Dr. Peniel Joseph – an author, scholar and leading public voice on race issues in America – gave a riveting presentation at the WOW Dems meeting on Sept. 17.  His excellent knowledge and frank discussion of the history of racism in our country had us on the edge of our seats.

What Dr. Joseph Had to Say

He started with America’s original sin, slavery, and shared an abbreviated history lesson from 1619 to the present, giving example after example of systemic racism through generations up to and including today. He said, “The way in which we’ve treated black people is morally reprehensible and politically indefensible. What you’re hoping is that somehow, it’s redeemable.”

After his 30-minute spell-binding speech, he had time for only a few questions, but the 60+ participants felt we could have listened to him all night! If you missed it, you can play the video here.

Dr. Joseph is a professor at the University of Texas at Austin and founding director of the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy (CSRD). To help advance his compelling work and study of race in America, please make a tax-deductible donation to CSRD. Any amount is appreciated.

More ways to learn about CSRD & get involved:

The links below are of great interest:

Watch recent webinars on the CSRD YouTube Channel.

Listen to the CSRD Podcast, Race and Democracy:

Last, Dr. Joseph’s newest book is The Sword and the Shield: The Revolutionary Lives of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr.

Dr. Joseph’s Recommended Reading List

“Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents” by Isabel Wilkerson

“The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America” by Richard Rothstein

“From Here to Equality: Reparations for Black-Americans in the Twentieth Century” by William A. Darity Jr. and Andrea Kirsten Mullen

“How to be an Antiracist” by Ibram X. Kendi

“Race for Profit: How Banks and the Real Estate Industry Undermined Black Homeownership” by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor

“Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America” by Ibram X. Kendi

“Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You: A Remix of the book Stamped from the Beginning” (An adaptation for young adults) by Jason Reynolds

“Race for Profit: How Banks and the Real Estate Industry Undermined Black Homeownership” by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor

“This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War” by Drew Gilpin Faust

“The Sword and the Shield: The Revolutionary Lives of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr.” by Peniel E. Joseph

“When Affirmative Action Was White: An Untold History of Racial Inequality in Twentieth-Century America” by Ira Katznelson

“White Fragility: Why it’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism” by Robin DiAngelo