2)
Black Fatigue is the first book to name and describe a phenomena Black people know well: the multifaceted physical and psychological damage wrought by simply living, day by day, in a racist society. This is a vital resource for Black and non-Black people who are looking for ways to heal, learn, and have productive and supportive conversations about racial injustice and trauma. To move forward, we need to know where we came from and where we are — Black Fatigue is the foundation from which we can begin to imagine a better world, together.
Black Fatigue highlights the history of white supremacist, racist systems that led to Black intergenerational fatigue. It focuses on the impact of Black fatigue on Blacks and on society. The racist system is not just literally killing Black people; it is tearing the nation apart. In every aspect of life, from socioeconomics to education, the workforce, criminal justice and, very importantly, health outcomes. It is paradoxical that with all the attention over the last 50 years on social justice and diversity and inclusion, we have made little progress in actualizing the vision of an equitable society.
Black Fatigue provides an in-depth account of why Black people are fatigued and what we can do about it. White people who read Black Fatigue will not only be educated on the history of racism but may also be motivated to become an anti-racist, an ally, and a power broker for systemic change. It will provide a necessary context to engage in inclusive conversations. For Black people, it will also be educational and affirming, and when one of your white colleagues asks you to educate them, you can refer them to this resource so as not to exacerbate your fatigue.
Black Fatigue tells the truth. African Americans are tired. We are weighed down by a kind of exhaustion that cuts to the bone. Mary-Frances Winters brilliantly shows us how this Black fatigue animates our way of living and how the racism that causes it shapes social structures and affects the distribution of advantage and disadvantage. This book helps us see what is happening to us — all of us — on the inside. A must read for these times.
– Eddie S. Glaude Jr., PhD., Author of Begin Again: Jame’s Baldwin’s America and Its Urgent Lessons for our Own
