As a long-time legal commentator, political campaign staffer, and a member of the Clinton administration, Keith Boykin knows politics. And as a gay, Black man he knows racism and bigotry and their pervasiveness in our political and social landscapes. His latest nonfiction book explores the history of systemic racism in politics and government and offers suggestions on how our country can truly confront and atone for its racist past and realize a future where all are truly equal.

The through-line in all of Boykin's commentary is this: Many white Americans, particularly white men, fear a country where people of color outnumber white people. Due to this fear, they continue to resist and, especially now, actively work against a political landscape and social order where Black Americans are truly equal to whites. As a political insider, Boykin's commentary is peppered with real-life examples of how racism flourished and anti-racism stagnated in various presidential administrations, particularly Bill Clinton, in whose White House he served. Each president, from George H.W. Bush to Donald Trump, is examined based on how they addressed America's racism and how they worked to perpetuate it, combat it, or, in some cases, do both.

Boykin's observations are astute, even if some are ones we've read before. I found his assessments of the Clinton and Obama presidencies particularly enlightening. While Clinton was adept at being the first southern Democrat to appeal to both white and Black voters, he also didn't promote racial equity as much as Boykin had hoped and even passed a crime bill that helped increase the incarceration of Black people. Boykin also believes that, as the first Black president, Obama didn't do as much as he could--and should--have to focus on the concerns of Black Americans. And, as you would expect, Boykin is most critical of Donald Trump and his particular skill at fueling and giving voice to white Americans' resentment of Black advancement (particularly the reality of America having a Black president).

Boykin is passionate about politics, which comes across very clearly in his personable, accessible writing. The narrative, does, at times, seem a little disorganized and convoluted, particularly a portion that has the reader imagine a future America (as enticing as that America is!). Yet, when Boykin wraps up the book with suggestions on how to make true progress and "fix" America, the reader is left both more informed and hopeful.

Much thanks to @NetGalley and @boldtypebooks for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Much thanks to @NetGalley and @boldtypebooks for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Keith Boykin, in his new book, A Race Against Time, delivers on his promise to describe "the politics of a darkening America." When I picked up his book, I wondered if it would be redundant to other recently published books on race in America or provide a new and complementary perspective. It adds value to those published works. What I appreciated the most in Boykin's analysis is the in-depth deconstruction of every post-war president. Anyone interested in how politics/politicians have used racism (or ignored race-related issues) to further their agendas, this is a book you will want to read.

Boykin intersperses a great deal of personal experience in his book, and I often found it distracting from his primary massage. His life story is worthy of a stand-alone memoir; however, it often took away from the main message in the context of this book.

The other observation I have on the book, and this thought applies to all books looking at the ongoing evolution of American demographics. Yes, white people are soon to be a minority population. But authors and analysts are avoiding what this means. They oversimplify the future by lumping the non-white population into one large brown population. This generalization misses the point that we will be a country of many minorities. There will not be a single brown majority. Boykin sort of touches on this, but never in detail. A deep discussion and analysis of how to build alliances and coalitions across groups are needed. But that's for a future book.

Add this book to your collection of literature on black lives in America. It adds to the discussion.

Very informative writing on the BLM movement very well written and concise. I will be gifting this book to friends + family when it is published. Thank you to the author for this brilliant book. Thanks to Netgatley,, the author, and the publisher for the arc of this book. Receiving the book in this manner had no bearing on this review.

Keith Boykin provides a historical analysis of where the Black Lives Matter movement originates, from the caning of Charles Sumner to the present day, stopping at every post-War presidency and showing how actions done by each administration added to the burden born by black communities. Once we arrive at the present (and I read and write this review in May 2021, so all March 2021 references are far too recent for comfort at times)., Boykin looks to the future, discussing progress that could be made in a number of areas. Tying the historical narrative to the refrains of "Lift Every Voice And Sing", the forward looking passages deal with efforts to bring about atonement, accountability, and ultimately, equality.