In the spring semester of the 2024 academic year, we will be hosting a book club spotlighting the book When Crack Was King: A People’s History of a Misunderstood Era by Donovan X. Ramsey. In this book, Donovan X. Ramsey traces the path from the last triumphs of the Civil Rights Movement to the devastating realities we live with today: a racist criminal justice system, continued mass incarceration and gentrification, and increased police brutality. Weaving together riveting research with the voices of survivors, When Crack Was King is a crucial reevaluation of the era and a powerful argument for providing historically violated communities with the resources they deserve.

This initial discussion will be the first of three meetings for this book. If you’d like to participate in the discussion, please read chapters in Act I through Act II (p. 3-88).