It's not the first time white America has been charged with genocide, but rarely has the case been made so clearly and succinctly ... a harrowing read, but readers who feel overwhelmed by the barrage of documented injustice and cases of white police officers literally getting away with murder – over and over again – will hopefully bear in mind that reading about it is surely less harrowing than what living it must be like for many Black Americans ... Crump's study is a comprehensive one; after discussing individual cases which exemplify forms of legalized genocide against colored people, the later half of the book provides a broad scan of systemic forms of racism and genocide ... a grim read, but an essential one ... White readers wishing to educate themselves as to the scale of the problem would do well to read Crump's harrowing yet superb study.
Many readers will be justifiably infuriated by the author’s well-documented findings; hopefully, they will also choose to follow his 12 'personal action steps' to combat systemic racism ... There is much more to inequality and discrimination than we know, and Crump will open your eyes. Pay attention.
Throughout, Crump uses court cases of police misconduct to prove his overall argument. While this is effective in supporting the author’s thesis, it is easy to become fatigued by the repeated inability of the courts to recognize injustice perpetrated by police. Also, Crump’s argument of legal genocide is occasionally repetitious and might distract general readers ... Despite a few dense sections, this is overall a critical book in the age of Black Lives Matter, suited for both YA and adult readers.
