netgalley.

Ramsey’s book is one on hand a history of the cocaine and crack epidemic, and on the other hand a history of four people during the epidemic. The four people include an addict, two dealers, and a politician.

The use of biography and history works well because it shows that history, the facts, aren’t simply abstract facts but have real people on the end of them. And while many people undoubtedly are always aware of this, many other people aren’t. There are reasons why teachers usually diaries and first-hand accounts when teaching major historical events and issues such as the Holocaust or when teaching slavery. This book, importantly, follows in that vein, showcasing the real impact of various policies or lack of policies as well as the impact of drugs themselves.

Ramsey takes an issue that has several different aspects to it – not just drugs and addicts, but Civil Rights among others – and weaves them together in an easy to follow and engrossing history. At times, the book is difficult to read, yet it is worth reading. Not only should we be confronted with uncomfortable truths but also, so we know what happened.

In many ways, this is an excellent book to assign to a college class or an upper-level high school class. It is clear, concise, and has an emotional impact. Students should be able to see themselves in the four people that Ramsey has chosen to highlight, at least in terms of the background of those people. I mentioned this book when a student asked what I was reading, and he immediately said that he wanted to read it. And if that isn’t an endorsement, then I really don’t know what is.

If I had any quibble with this book it has to do with the four people who were chosen. It should be noted that Ramsey treats all four with respect. But the ratio is 3:1 in favor of men, and the one woman is the one addict. This isn’t a problem, and her story, because of who she becomes, is vitally important. I just wish there had been another non-addict female voice to balance out the male voices. I do love the fact that Ramsey included a politician, and that provides a unique use of the narratives because we are getting them from different perspectives on all sides of the issue/history.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was familiar with the history of the crack epidemic before this book. That said, if there is one book you should read about it - make it this one. The history is there and accurate. In addition Ramsay has woven in the stories of how the epidemic impacted individuals by following four people through their experiences in some of the worst hit areas. These stories resonated with me as so familiar to stories of others I have known. One small quibble is that it doesn't show the long term health decline, usually in kidney disease and failure for former addicts and the impact of these early deaths, often following late reunions, by their children and grandchildren. The trauma continues. To understand it better start here, and then talk to people where you live.

[Sarah (menace mode) · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The crack epidemic was the consequences of the anti-Blackness that permeated and continues to permeate every face of American society and public policy. Reagan, the CIA, the cartels had no need to conspire, because the entire machinery of the United States was designed to our detriment or with no regard for us at all. The crack epidemic was not the product of an anti-Black conspiracy but the product of an anti-Black system.” I’m just going to leave that there because it sums up the book’s message much better, and in a more articulate way, than I ever could. Donovan Ramsey’s choice to write this history through the eyes of 4 individuals that were directly effected by both the crack epidemic and the government’s response was perfect, and serves to highlight the bonds of community that helped marginalized communities pull through when no one else was pulling for them. 100000000/10.

[L Ann]

This was such an interesting and eye-opening book. I wasn’t necessarily shocked by all the blatant racism and economic struggles that african americans had to deal with but having it so brazenly laid out like this, one horrific incident after another, building upon each other, leading up to the explosion of the crack epidemic in the 1980s made for some very difficult reading. Reading so matter-of-factly about riots that led to the deaths of so many innocent people felt strange, and the anger that I felt had nowhere to go. 

I initially thought that the addition of the personal stories by the four people who lived through this time period would make the book more captivating, but after a while, I lost interest in everyone but Lennie’s story. Having the historical portions broken up by their ongoing stories threw me off and broke whatever informational high I was experiencing. I eventually skipped those sections, finished the book, and then went back and finished Lennie’s story. She had a difficult childhood, became hooked on crack while she was still a teenager, then became a prostitute to support her habit. The things she had to deal with, the things she had to do in order to survive, they were horrible and I commend her for being able to get out of that lifestyle and being the amazing person she is today.

