The Moment: Thoughts on the Race Reckoning That Wasn’t and How We All Can Move Forward Now [9780063085039]

Overview

“Toni Morrison once said, ‘The function, the very serious function of racism is distraction.’ In The Moment, Bakari Sellers brilliantly and precisely cuts through the noise of the calculated, well-financed, and relentless campaign by conservative media, think tanks, and politicians to end the post-George Floyd ‘racial reckoning’ and reverse the civil rights victories of the past fifty years. This is a must-read!”—Joy-Ann Reid, New York Times bestselling author and host of MSNBC's The Reid Out 

The New York Times bestselling author of My Vanishing Country examines the modern political landscape and policies that are impacting Black families and communities, and in this work of urgent political commentary, offers solutions for a better tomorrow.

In late May in 2020, while discussing the murder of George Floyd on CNN, Bakari Sellers spoke from the heart sharing devastating insight that touched millions around the world: “It’s just so much pain. You get so tired. We have black children. I have a 15-year-old daughter. I mean, what do I tell her? I’m raising a son. I have no idea what to tell him. It’s just—it’s hard being black in this country when your life is not valued and people are worried about the protesters and the looters. And it’s just people who are frustrated for far too long and not have their voices heard.”

In this powerful and persuasive book, Sellers expands on the issues he addressed in his New York Times bestseller My Vanishing Country, examining the systemic racism in national politics and policies that deeply impact not only Black people in his home state of South Carolina but the lives of millions of African Americans in communities across the nation. Four years later, Sellers has an answer to the question he raised on CNN, offering much-needed prescriptions for racial justice to help all Black American lives.

Sellers explores inequities in healthcare, education, early childhood education, and policing, drawing on interviews with numerous thought leaders such as pioneering voting rights and poverty activist the Rev. William Barber, and Ben Crump, the civil rights legend who successfully uses the law to achieve justice for people of color in racially charged cases. He also shares his thoughts on conservative media and the forces and dark money behind firebrands such as Tucker Carlson. This thoughtful and practical work is a timely meditation on the state of our world today and a call to action in the ongoing fight for civil rights and a better tomorrow.

How can we cut through the noise and continue the fight for justice in a divided America?

• Black Activism Past and Present: Connects the struggles of the civil rights movement, through the eyes of his activist father Cleveland Sellers, to the modern-day fight for equality.
• Institutional Racism: An unflinching analysis of the inequities in healthcare, education, and policing that continue to devastate Black communities across the nation.
• The Politics of Division: A behind-the-scenes look at the conservative media machine, the dark money that funds it, and the real-world impact of firebrands like Tucker Carlson.
• A Prescription for the Future: Goes beyond the diagnosis of the problem to offer concrete, actionable solutions for creating a more just and equitable America for everyone.