The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together, by Heather McGhee takes an up-close and personal look at the issue of racism, its origins, its growth, and its twisted ability to continue to reach through to the present, infiltrating and poisoning every aspect of life, especially as it relates to the economics of the American system. 

When we say that racism is systemic, this book puts any second thoughts to rest. As a white woman, I have found myself questioning the reasons for why things are so mixed up, backwards, and unfathomable, like how can one of the wealthiest first world countries "not have nice things" as McGhee would say? Why do we continue to make poor policy choices that only widen the gap between the "haves" and the "have-nots"? A lot of times, I think "Well, it's just really complicated," and I can list off all the factors that contribute to the way of the American system. 

But at the end of the day, some of these factors that I have been lead to believe as factors aren't actually factors at all; they are just lies that have been told to manipulate thinking and the overall (white) public opinion. McGhee shows through research and personal narratives that all along, racism has been at the root. Have things gotten more tangled as we've gone along? Sure. But at the core is racism and a legacy of white supremacy.

If we work to untangle our learning, we'll see that poor policy and economic decisions have been made because of racism and white supremacy's need to survive, and as time has gone on, the issues that plague our country have just continued to get messier and more bundled up in complication, making it harder to find its ugly roots. But McGhee lays it all bare, and I applaud and thank her for her research and for her commitment to not only share the stories of those who have been impacted, Black and white alike, but to also shed light on the deeply troubling impact of our nation's past and present AND what we can do about it.

This is a deeply powerful book full of insight and, for especially white people, perspectives that challenge old and incredibly harmful ways of thinking. This is a must-read especially for white individuals like myself who can then begin to have conversations with white friends, family members, and colleagues who also need to rethink their own perspectives and what we've all been so manipulated into believing about most specifically economics and policy-making over the course of our nation's history. What a great unlearning! I hope to read more from Heather McGhee in the future. Her research is so important and her voice is helping to bring about change in our society.