*******
I was born in the 1980s and always heard jokes about crackheads and crack babies. Though I wasn’t a part of that world, I lived during the time of drug related gang violence and mass incarceration. I remember being in the D.A.R.E program and the “war on drugs.” Even though I’m half Asian I still remember the stereotypes that all black people had to deal with because of that epidemic and what it did to the people caught up in it. The gangsta rap and movies depicting that lifestyle used to scare me, but I was too young to think to think about it too critically. I’m so proud of the author for putting this together. He deserves all the praise he’s currently receiving. 

[Andriy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enormously admire how carefully and how critically Donovan X. Ramsey presented his research throughout this book, humanizing (by presenting and preserving the memories of) the communities so disproportionately targeted by federal authorities’ policing, and tracking the responses of the government forces and mainstream media outlets spanning decades.

I especially liked how the author pinpointed the issue of misunderstanding addiction and its devastating cycles fueled by the politics and incompetence of officials during several administrations, lack of recognition and treatment for related mental health illnesses such as depression and PTSD, and powerfully constructed, flawed, and dehumanizing perceptions of inner-city communities, hit the hardest by the drug epidemic and targeted via racially biased policing and incarceration.

I also really liked Ramsey’s elaborate and exemplary mention of the importance of culture (hip-hop, music, film) and community efforts in forcing the epidemic to end, contrasting the belief that it had ended primarily because of heavy policing.

I thank Donovan for honestly providing his reflection on accumulating and re-living immense grief and trauma himself, as was and still is experienced by many of the interviewees - something that cannot be quantified or measured but should be of equal importance as any numbers used by the media and governments to bring up the implications of such epidemic then, and to this day.

With Ramsey's book including so much historical research and a rich bibliography at the end, I also had hoped to see some references/footnotes throughout the book, allowing the readers to further examine the primary sources with court hearings/policy proposals and acts/speeches/media articles, etc.

[Darryl Suite · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly an eye-opening experience. Like damn.

[Brynne Wisner · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨audiobooked✨
This was so depressing but understandably so given the subject matter. The book did a great job humanizing the crack epidemic and I appreciated how the book alternated between first hand experiences and the background information of the time period. I learned a lot.

[Shanice · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a huge fan of TV shows like Snowfall, BMF and Narcos and films like Cocaine Cowboys, Kill the Messenger and Paid in Full, I knew that this book would be everything that my crack cocaine epidemic obsessed heart could wish for. 😊

In When Crack Was King: A People’s History of a Misunderstood Era, Donovan X. Ramsey skillfully combines meticulous research with the personal accounts of four individuals whose lives were greatly impacted and/or influenced by the crack epidemic of the 1980s and 1990s. While the shows I mentioned above highlight the glamour, wealth and notoriety that comes with being a successful player in the drug game, When Crack Was King gives a voice to the victims and those who fought for them. We get to know Elgin whose father openly used crack in their home, Lennie who experienced crack addiction and prostitution at a young age, Kurt Schmoke who was the first African American to be elected as mayor of Baltimore, and Shawn who was a founding member of “Newark’s most legendary group of drug traffickers”. These firsthand narratives allow readers to connect with these characters on a deeper level; we get insight into their trauma and humanity rather than focusing on the stigma and disgrace associated with crack use.

The historical events that were covered in When Crack Was King were equally as informative and enlightening. I learned about incidents that either occurred before I was born or when I was too young to be aware of them. I was intrigued by the research that was done on the effects of prenatal cocaine exposure on developmental outcomes, which concluded that the term “crack baby” was a myth. I was enthralled reading about Jimmy’s World, a fabricated news article by Janet Cooke published in The Washington Post about an eight-year-old heroin addict. Bill Clinton’s “Sister Souljah moment” introduced me to a political moment and term that I had never heard of.

In summary, this was an impressive book by a talented debut author that I highly recommend to anyone with a desire to know more about this time in American history.

