Overview
āWith heartfelt prose and unyielding honesty, Baker explores the depths of her roots and invites readers to reflect on our own.āāDonovan X. Ramsey, author of the National Book Award for Nonfiction semi-finalist When Crack Was King
To understand the contemporary racial wealth gap, we must first unpack the historic attacks on Indigenous and Black land ownership. From the moment that colonizers set foot on Virginian soil, a centuries-long war was waged, resulting in an existential dilemma: Who owns what on stolen land? Who owns what with stolen labor? To answer these questions, we must confront one of this nationās first sins: stealing, hoarding, and commodifying the land.
Research suggests that between 1910 and 1997, Black Americans lost about 90% of their farmland. Land theft widened the racial wealth gap, privatized natural resources, and created a permanent barrier to access that should be a birthright for Black and Indigenous communities. Rooted traces the experiences of Brea Bakerās family history of devastating land loss in Kentucky and North Carolina, identifying such violence as the root of persistent inequality in this country. Ultimately, her grandparentsā commitment to Black land ownership resulted in the Bakers Acresāa haven for the family where they are sustained by the land, surrounded by love, and wholly free.
A testament to the Black farmers who dreamed of feeding, housing, and tending to their communities, Rooted bears witness to their commitment to freedom and reciprocal care for the land. By returning equity to a dispossessed people, we can heal both the land and our nationās soul.
This book title, Rooted (The American Legacy of Land Theft and the Modern Movement for Black Land Ownership), ISBN: 9780593447376, by Brea Baker, published by Random House Publishing Group (June 18, 2024) is available in hardcover. Our minimum order quantity is 25 copies. All standard bulk book orders ship FREE in the continental USA and delivered in 4-10 business days.
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