When Crack Was King: A People's History of a Misunderstood Era (Unabridged)
-
-
4.7 • 26 Ratings
-
-
- $14.99
-
- $14.99
Publisher Description
LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD • A “vivid and frank” (NPR) account of the crack cocaine era and a community’s ultimate resilience, told through a cast of characters whose lives illuminate the dramatic rise and fall of the epidemic
“A master class in disrupting a stubborn narrative, a monumental feat for the fraught subject of addiction in Black communities.”—The Washington Post
“A poignant and compelling re-examination of a tragic era in America history . . . insightful . . . and deeply moving.”—Bryan Stevenson, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Just Mercy
FINALIST FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD • ONE OF THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY AND VULTURE’S TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR
A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: Time, The Washington Post, NPR, Chicago Public Library, Publishers Weekly, She Reads, Electric Lit, The Mary Sue
The crack epidemic of the 1980s and 1990s is arguably the least examined crisis in American history. Beginning with the myths inspired by Reagan’s war on drugs, journalist Donovan X. Ramsey’s exacting analysis traces the path from the last triumphs of the Civil Rights Movement to the devastating realities we live with today: a racist criminal justice system, continued mass incarceration and gentrification, and increased police brutality.
When Crack Was King follows four individuals to give us a startling portrait of crack’s destruction and devastating legacy: Elgin Swift, an archetype of American industry and ambition and the son of a crack-addicted father who turned their home into a “crack house”; Lennie Woodley, a former crack addict and sex worker; Kurt Schmoke, the longtime mayor of Baltimore and an early advocate of decriminalization; and Shawn McCray, community activist, basketball prodigy, and a founding member of the Zoo Crew, Newark’s most legendary group of drug traffickers.
Weaving together riveting research with the voices of survivors, When Crack Was King is a crucial reevaluation of the era and a powerful argument for providing historically violated communities with the resources they deserve.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
When Crack Was King proves that history done right can be downright thrilling. Donovan X. Ramsey tells the story of crack cocaine through the eyes of four people, stitching together a narrative that explores politics, cartels, and the fight for civil rights. We meet Shawn, a budding basketball star lured by the promise of big money; Kurt, a big-city mayor caught between common sense and politics; Lennie, an abused girl whose addiction leads her to the streets; and Elgin, a city kid confronting his father’s drug dealing. Their stories of hardship and redemption cut to the core, illustrating how the war on drugs led to abusive policing and shattered lives—none of which put a dent in crack’s explosive rise. Ramsey’s own plainspoken narration doesn’t add any unnecessary drama or pathos: It’s already there in these unvarnished tales. This is essential listening for anyone who wants to understand how the war on drugs continues to vex America.
Customer Reviews
It was yet another attack.
This book gets right into the profound grittiness of the crack era and covers a lot of ground, but, I believe for obvious reasons, intentionally, misses the mark on the purposeful implementation of this destructive drug into the black community to continue the perpetual destruction by those appointed to certain US agencies and political offices. (The Contra engagement)
Listeners Also Bought