Rebirth of a Nation
Reparations and Remaking America
Author Joel Edward Goza Foreword by William J. Barber ISBN 9780802884312 Binding Trade Paper Publisher WM B. Eerdmans Publishing Company Publication Date September 24, 2024 Size 152 x 229 mm
Joel Edward Goza dismantles the deep-seated myths that perpetuate white supremacy—and makes the case that reparations are necessary to heal America’s racial wounds and live up to our democ
Joel Edward Goza dismantles the deep-seated myths that perpetuate white supremacy—and makes the case that reparations are necessary to heal America’s racial wounds and live up to our democratic ideals.
Like many well-intentioned white people, Goza once believed that he could support Black America’s struggle for equality without supporting reparations. Reparations, he thought, were altogether irrelevant to the real work of racial justice.
This is a book about why he was wrong. In fact, any effort to heal our nation’s wounds will fail without reparations.
In Rebirth of a Nation, Goza exposes lesser-known aspects of racism in American history and how Black people have consistently been depicted as responsible for their own oppression to justify slavery, Jim Crow, mass incarceration and gross inequality. Goza’s iconoclastic and incisive account exposes how revered figures like Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln embedded white supremacy deep into our nation’s consciousness—and how Ronald Reagan manipulated this ideology so that society cheered as he advanced a set of policies that wounded our nation and intensified Black America’s suffering.
But Rebirth of a Nation is not merely about accountability. It is also about hope. A reparations process is not a utopian dream; Goza offers a practical path toward closing the racial wealth gap. Rebirth of a Nation shows readers how they can join the reparative process, working toward the creation of a more perfect union.
Read More
Like many well-intentioned white people, Goza once believed that he could support Black America’s struggle for equality without supporting reparations. Reparations, he thought, were altogether irrelevant to the real work of racial justice.
This is a book about why he was wrong. In fact, any effort to heal our nation’s wounds will fail without reparations.
In Rebirth of a Nation, Goza exposes lesser-known aspects of racism in American history and how Black people have consistently been depicted as responsible for their own oppression to justify slavery, Jim Crow, mass incarceration and gross inequality. Goza’s iconoclastic and incisive account exposes how revered figures like Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln embedded white supremacy deep into our nation’s consciousness—and how Ronald Reagan manipulated this ideology so that society cheered as he advanced a set of policies that wounded our nation and intensified Black America’s suffering.
But Rebirth of a Nation is not merely about accountability. It is also about hope. A reparations process is not a utopian dream; Goza offers a practical path toward closing the racial wealth gap. Rebirth of a Nation shows readers how they can join the reparative process, working toward the creation of a more perfect union.
Kirkus Reviews
“A welcome and timely contribution to the conversation around civil rights.”
“Rebirth of a Nation charts the story of how the United States consistently has failed to become a true democracy, both in terms of its policy and ideological development. It also points forcefully toward the crucial steps that must be taken to reverse that failure and produce a racially fair and just society.”
—William A. Darity Jr., coauthor of From Here to Equality: Reparations for Black Americans in the Twenty-First Century
“Rebirth of a Nation makes a powerful case for historical reckoning in America. Goza’s faith in, and bearing witness to the beauty of, Black resistance to systemic oppression reminds us that the soul of this nation can and must be redeemed. Everyone should read this book.”
—Khalil Gibran Muhammad, author of The Condemnation of Blackness: Race, Crime, and the Making of Modern Urban America
“Rebirth of a Nation is simultaneously thought-provoking, somber, enraging, yet surprisingly hopeful. Goza powerfully and convincingly calls for reparations as a key pathway from our historical and current state of systemic racial inequality and injustice. The book envisions
an American rebirth as a viable democracy no longer wracked by the legacies of slavery, Jim Crow, colorblind racism, and the hatred unleashed after 2016.”
—Carol Anderson, author of White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide
“In Rebirth of a Nation, Joel Goza powerfully explains how Thomas Jefferson perpetuated white supremacy and how Abraham Lincoln, evolving in the face of military necessity, somewhat mitigated it. He helps us to understand why we have not eradicated white supremacy even in the aftermath of the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. He also pulls back the curtain on how Ronald Reagan, one of our country’s most popular presidents, perpetuated and heightened white supremacy. The book effectively achieves part of the work that must be done if we are ever to have reparative justice for our country’s racial wrongs.”
—Mary Frances Berry, author of History Teaches Us to Resist: How Progressive Movements Have Succeeded in Challenging Times
“A powerful blend of history, meditation, and social commentary, Joel Edward Goza’s Rebirth of a Nation documents the persistence of white supremacy in the United States and considers what it has cost us as a nation. This thoughtful and compelling book offers a way forward for anyone seeking to advance social justice.”
—Keisha N. Blain, editor of Wake Up America: Black Women on the Future of Democracy
“Rebirth of a Nation takes its readers on an emotional and transformative journey. In an engaging narrative, Joel Edward Goza chronicles indisputable facts to explain religious and scientific justifications to dehumanize people of African descent. He connects these to the structure of US systems, policies, and laws used to violently exploit, oppress, and lock African Americans out of myriad opportunities. In his well-documented and well-argued case for economic restitution and soul repair, he presents a call to those who have benefited from unequal advantages baked into a race-based caste system. He outlines how leaving the cocoon of denial and precarious comfort to right centuries of wrong will benefit everyone. His ideas can lead to the creation of a more perfect union.”
—Michelle Duster, great-granddaughter of Ida B. Wells, author of Ida B. Wells: Voice of Truth
“Goza is an esteemed scholar of African American history. In this book, he offers us his prodigious knowledge of racial inequality and systemic racism. In spite of our country’s dark history, Goza is hopeful. He offers us a vision for a new America, one where true equality exists, and he has a practical plan for achieving this vision. This is an important book that will influence both individual lives and public policy.”
