“Thomas’s interviews demand careful reading by all who want to expose racism, hold police accountable, and create an American society that practices social justice.”
—Library Journal, STARRED Review
“Activist and former NBA player Thomas follows up his 2018 interview collection, We Matter, with Q&As informed by the turmoil of 2020 and 2021, with a similar assortment of interviewees: athletes (Isiah Thomas, Steph Curry, Breanna Stewart), media figures (Yamiche Alcindor, Jake Tapper) and family members of Black men killed or brutalized by police (Willie McCoy’s brother, Rodney King’s daughter) . . . A relevant, occasionally eye-opening collection of Q&As on race and privilege.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Thomas speaks with athletes, activists, religious leaders, and family members of victims of police brutality about systemic racism, exploring such topics as Rodney King, the Central Park Five, and the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The strength of this book lies in its range.” —Booklist
Etan Thomas, an eleven-year NBA veteran, weaves together his personal experiences with police violence and white supremacy with multiple interviews of family members of victims of police brutality like exonerated Central Park Five survivor Raymond Santana and Rodney King’s daughter Lora Dene King; as well as activist athletes and other public figures such as Steph Curry, Chuck D, Isiah Thomas, Sue Bird, Jake Tapper, Jemele Hill, Stan Van Gundy, Kyle Korver, Mark Cuban, Rick Strom, and many more
Thomas speaks with retired police officers about their efforts to change policing, and white allies about their experiences with privilege and their ability to influence other white people. Thomas also examines the history of racism, white supremacy, and the prevalence of both in the current moment. He looks at the origins of white supremacy in the US, dating back to the country’s inception, and explores how it was interwoven into Christianity—interviewing leading voices both in and outside of the church. Finally, with prominent voices in the media and education, Thomas discusses the continued cultivation of these injustices in American society.
Police Brutality and White Supremacy demands accountability and justice for those responsible for and impacted by police violence and terror. The book offers practical solutions for racist policing and methods of working against the promotion of white supremacy, stressing the importance of white allyship, as well as combating racism within the Christian community.
