Kirkus Reviews "A welcome and timely contribution to the conversation around civil rights."
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Rebirth of a Nation charts the story of how the United States consistently has failed to become a true democracy, both in terms of its policy and ideological development. It also points forcefully toward the crucial steps that must be taken to reverse that failure and produce a racially fair and just society."
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William A. Darity Jr., coauthor of From Here to Equality: Reparations for Black Americans in the Twenty-First Century "
Rebirth of a Nation makes a powerful case for historical reckoning in America. Goza's faith in, and bearing witness to the beauty of, Black resistance to systemic oppression reminds us that the soul of this nation can and must be redeemed. Everyone should read this book."
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Khalil Gibran Muhammad, author of The Condemnation of Blackness: Race, Crime, and the Making of Modern Urban America "
Rebirth of a Nation is simultaneously thought-provoking, somber, enraging, yet surprisingly hopeful. Goza powerfully and convincingly calls for reparations as a key pathway from our historical and current state of systemic racial inequality and injustice. The book envisions
an American rebirth as a viable democracy no longer wracked by the legacies of slavery, Jim Crow, colorblind racism, and the hatred unleashed after 2016."
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Carol Anderson, author of White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide "In
Rebirth of a Nation, Joel Goza powerfully explains how Thomas Jefferson perpetuated white supremacy and how Abraham Lincoln, evolving in the face of military necessity, somewhat mitigated it. He helps us to understand why we have not eradicated white supremacy even in the aftermath of the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. He also pulls back the curtain on how Ronald Reagan, one of our country's most popular presidents, perpetuated and heightened white supremacy. The book effectively achieves part of the work that must be done if we are ever to have reparative justice for our country's racial wrongs."
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Mary Frances Berry, author of History Teaches Us to Resist: How Progressive Movements Have Succeeded in Challenging Times "A powerful blend of history, meditation, and social commentary, Joel Edward Goza's
Rebirth of a Nation documents the persistence of white supremacy in the United States and considers what it has cost us as a nation. This thoughtful and compelling book offers a way forward for anyone seeking to advance social justice."
--Keisha N. Blain, editor of Wake Up America: Black Women on the Future of Democracy "
Rebirth of a Nation takes its readers on an emotional and transformative journey. In an engaging narrative, Joel Edward Goza chronicles indisputable facts to explain religious and scientific justifications to dehumanize people of African descent. He connects these to the structure of US systems, policies, and laws used to violently exploit, oppress, and lock African Americans out of myriad opportunities. In his well-documented and well-argued case for economic restitution and soul repair, he presents a call to those who have benefited from unequal advantages baked into a race-based caste system. He outlines how leaving the cocoon of denial and precarious comfort to right centuries of wrong will benefit everyone. His ideas can lead to the creation of a more perfect union."
--Michelle Duster, great-granddaughter of Ida B. Wells, author of Ida B. Wells: Voice of Truth "Goza is an esteemed scholar of African American history. In this book, he offers us his prodigious knowledge of racial inequality and systemic racism. In spite of our country's dark history, Goza is hopeful. He offers us a vision for a new America, one where true equality exists, and he has a practical plan for achieving this vision. This is an important book that will influence both individual lives and public policy."
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Mary Pipher, author of Writing to Change the World "In
Rebirth of a Nation, Joel Edward Goza gives us a historically grounded and deeply discerning look into the enduring power of white supremacy. He teaches, yes, but also makes a compelling case that learning is not enough: we must act upon what we know, and not just move toward reconciliation but repair the damage that America has inflicted upon its own citizens, its own best lights, and its own destiny."
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Timothy B. Tyson, author of The Blood of Emmett Till "The derision and hostility that too often greet the very idea of repair, where racial oppression is concerned, rest on lack of historical knowledge, dulling of moral sensibility, and failure of political imagination. Goza's impassioned and intelligent study addresses all three of these deficiencies in accessible, concrete, and moving ways."
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David Roediger, author of The Wages of Whiteness: Race and the Making of the American Working Class "Rebirth of a Nation is a masterpiece. . . . One of the most important books of the decade."
--Jonathan Spiro, author of Defending the Master Race: Conservation, Eugenics, and the Legacy of Madison Grant