—Mary Pipher, author of Writing to Change the World
“In Rebirth of a Nation, Joel Edward Goza gives us a historically grounded and deeply discerning look into the enduring power of white supremacy. He teaches, yes, but also makes a compelling case that learning is not enough: we must act upon what we know, and not just move toward reconciliation but repair the damage that America has inflicted upon its own citizens, its own best lights, and its own destiny.”
—Timothy B. Tyson, author of T
View Review quote
“A welcome and timely contribution to the conversation around civil rights.”
“Rebirth of a Nation charts the story of how the United States consistently has failed to become a true democracy, both in terms of its policy and ideological development. It also points forcefully toward the crucial steps that must be taken to reverse that failure and produce a racially fair and just society.”
—William A. Darity Jr., coauthor of From Here to Equality: Reparations for Black Americans in the Twenty-First Century
“Rebirth of a Nation makes a powerful case for historical reckoning in America. Goza’s faith in, and bearing witness to the beauty of, Black resistance to systemic oppression reminds us that the soul of this nation can and must be redeemed. Everyone should read this book.”
—Khalil Gibran Muhammad, author of The Condemnation of Blackness: Race, Crime, and the Making of Modern Urban America
“Rebirth of a Nation is simultaneously thought-provoking, somber, enraging, yet surprisingly hopeful. Goza powerfully and convincingly calls for reparations as a key pathway from our historical and current state of systemic racial inequality and injustice. The book envisions
an American rebirth as a viable democracy no longer wracked by the legacies of slavery, Jim Crow, colorblind racism, and the hatred unleashed after 2016.”
—Carol Anderson, author of White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide
“In Rebirth of a Nation, Joel Goza powerfully explains how Thomas Jefferson perpetuated white supremacy and how Abraham Lincoln, evolving in the face of military necessity, somewhat mitigated it. He helps us to understand why we have not eradicated white supremacy even in the aftermath of the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. He also pulls back the curtain on how Ronald Reagan, one of our country’s most popular presidents, perpetuated and heightened white supremacy. The book effectively achieves part of the work that must be done if we are ever to have reparative justice for our country’s racial wrongs.”
—Mary Frances Berry, author of History Teaches Us to Resist: How Progressive Movements Have Succeeded in Challenging Times
“A powerful blend of history, meditation, and social commentary, Joel Edward Goza’s Rebirth of a Nation documents the persistence of white supremacy in the United States and considers what it has cost us as a nation. This thoughtful and compelling book offers a way forward for anyone seeking to advance social justice.”
—Keisha N. Blain, editor of Wake Up America: Black Women on the Future of Democracy
“Rebirth of a Nation takes its readers on an emotional and transformative journey. In an engaging narrative, Joel Edward Goza chronicles indisputable facts to explain religious and scientific justifications to dehumanize people of African descent. He connects these to the structure of US systems, policies, and laws used to violently exploit, oppress, and lock African Americans out of myriad opportunities. In his well-documented and well-argued case for economic restitution and soul repair, he presents a call to those who have benefited from unequal advantages baked into a race-based caste system. He outlines how leaving the cocoon of denial and precarious comfort to right centuries of wrong will benefit everyone. His ideas can lead to the creation of a more perfect union.”
—Michelle Duster, great-granddaughter of Ida B. Wells, author of Ida B. Wells: Voice of Truth
“Goza is an esteemed scholar of African American history. In this book, he offers us his prodigious knowledge of racial inequality and systemic racism. In spite of our country’s dark history, Goza is hopeful. He offers us a vision for a new America, one where true equality exists, and he has a practical plan for achieving this vision. This is an important book that will influence both individual lives and public policy.”
—Mary Pipher, author of Writing to Change the World
“In Rebirth of a Nation, Joel Edward Goza gives us a historically grounded and deeply discerning look into the enduring power of white supremacy. He teaches, yes, but also makes a compelling case that learning is not enough: we must act upon what we know, and not just move toward reconciliation but repair the damage that America has inflicted upon its own citizens, its own best lights, and its own destiny.”
—Timothy B. Tyson, author of T
Joel Edward Goza is a writer, speaker, and community advocate. He is professor of ethics at the HBCU Simmons College and teaches in Kentucky prisons. Before focusing on writing and teaching, Joel worked in urban redevelopment and community activism for over a decade in Houston’s Fifth Ward. He is also the author of America’s Unholy Ghosts: The Racist Roots of Our Faith and Politics, and contributes to The Hill, Salon, and Religion News Service.
Table of Contents
View Table of contents
Part I: Shackles
The Evolution of White Supremacy: Racial Myths and Making America
Thomas Jefferson: The Man and Mind That Helped Make America
Abraham Lincoln: The Emancipator and His Two Proclamations
The Lasting Legacy of Shackles: Establishing America’s Racial Hierarchy
Part II: Lynchings
Slavery without Paternalism: From Shackles to Lynchings
Thomas Dixon: Burning Down Uncle Tom’s Cabin
Madison Grant: Eugenics and Purifying the Republic
The Lasting Legacy of Lynchings: Racial Terrorism, Scientific Racism, and the American Way
Part III: Prisons and Poverty
Two Roads Diverge: Pathological Black Families or White Racism
Fighting a King: Ronald Reagan and Rejecting Civil Rights
The Reagan Revolution: Fighting the Dream, 1980–1988
The Lasting Legacy of “Colorblindness”: Deepening America’s Divides
Part IV: Remaking America
Birthing Pains
Repentance
Repayment
Repair
Rebirth
Index