This book offers perhaps the most profound and yet concise explanation of the origins of 'white supremacy' -- as a concept, a practice, and even a legal framework at one time in our country. She has taken an extremely complicated issue and presented it in a way that is easy to follow, makes a great deal of sense, and I think it should be national required reading, for ALL ages.

Every southerner (and that certainly holds a facet of my identity) should read this book. Only thing holding it back from 5 stars was the first section was painful to read- her style took some getting used to. But overall, loved the back 3/4s of this book. Much food for thought

Changed my life in seminary and gave perspective to my own upbringing (which was far more Lillian Smith-like than Southern). I keep returning to the first chapters and the sense of futility expressed by her camper, especially after the experience of the play--not out of some masochistic tendency, but because I know that it will always take strength to speak out against racism. It helps me to name what we're up against (which has expanded in the years since the publication).