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)