[Kaitlin Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well this was just FANTASTIC. The author expertly weaves history and stats with the stories of four real people. So interesting, well-written, and thought-provoking. Extra points for the focus on Baltimore!

[julia ☆ [owls reads] · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very well researched and thought-provoking book that gave me better insight into the crack epidemic.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent study of 4 individuals during the 80s-90s when crack cocaine was on the street and in the news. I always agreed that the U.S. government helped get crack into the poorest Black neighborhoods to destabilize these communities and create a distraction from its own nefarious activities. On the heels of "American Prison", I still agree, but with a new and more knowledgeable perspective.

I listened to the audiobook and the author is an excellent narrator.

[Tamisha booklovertamisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a well researched, in-depth book that gave us the hard truth about the crack era. As a child growing up during this time, this book brought back many memories - both good and bad.

Donovan Ramsey did a phenomenal job weaving the stories of four very different people, with the hard facts about this time period. Each area was represented: the LA addict, the Newark dealer, the NY son of an addict, and the mayor of Baltimore.

Everything is covered: the rise of crack, the War on Drugs, the derogatory terms, the Iran-Contra conspiracy, the DARE program, etc. This book gave light to the racial and political factors that played a huge role in this epidemic. It is definitely a must-read for anyone interested in the humanity and politics of addiction.

[Robyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHEN CRACK WAS KING
Donovan X Ramsey

Wow, a great history of the crack epidemic. The history is wrapped up in a story about four people. One addict, two dealers, and a politician.

Well done. What a read.

5 stars

Happy Reading!

[chasc.taylor_reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a must read! When Crack Was King is a nonfiction novel about the effects of crack cocaine on the black community.

This book discusses the involvement of the government, the roles of poverty/scarcity/unemployment, and environmental factors which contributed to one’s addiction or willingness to sell drugs. (The author touched on the disparity of unemployment in black young adults which was more than double that of whites in the same age group. See how this relates to the necessity of DEI initiatives in the workplace?!)

It’s both interesting and infuriating to see how crack addiction was criminalized (racially exploited) vs meth and opioid addictions being deemed public health crises.

While this is nonfiction, it is written in a way that is approachable. There were some parts that felt a little slow. It also focused more on certain stories vs others, which left me a bit curious about those individuals.

[••• Emilee ••• · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredibly written and well-researched. My brain is melting with so much information. I learned a lot and I now understand how crack was racialized and used as a weapon against black people. Extremely heartbreaking and powerful.

I think millennials and those before would really be informed and shocked by this book. The crack epidemic was before my time, though I know that drugs are used to imprison POCs wrongfully today.

The war on drugs was such a waste of time, money and resources. What a racist disaster.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book follows the lives of 4 people impacted by the crack epidemic (a user/prostitute turned drug councilor, a boy who grew up in a crack house, the mayor of Baltimore in the 80’s/90’s, and a dealer turned community organizer), interspersed with critical historical background on how crack came to be, how it became an epidemic, how the war on drugs failed, and ultimately how the Black American community overcame and rebounded from yet another systemic hurdle placed/left in their way. Would highly recommend.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to come.

[Iliana Yanes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well constructed and super digestible despite the heavy topic; deserves a place in the must-read canon

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Important, educational, and captivating

[Dawn Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book just blew me away. The amount of research that went into it is nothing short of amazing and I am in awe of the stories that Mr. Ramsey was able to tell. What is even more amazing to me is that this is Mr. Ramsey's first book; you absolutely do not get that sense when you are doing the deep dive into the drug world, the government that contributed to the drug culture and the people that lived it. In fact, about halfway through, I went looking for other books by Mr. Ramsey and was shocked to find that this was his first book as you do not get that sense from the breadth and compassion, but never pity or condemnation in the way he writes. I will go as far to as to say he writes better than some seasoned biographers I have read in the past.

Told through the eyes of 4 people and then also from the governments involvement [the "war" on drugs and the farce that was], the story begins in 1965 with Lennie and ends with all four in present day. And what a story it is. It is happy and sad and heartbreaking and joyous. It is heart-racing and resignation, and it is every-man. Anyone can relate to this book - we have all known someone [of the friend/family member of someone] who has struggled with drugs and addiction and this book will resonate with everyone who reads it. There is never any judgement here, resignation at times yes [the author talks about his own struggles in getting this book written and how it affected him], but always trying to find the hope and joy in the lives of the people he is writing about.

Told with feeling and caring, this book is a MUST READ for everyone. I cannot state that enough. We should ALL be reading this book. Absolutely brilliant. I will forever be changed by what I read.

Thank you to Donovan X Ramsey for writing the book we ALL need to be reading. I am so grateful for your ability to write about a subject that I thought I knew about, but found I was mostly [sadly] mistaken. I am grateful for the chance to read this and learn from it.
I was asked to read/review this book by Random House Publishing Group - Random House/One World and I thank them for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Nakia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Feels weird to say an examination of America's crack era was good as hell, but it was! I put this on my #BHM2024 reading list after hearing Donovan X. Ramsey on an episode of NPR's Fresh Air, and I'm so happy I did.

I loved Ramsey's creative narrative technique of selecting various people across the states affected by this epidemic and telling the story of this era through their lives: former mayor of Baltimore, a former athlete turned dealer in New Jersey, a former dealer raised by a user in New York, and a user struggling with their addiction in Los Angeles. It gave me The Warmth of Other Suns vibes, which I'm always here for.

I very much appreciate Ramsey including a politician bogged down by the issues of this era who took a different approach in handling it by proposing the decriminalization of crack. I remember the character based on him in The Wire. This addition to the book drew me in because I remembered thinking, while watching The Wire, that of course drugs should have been decriminalized to take the power of selling it away from the dealers. It sounded like a much better idea than mass incarceration. I had no idea that scenario was based on a real person's real efforts to curb the violence and criminalization of our community. I can't shake the feeling of how different our communities would be today had his proposed solutions been taken seriously (I also loved that his focus was literacy during his time in office; a very smart man).

Another great aspect of this book was Ramsey's focus on the individual living conditions and family issues leading people to become dealers and users. I was born near the beginning of this era and was sheltered from the effects of it, but those I know who were affected by it did not jump into it for "fun" or to "party", but more as a balm, or a distraction from serious pain brought on by poverty and abuse. It was disheartening to see how quickly and easily nearly every aspect of American society made using or dealing a moral failing instead of a social justice issue.

Even though this book was good, it was another example of learning the detailed steps of how my community has been destroyed by politicians using Black people as the Boogeyman and "tough on crime" tactics to get elected. Reading the harm done by Nixon, Reagan, Biden and Clinton was maddening.

Near the end of the book, Ramsay shares how his research and writing on this topic negatively affected his physical and mental health, and even though I was surprised (but glad) it was included in the book, I was not surprised by the impact. As James Baldwin said so long ago "To be a Negro in this country and to be relatively conscious is to be in a rage almost all the time." This book definitely brought on the rage, especially the section on Reagan, Iran Contras, the Clintons, and the news stories revealing DEA connections to this epidemic that were swept under the rug.

I really appreciated Ramsey ending the book by sharing how local grass roots community organizations, and hip hop (surprise, surprise!) helped put an end to this era. Outsiders love to act like we don't help ourselves even when the the evidence is right in their faces. Thankful he recognized the efforts of hardworking genuine people to win their communities back from addiction.

When Crack was King was good, accessible and very intriguing; perfect for readers who don't gel well with non-fiction or history. This was also a great read for Black history month. Looking forward to more insightful examinations of history from Ramsey.

Side note: It was also very interesting to read this book while listening to the Holy Week podcast by The Atlantic (on Spotify) which details the effects of the riots after MLK was murdered. It was all a big coincidence, but kind of perfect how well the podcast and this book seamlessly connected the two eras.