Nobody: Casualties of America's War on the Vulnerable, from Ferguson to Flint and Beyond by Marc Lamont Hill

Nobody: Casualties of America's War on the Vulnerable, from Ferguson to Flint and Beyond by Marc Lamont Hill

4.5/5

272 pages

In this “thought-provoking and important” (Library Journal) analysis of state-sanctioned violence, Marc Lamont Hill carefully considers a string of high-profile deaths in America—Sandra Bland, Freddie Gray, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, and others—and incidents of gross negligence by government, such as the water crisis in Flint, Michigan. He digs underneath these events to uncover patterns and policies of authority that allow some citizens become disempowered, disenfranchised, poor, uneducated, exploited, vulnerable, and disposable. To help us understand the plight of vulnerable communities, he examines the effects of unfettered capitalism, mass incarceration, and political power while urging us to consider a new world in which everyone has a chance to become somebody. Heralded as an essential text for our times, Marc Lamont Hill’s galvanizing work embodies the best traditions of scholarship, journalism, and storytelling to lift unheard voices and to address the necessary question, “how did we get here?"

This was an extremely interesting read.  Hill gives a deeper analysis of certain high-coverage cases (Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, Flint Water Crisis, etc.) by placing those events into the context of political, economic, and legal history.  While not all-encompassing, a lot of ground is covered and the footnotes are extensive, which I appreciate.  I was forced to think, and I did learn some new things - so, overall, this is absolutely worth your time.     

Unfortunately, little is suggested about how to make these situations and issues better, but I don't think that is the point of this short examination.  I will be looking up more of Hill's writings, for sure.  

Floating City: A Rogue Sociologist Lost and Found in New York's Underground Economy by Sudhir Venkatesh

(Posted for Paul Mathews)

While attending Columbia University, the author does research on the New York City social groups and those trying to rise from their poor racial beginnings.  304 pages.

The Illegal by Lawrence Hill

Lawrence Hill is a fine writer, however, this is not one of his better works.  It is the story of an exceptional runner, Keita Ali, who is from a fictitious country that seems to almost breed exceptional runners.  His father is an investigative journalist (oh, and he is a also a character from another of Hill's works, but there is no reason for this recycled character, for there is no thread between the books).  The father is brutally murdered by the evil rulers of the fictitious country because of some secret investigation he was involved in.  Keita is forced to flee the nation before the cardboard cutout evil rulers get their hands on him.  There is no explanation as to why they are so interested in the Ali family.  Keita flees to a neighboring nation, where he is befriended by an odd assortment of characters who provide him with shelter, decent food and health care, and help him to enter one race after another in order to earn his way to clearing his father's tarnished name.  I kept hoping something would evolve, which would answer some of my questions, and most especially the largest one, which was why I kept reading.  But I did, if for no other reason than to warn unsuspecting readers who might be familiar with the author not to bother with this book.
400 pages