Stakes Is High, Mychal Denzel Smith

 

Stakes Is High:  Life after the American dream by Mychal Denzel Smith was on a list of books to read about racism; I think it was in The Nation.

Started: 9/21/2020
Completed: 9/23/2020
Recommendation: Highly Recommended
Recommended By: An anti-racist list

Review:

"It is important here to define 'justice' as the US legal system has perverted our sense of what constitutes it.  It cannot be punishment or retribution for harm caused--justice is not revenge.  Rather, justice is a proactive commitment to providing each person with the material and social conditions in which they can both survive and thrive as a healthy and self-actualized human being."

Mychal Smith puts words and concepts into perspective.  He is quick to point to the heart of a matter and derive a world view consistent with this understanding.  I need this kind of writing as a lifeblood.  This kind of book moves my heart, captures my brain, and forces attention.  Wow.

"What does not have to end is our commitment to each other."