A truly important book! And I love the way Hawa Allan writes it--blending her personal experience with the historical and the political. Brilliant!

This is an illuminating legal history of the Insurrection Act and how the U.S. government, police and white Americans have responded over time to Black efforts to challenge the status quo, on the one hand, and to reactionary white violence on the other. Starting with slave and working-class rebellions in colonial America, Allan traces the racialized history of domestic instability and insurrection through the George Floyd protests, with a coda at the end about the Jan. 6 insurrection. A masterful and timely book as we continue to grapple (or not) with white supremacy backed by vigilante violence. One small quibble: For a book that cites so much history, I wish Allan had used in-text citations rather than a simple bibliography at the end.

Merriam-Webster defines insurrection as a violent attempt to take control of a government. Prior to January 6, the average American probably had only heard the word insurrection once or twice, let alone knew that there's an Insurrection Act. The Insurrection Act of 1907 gives the President of the United States to the authority to deploy the US military & National Guard units in certain situations. In this book, author Hawa Allan explores a historic review of the Insurrection Act. From its early use of combatting rebellion against slavery, US Presidents have used the Insurrection Act quite a few times in the past. Most recently, the Act has been used to restore order after civil unrest related to social injustices. Allan does an excellent job chronicling its use throughout the United States' history. Allan covers how presidents from Ulysses S. Grant to George W. Bush successfully used it. January 6 represented the one day in modern history where the Insurrection Act was the most powerful tool to protect our government. Yet, it laid dormant by then President Donald Trump.

I enjoyed reading this historical review of the Insurrection Act. For educators teaching Civics courses, this book would be a great read. It would open the door to several healthy discussions about our government.