This smartly told, unflinching examination of the history of racism in the United States begins with a prologue acknowledging one of the realities of today: “This is a book of truth. So we’ll start by telling you the stone-cold fact that there are many people who do not want you to read it.” Each chapter examines a different dimension of white supremacy and suppression of Black people, including segregation, lynching, attacks on Black economic success, labor inequality, housing discrimination, education affirmative action, voting rights, activism, criminal justice and policing, environmental racism, and health care inequities. The short chapters begin with a brief spotlight on a contemporary person impacted by the issue before a historical deep dive of the topic. For example, an anecdote about Christian Cooper’s experience as a Black man birdwatching in Central Park in 2018 segues into a profile of Mary Church Terrell and her role in the history of legal segregation and perceived space ownership, from Jim Crow laws to Brown v. Board of Education. On their own, each chapter conveys how historical inequalities continue to shape the present. Collectively, they offer a compelling narrative for the interconnected and destructive forces designed to maintain inequality. The Afterword again reflects current headlines and is a call for change: “The history we learn about in school is a battleground … Opponents of the truth want to close the curtains on the facts. Fortunately, it’s within your power to determine what is true and what is not.”    (Age 12 and older)

New York Times bestselling author Michael Eric Dyson and critically acclaimed author Marc Favreau show how racial inequality permeates every facet of American society, through the lens of those pushing for meaningful change.   

The true story of racial inequality—and resistance to it—is the prologue to our present. You can see it in where we live, where we go to school, where we work, in our laws, and in our leadership. Unequal presents a gripping account of the struggles that shaped America and the insidiousness of racism, and demonstrates how inequality persists. 

As readers meet some of the many African American people who dared to fight for a more equal future, they also discover a framework for addressing racial injustice in their own lives. 

YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Award Finalist ★