During June 2020 demonstrations protesting the police murder of George Floyd, activist and filmmaker Jones created a YouTube video titled “How Can We Win?” that uses a Monopoly game to metaphorically describe the generational wealth disparity between white and Black Americans since the end of chattel slavery. This book expands on the video’s theory and suggests policies to redress the economic imbalance. As a means to equitably distribute educational and economic resources, Jones proposes “Reconstruction 2.0,” a sort of reboot of the post–Civil War Reconstruction period that was cut short by Jim Crow institutional racism. Jones contends that civil rights–era legislation provided increased access to education, housing, and employment for Black Americans but did not eliminate economic inequality. She demonstrates that generational wealth (often acquired via property ownership) has been denied to Black Americans since the end of slavery, which continues to lead to economic disadvantages. Complete with guidelines for building financial and educational skill sets, Jones’s book is a call-to-action that stresses the limitations that Black Americans have historically faced and offers a road map to equality. VERDICT Readers interested in societal inequity and effecting change will find this book informative and helpful.
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