“We need this book because too many still don’t get it. Too many still turn a blind eye to the realities of our past and present. Too many still refuse to connect the dots between slavery and today’s racial injustices. This book is a wake-up call, a demand for awareness, and a call to action. It’s about honoring the legacy of our ancestors by continuing their fight for true freedom and equality.”  —From the Foreword by Chuck D of Public Enemy<BR />  <BR /> “This book co-authored by Dr. Ben Chavis, with his distinguished civil rights legacy, provides us with a unique perspective on how slavery’s legacy still affects us today.”  —NBA Legend Isiah Thomas<BR />  <BR /> “Sadly, the majority of our civil rights leaders, including Martin Luther King, Jr., have passed on. Those remaining, such as Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, who were in the eye of the storm alongside Dr. King, must not only continue the fight, but have a responsibility to tell our story so our children, grandchildren, and generations to come never forget who we are and all we have been through. Dr. Ben Chavis owes it to us as Black people, but more importantly to future generations, for they must be equipped with nothing but the truth if they are to finish righting the wrong that was started over 400 years ago. We as elders must pave the way for them. This book will pave many miles toward that desired destination. Failure is not an option. Victory is a MUST!”  —Arikana Chihombori-Quao, African Union Ambassador to the United States of America<BR /><BR /> "An overview focusing on slavery’s grim legacy. Activist Chavis and journalist Brown trace the course of African slavery from its beginning in the 16th century, recounting its genocidal cruelty but emphasizing that emancipation did not eliminate institutional racism, economic and social exploitation of non-whites, or post-colonial oppression of Africa and its people. Sixteen chapters summarize this history but concentrate on its consequences. The Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery except as punishment for crime; the authors point out that from post–Civil War Black Codes to mass incarceration today, prison has been a vehicle for African American oppression. Redlining (banks denying loans to residents of low-income neighborhoods) is illegal, but a Black family looking to buy a house rarely has an easy time, they note. Urban renewal lost its shine when it became clear that it destroyed Black neighborhoods, but gentrification has had its own destructive impact. The authors acknowledge that progress has been made since the 1960s but contend that at the current rate it will take 500 years to close the economic gap. A long final section makes the case that reparations are due for the massive wealth that centuries of unpaid labor have delivered to whites and their businesses, even those not directly involved. Readers may be surprised when the authors recount examples of local governments approving restitution and even making modest payments, although these have been confined to cities and blue states; Congress has no current plans to get involved. It’s clear that the authors do not expect to win over skeptics but to inspire the like-minded, which their blistering recounting of centuries of injustices may well do. Fact-filled and unsettling."  —<I>Kirkus Reviews</I><BR /><BR />