The Black Agenda
The Black Agenda, Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman, ed. Foreword by Tressie McMillan Cottom. St. Martin’s Press (ISBN: 9781250276872) 2022.
Summary: Black thinkers in various fields make recommendations to combat racism and promote needed societal change.
The year of 2020 brought COVID, which had a disproportionate impact on Black communities, and the demonstrations following the death of George Floyd, asphyxiated by a Minnesota police officer. Despite the election of a Black president, it was clear that the structures of a racialized society endured. In the wake of that, this book was written, an effort of Black scholars and leaders in a wide array of fields. These included climate, healthcare and wellness, education, technology, criminal justice, the economy, and public policy. In all, thirty scholars contributed essays framing in brief proposals to address the impacts of racism in their area of work. The contributors did not aim for exhaustive nor bandage solutions. Rather, the book represents the thought of Black experts to offer ways forward from within the Black community that honor Black identity.
The essays on climate focus on the special vulnerabilities of Black communities to extreme weather as well as integrating climate concerns with other pressing issues. Also, the special vulnerabilities of Black communities argue against an #alllivesmattering approach to the environment. Finally, a representative of the Black Queer community advocates for greater visibility for the sustainability efforts that have characterized that community.
Under healthcare, essays focus on public health efforts that reflect racial awareness as well as recruitment of more Blacks to work in the health system. On a different note, the concluding essay advocates for the formal recognition and support of careworkers, many unpaid. The essays on wellness focused on interventions that promoted preventive wellcare. This includes prenatal and infant care, disability initiatives, and mental health services. Finally, the cofounder of Health in Her HUE writes about technology focusing on the health needs of Black women.
The essays under the education section were among the most wide-ranging. Specifically, topics included COVID educational environments, expectations for Black girls, and the representation of Blacks in children’s books. Advanced education included consideration of the effects of automation on students at HBCUs and student debt on wealth building.
Under technology, one of the essays discusses bias against Blacks in facial recognition and other technologies. In addition, there is the matter of algorithmic discrimination. Finally, there are ways artificial intelligence is defined and implemented that harm marginalized groups.
The opening essay under the criminal justice section argues for increasing diversity of police departments and other measures to diminish the contentious relationship police have with Black Americans. One essay argues for alternatives to our system of incarceration, the largest such enterprise in the world. Then, the following essay considers the impact of incarcerating Black men on women and families. The final essay focuses on the particular relationship between queer Blacks and the police.
The section on economics begins with an essay on the monetary policies of the Federal Reserve and how they impact Black workers. The next essay recommends the use of stratification economics to best understand Black economic realities. Finally, two women advocate a framework that pursues economic recovery through uplifting Black women.
The public policy section opens with advocacy for voter mobilization. This is complemented in the next essay by advocating the role of policy wonks alongside activists and organizers. The next essay argues we can ino longer neglect the Black rural South in the pursuit of justice-centered policies. The final essay argues for an Economic Bill of Rights.
The political climate in 2026 is very different from 2022. But this, to me underscores the importance of the book. By and large, these people are not often at the table. Often, the “table” doesn’t even recognize there are Blacks with expertise to contribute. My hope is that a more enlightened day will come, when decisions are not made for Blacks but with them, listening to what they would contribute. This book represents an example of the scholarship, expertise, and insight that this community brings.