It took me a while to digest this book to figure out how I wanted to write my review. First and foremost, this is a very important topic and book. It addresses prejudices and privilege that occurs in our society in relation to crime, specifically juvenile crime and how kids are perceived. This is 100% true. These things exist and black kids/adults are disproportionally arrested and deemed to be guilty based on the color of their skin.

I don’t disagree with the topic of the book and I don’t disagree with 75% of the book. But there were parts of the book that made me pause, question my own prejudices or privilege and determine if what I was feeling was based on privilege, based on my profession, or based on faulty reasoning.

One part of the book that I didn’t like was the writing style. You could definitely tell it was written by a lawyer. There was a lot of “lawyer speak” or courtroom verbiage throughout the book. Due to this, I felt like the book was one sided at times, as if the author was standing in a courtroom and trying to persuade the jury. It just wasn’t my cup of tea in terms of style when reading.

The main area that caused me to lower my review score for this book were the examples that dealt with school violence. School violence is a touchy topic right now in our world. It has been a touchy topic for me since 2003 when a middle school student in my district shot and killed the middle school principal and himself. For those who have lived in our school district and taught there since then, it is not something we take lightly. Others who have moved in years after this, don’t quite understand what it has done to the community. I feel like the parts that touched on school violence were bad examples to put in this book. I feel like that topic needs to be taken seriously, at all times, no matter the race of the person. I didn’t like how it was presented. It honestly turned me against the author for a bit. But she won me back later on. But it definitely made me question the validity of her argument. Had she not included these examples in this book, it would have been a 4 star read for me.

Thanks so much to Penguin Random House for gifting me a Net Galley copy of this book!

This book was full of infuriating statistics, facts, stories and information. It took me a great while to get through because I had to keep putting it down and coming back to it. It is definitely an emotional read that illuminates the incredible inequities that young people of color face in this country. They deserve better.
I highly recommend this one for when you have the time to truly focus and absorb what Henning is presenting.

I’m not sure what I can say that will do this book justice, except to say that I think everyone should read it. It took me a long time to get through. Not because it was hard to read, but because I tend to get overly sensitive when reading about children. Kristin Henning provides many examples for each chapter, backed up by studies, and statistics. Yet even with all of this information, this does not read like a text book. I both read and listened to this and found both equally easy to follow.

This is definitely a book I will re-read.

Thank you @pantheonbooks for the complimentary ARC.

Rage of Innocence is timely and deft, expertly summarizing the relationship between American law enforcement and young Black men. Kristin Henning pulls no punches as she examines the history of law enforcement in the US and its historical problems with people of color. A must read for any US citizen who is confused and angry about race relations in American policing.

“To thrive, Black youth must learn to resist and transcend harmful and racial ideas and stereotypes that seek to limit them.”

THE RAGE OF INNOCENCE
Thank you to Kristin Henning, NetGalley, and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this book. It releases on September 28th, 2021.

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Racism, Police Brutality, Violence, Murder, Suicide

The Rage of Innocence by Kristin Henning is a book that goes into the criminalization of Black youth that stems from systemic racism. Kristin Henning is the Blume Professor of Law and Director of the Juvenile Justice Clinic and Initiative at Georgetown Law and is probably the most qualified person to discuss this subject. In this book, she speaks from experience representing youth in our justice system. This book covers criminalizing Black Adolescent Play, Clothing, Music, and Sexuality. But she also goes into police in schools, the effects of childhood trauma, dehumanization, and what our country can do to change.

“Without free and unburdened play, Black youth are at a constant disadvantage–physically, mentally, socially, and academically. Because Black youth are under the constant surveillance of the police and other adults who expect them to be criminal, play becomes a source of anxiety instead of rest and relaxation.”

THE RAGE OF INNOCENCE
Emmett Till, George Stinney, Tamir Rice, Kalief Browder, The Central Park 5, Trayvon Martin, Ma’Khia Bryant…and this list goes on. We see these names on the news and more often than not, they are criminalized by the media to justify the way they are treated, incarcerated, and/or killed. The truth is…they are children! Take George Stinney. He was 14 years old when he was executed. He is one of the youngest to be tried, convicted, and executed in this country. They had to have him sit on a bible because he was too small for the chair.

She argues what is needed for Black children to thrive. For instance, free play, access to mental health, police-free schools, and ending the school-to-prison pipeline. But we also need to be accepting of Black youth and their culture. Rappers and hip hop are often more condemned and vilified than other types of music, even when pop and country artists have just as much, if not more problematic lyrics and insinuations. Then there is Black hair and clothing. Black hair actually has deep roots culturally and historically. But we often see headlines where teachers have colored the fade on a child’s head with a sharpie or made to cut their dreadlocks before a wrestling match. If you have more interest in Black hair and its history, I highly recommend Don’t Touch My Hair by Emma Dabiri.

This book is full of examples to back up the arguments. But let me tell you, it is full of irrefutable statistics. In fact, her list of sources takes up the last 30% of the book. If you have any doubt about the harm and trauma inflicted on our Black youth, I highly recommend giving this book a chance. I have learned so much and will use that knowledge when it comes time to vote for policies that will help. We need to tell our Black youth that they matter and they are worthy. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars.

Henning did an amazing job in her exploration of the racial disparities of how white and black youths are treated by the criminal justice system. Many of the stories and anecdotes shared angered me and offered proof of the many ways out criminal justice system is flawed. Overall, her writing was very easy to read and palatable for those not well versed in the legal system. I look forward to reading more of her research in the future.

As director of the Juvenile Justice Clinic at Georgetown Law, Henning is in an excellent position to write about the treatment of black youth in the criminal justice system. She does so with a judicious blend of anecdote and data, allowing this heavy book to nonetheless feel well-paced and highly readable even to the legal novice. Thoroughly researched and smartly laid out, The Rage of Innocence is a must-read for anyone who wishes to be educated on the racial disparities in our society. I will certainly be recommending it to everyone I know.