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A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK: San Francisco Chronicle, O, the Oprah Magazine, Time Out, Town and Country, Lithub

From journalist and New York Times bestselling author Charles Blow comes a powerful manifesto and call to action for Black Americans to amass political power and fight white supremacy.

Race, as we have come to understand it, is a fiction; but, racism, as we have come to live it, is a fact. The point here is not to impose a new racial hierarchy, but to remove an existing one. After centuries of waiting for white majorities to overturn white supremacy, it seems to me that it has fallen to Black people to do it themselves.

Acclaimed columnist and author Charles Blow never wanted to write a “race book.” But as violence against Black people—both physical and psychological—seemed only to increase in recent years, culminating in the historic pandemic and protests of the summer of 2020, he felt compelled to write a new story for Black Americans. He envisioned a succinct, counterintuitive, and impassioned corrective to the myths that have for too long governed our thinking about race and geography in America. Drawing on both political observations and personal experience as a Black son of the South, Charles set out to offer a call to action by which Black people can finally achieve equality, on their own terms.

So what will it take to make lasting change when small steps have so frequently failed? It’s going to take an unprecedented shift in power. The Devil You Know is a groundbreaking manifesto, proposing nothing short of the most audacious power play by Black people in the history of this country. This book is a grand exhortation to generations of a people, offering a road map to true and lasting freedom.

The Devil You Know: A Black Power Manifesto by Charles M. Blow is a provocative and timely examination of the state of race relations in America. Blow, a New York Times columnist, argues that the election of Barack Obama did not signal the end of racism, but rather exposed the deep-seated racial divisions that still exist in our society. He calls for a new Black Power movement, one that is unapologetic in its demands for justice and equality.

Blow's book is divided into three parts. In the first part, he provides a historical overview of the Black Power movement, from its origins in the 1960s to its resurgence in recent years. He argues that the movement has always been about more than just racial equality; it is also about economic justice, social justice, and self-determination. In the second part of the book, Blow discusses the current state of race relations in America. He points to the persistent racial disparities in education, employment, housing, and criminal justice as evidence that racism is still a major problem. He also discusses the rise of the alt-right and the increasing acceptance of white nationalism in mainstream politics. In the third part of the book, Blow lays out his vision for a new Black Power movement. He calls for a movement that is intersectional, that includes all people of color, regardless of their gender, sexual orientation, or class. He also calls for a movement that is nonviolent and that is focused on building power and creating change through political action.

The Devil You Know is a powerful and important book. It is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the current state of race relations in America and who wants to work towards creating a more just and equitable society.