In ‘The Third Reconstruction,’ Peniel E. Joseph Outlines the U.S. Struggle for Racial Justice in the 21st Century

By Rebecca DeWolf

Demonstrators angry at the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the death of Black teen Trayvon Martin protest on the 10 Freeway stopping traffic in Los Angeles.
Demonstrators angry at the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the death of Trayvon Martin protest on the 10 Freeway stopping traffic in Los Angeles, California July 14, 2013. (ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)
At a July 2013 White House press conference, President Barack Obama addressed the Black community’s anguish over the shocking shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. The United States’ first Black president’s poignant statement underscored how the Black community views “this issue through a set of experiences and a history that doesn’t go away.” This indelible set of experiences and history are at the heart of historian Peniel E. Joseph’s latest work, The Third Reconstruction: America’s Struggle for Racial Justice in the Twenty-First Century.

Joseph’s work serves both as a memoir and a historical analysis. It combines stories from his personal life as a child of Haitian immigrants with an exploration of the U.S.’s racial past that not only spotlights the historical contributions of Black women and queer Black people, but also sheds light on the present to bring hope for the future.

Joseph’s profound examination of the U.S.’s racial past and present is punctuated by a detail-rich discussion of how Black women and the queer Black community have guided movements for social justice and equality throughout American history…

To continue reading visit: Ms. Magazine


Ms. Magazine is a partner of the ERA Coalition and the Fund for Women’s Equality.

Connect and Follow Us


Twitter: @4womensequality and @eracoalition
Instagram: @fundforwomensequality and @eracoalition
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fundforwomensequality

Share:

Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on linkedin
Help Us Make This Happen

Donate to FFWE

Your contribution will help us to implement laws ensuring sex equality across the country!

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *