Radical Empathy: Finding a Path to Bridging Racial Divides

Description

Structural racism has impacted the lives of African Americans in the United States since before the country’s founding. Although the country has made some progress towards a more equal society, political developments in the 21st century have shown that deep divides remain. The persistence of inequality is an indicator of the stubborn resilience of the institutions that maintain white supremacy. To bridge our divides, renowned political scientist Terri Givens calls for ‘radical empathy’ - moving beyond an understanding of others’ lives and pain to understand the origins of our biases, including internalized oppression. Deftly weaving together her own experiences with the political, she offers practical steps to call out racism and bring about radical social change. Front cover Halftitle Page Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Table of Contents Note on the author Prologue: Writing in a time of crisis 1. Bridging divides: From racism to empathy in the 21st century 2. Getting to radical empathy 3. My family’s story: The isolation of internalized oppression 4. Racism and health disparities 5. Finding empathy in the academy 6. Love and marriage 7. Radical empathy in leadership: Creating change 8. Creating change at the national level: Restorative justice and working off the past 9. Revisiting the path to radical empathy Epilogue: The long road ahead Notes Suggested reading Index Back cover