One of today’s most insightful and influential thinkers offers a powerful exploration of inequality and the lesson that generations of Americans have failed to learn: Racism has a cost for everyone—not just for people of color. “This is the book I’ve been waiting for.”—Ibram X. Kendi, #1 New York Times bestselling author of How to Be an Antiracist Heather McGhee’s specialty is the American economy—and the mystery of why it so often fails the American public. From the financial crisis to rising student debt to collapsing public infrastructure, she found a common root problem: racism. But not just in the most obvious indignities for people of color. Racism has costs for white people, too. It is the common denominator of our most vexing public problems, the core dysfunction of our democracy and constitutive of the spiritual and moral crises that grip us all. But how did this happen? And is there a way out? McGhee embarks on a deeply personal journey across the country from Mississippi to California to Maine, tallying what we lose when we buy into the zero-sum paradigm—the idea that progress for some of us must come at the expense of others. Along the way, she meets white people who confide in her about losing their homes, their dreams, and their shot at better jobs to the toxic mix of American racism and greed. This is the story of how public goods in this country—from parks and pools to functioning schools—have become private luxuries; of how unions collapsed, wages stagnated, and inequality increased; and of how this country, unique among the world’s advanced economies, has thwarted universal healthcare. But in unlikely places of worship and work, McGhee finds proof of what she calls the Solidarity Dividend: gains that come when people come together across race, to accomplish what we simply can’t do on our own.
The Sum of Us is a brilliant analysis of how we arrived here: divided and self-destructing, materially rich but spiritually starved and vastly unequal. McGhee marshals economic and sociological research to paint an irrefutable story of racism’s costs, but at the heart of the book are the humble stories of people yearning to be part of a better America, including white supremacy’s collateral victims: white people themselves. With startling empathy, this heartfelt message from a Black woman to a multiracial America leaves us with a new vision for a future in which we finally realize that life can be more than zero-sum.
The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together is a powerful and eye-opening book by Heather McGhee that explores the devastating impact of racism on our society, economy, and democracy. McGhee argues that racism is not just a moral issue, but a systemic problem that has profound consequences for all Americans, regardless of race.
Drawing on extensive research and personal narratives, McGhee reveals how racism has historically been used to divide and conquer working-class Americans, pitting white workers against Black workers and immigrants. She shows how this divide has been used to justify policies that benefit the wealthy and powerful at the expense of everyone else, creating a system where everyone except the privileged few are left to compete for scraps.
McGhee also argues that racism is not just a problem of the past. It is a problem that continues to shape our society today, from our criminal justice system to our education system to our housing market. She shows how racism has led to mass incarceration, poverty, and discrimination, and how it has made it harder for all Americans to achieve their full potential.
The Sum of Us is a call to action for all Americans to come together and fight for a more just and equitable society. McGhee provides a roadmap for how we can overcome racism and create a society where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. She argues that by investing in our communities, by fighting for fair wages and affordable housing, and by creating a truly inclusive democracy, we can build a better future for all Americans.
The Sum of Us is an essential read for anyone who wants to understand the history and legacy of racism in America, and for anyone who wants to fight for a better future for all.
