Why Does Everything Have to Be about Race?

If you're Black, certain accusations just won't go away, says New York Times-bestselling author Keith Boykin. Why Does Everything Have To Be About Race? debunks 25 of the most common claims used to refute America's racist past and present. "The Civil War was about states' rights, not slavery!" "If you don't like it here, you should go back to Africa." "What about Black-on-Black crime?" "You're just playing the race card." There's a whole arsenal of popular "gotchas" that crop up again and again in discussions about race in America. According to the people who use them, Critical Race Theory is a dangerous threat that promotes racial hatred, and affirmative action is reverse discrimination. At the same time, they insist that racism ended with the Obama presidency, and Black people should be grateful for the privilege of living in the United States. In Why Does Everything Have to Be About Race? Keith Boykin sets the record straight, explaining why such all-too-common assertions are simply not true. Effortlessly combining history, pop culture, and stories from his own life, Boykin lays out the truth about anti-Black racism and white supremacy in America. Racist lies and misbeliefs just don't seem to go away--but with the help of this book, they also won't go unchallenged.