The Moment: Thoughts on the Race Reckoning That Wasn’t and How We All Can Move Forward Now

A groundbreaking examination of the modern political landscape from the New York Times bestselling author of My Vanishing Country.“Toni Morrison once said, ‘The function, the very serious function of racism is distraction.’ In The Moment, Bakari Sellers brilliantly and precisely cuts through the noise of the calculated, well-financed, and relentless campaign by conservative media, think tanks, and politicians to end the post-George Floyd ‘racial reckoning’ and reverse the civil rights victories of the past fifty years. This is a must-read!”—Joy-Ann Reid, New York Times bestselling author and host of MSNBC's The Reid Out

In this powerful and persuasive book, Bakari Sellers expands on the issues he addressed in his memoir, My Vanishing Country, examining national politics and policies that deeply impact not only Black people in his home state of South Carolina but the lives of millions of African Americans in communities across the nation. In The Moment, he offers much-needed prescriptions to help all Black American lives in the wake of the history-shaping death of George Floyd and the Black Rights Matter movement.Sellers explores inequities in healthcare, education, early childhood education, and policing, drawing on interviews with numerous thought leaders, such as pioneering voting rights and poverty activist Rev. William J. Barber II, and Ben Crump, the civil rights legend who successfully uses the law to achieve justice for people of color in racially charged cases. Sellers also shares his thoughts on conservative media and the forces and dark money behind firebrands such as Tucker Carlson. This thoughtful and practical work is a timely meditation on the state of our world today and how we can all play a part in making it better for tomorrow.