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When Crack Was King: A People's History of a Misunderstood Era
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best History & Biography (2023)A kaleidoscopic account of the crack cocaine era and a community’s ultimate resilience, told through a cast of characters whose lives illuminate the dramatic rise and fall of the epidemic
The crack epidemic of the 1980s and 1990s is arguably the least examined crisis in American history. Beginning with the myths inspired by Reagan’s war on drugs, journalist Donovan X. Ramsey’s exacting analysis traces the path from the last triumphs of the Civil Rights Movement to the devastating realities we live with a racist criminal justice system, continued mass incarceration and gentrification, and increased police brutality.
When Crack Was King follows four individuals to give us a startling portrait of crack’s destruction and devastating Elgin Swift, an archetype of American industry and ambition and the son of a crack-addicted father who turned their home into a “crack house”; Lennie Woodley, a former crack addict and sex worker; Kurt Schmoke, the longtime mayor of Baltimore and an early advocate of decriminalization; and Shawn McCray, community activist, basketball prodigy, and a founding member of the Zoo Crew, Newark’s most legendary group of drug traffickers.
Weaving together riveting research with the voices of survivors, When Crack Was King is a crucial reevaluation of the era and a powerful argument for providing historically violated communities with the resources they deserve.
The crack epidemic of the 1980s and 1990s is arguably the least examined crisis in American history. Beginning with the myths inspired by Reagan’s war on drugs, journalist Donovan X. Ramsey’s exacting analysis traces the path from the last triumphs of the Civil Rights Movement to the devastating realities we live with a racist criminal justice system, continued mass incarceration and gentrification, and increased police brutality.
When Crack Was King follows four individuals to give us a startling portrait of crack’s destruction and devastating Elgin Swift, an archetype of American industry and ambition and the son of a crack-addicted father who turned their home into a “crack house”; Lennie Woodley, a former crack addict and sex worker; Kurt Schmoke, the longtime mayor of Baltimore and an early advocate of decriminalization; and Shawn McCray, community activist, basketball prodigy, and a founding member of the Zoo Crew, Newark’s most legendary group of drug traffickers.
Weaving together riveting research with the voices of survivors, When Crack Was King is a crucial reevaluation of the era and a powerful argument for providing historically violated communities with the resources they deserve.
448 pages, Hardcover
First published July 11, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 222 reviews
June 22, 2023
This book is very very good. A standout debut author with skill in storytelling and the craft of writing. I loved the mix of reporting and history and then personal stories of those who survived the epidemic. I wished there was a touch more history and less antidotes at points. Overall very very very good!
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October 17, 2023
Through interweaving narratives, Ramsey documents the rise and fall of crack cocaine among Black communities, and the uneven and racist response to its presence from the government.
Ramsey maintains the humanity of the people whose stories he records, reminding his readers over and over that the so-called "crackheads" were people deserving of respect and care.
And that the term crackhead is racist as hell, because the difference between crack, freebase and powder cocaine are negligible. The difference is the stereotypical user (and the consumption). Just by all the derogatory terms for people who used crack cocaine, you can probably guess which one was demonized as the most addictive, brain-rotting substance on the planet, and which one was shrugged off as just another fad rich white college boys tested out once or twice on their boys-will-be-boys road to adulthood.
Anywho, this is one more nail in the Reagans' coffins. I hope they are burning in hell.
Ramsey maintains the humanity of the people whose stories he records, reminding his readers over and over that the so-called "crackheads" were people deserving of respect and care.
And that the term crackhead is racist as hell, because the difference between crack, freebase and powder cocaine are negligible. The difference is the stereotypical user (and the consumption). Just by all the derogatory terms for people who used crack cocaine, you can probably guess which one was demonized as the most addictive, brain-rotting substance on the planet, and which one was shrugged off as just another fad rich white college boys tested out once or twice on their boys-will-be-boys road to adulthood.
Anywho, this is one more nail in the Reagans' coffins. I hope they are burning in hell.
September 15, 2023
“The devastation of the crack epidemic was not just the drug use itself but also the government’s response to the drug use. On the policy level, the US government turned a blind eye despite knowing the fact that large quantities of cocaine were being shipped into the US. Coca leaves don’t grow in the ghetto; coca leaves are grown in the Andes, where we happen to have our hands in lots of conflicts.
The US government wanted to fund the overthrow of governments like the government in Nicaragua and Congress would not approve that kind of meddling in a foreign government. So, very simply, we turned the other way while Nicaraguan rebels distributed cocaine into the United States and, as a result, we saw the crack epidemic really take off. The government, instead of intercepting and interceding in that drug trafficking, decided to criminalise drug possession.”
In-depth social history of the 1980/90s crack epidemic and the failed War on Drugs. Ramsey interweaves chapters of history and policy with the lives of 4 people whose lives were shaped and impacted by crack cocaine: an addict in LA, a dealer in Newark, a child of an addict in NY, and a city mayor of Baltimore.
Outstanding research and writing by Ramsey, with added bonus of learning a lot of local (to me) history of Washington DC and Baltimore in the 80s and 90s.
The US government wanted to fund the overthrow of governments like the government in Nicaragua and Congress would not approve that kind of meddling in a foreign government. So, very simply, we turned the other way while Nicaraguan rebels distributed cocaine into the United States and, as a result, we saw the crack epidemic really take off. The government, instead of intercepting and interceding in that drug trafficking, decided to criminalise drug possession.”
In-depth social history of the 1980/90s crack epidemic and the failed War on Drugs. Ramsey interweaves chapters of history and policy with the lives of 4 people whose lives were shaped and impacted by crack cocaine: an addict in LA, a dealer in Newark, a child of an addict in NY, and a city mayor of Baltimore.
Outstanding research and writing by Ramsey, with added bonus of learning a lot of local (to me) history of Washington DC and Baltimore in the 80s and 90s.
April 10, 2023
Disclaimer: I received a digital ARC via Netgalley.
Ramsey’s book is one on hand a history of the cocaine and crack epidemic, and on the other hand a history of four people during the epidemic. The four people include an addict, two dealers, and a politician.
The use of biography and history works well because it shows that history, the facts, aren’t simply abstract facts but have real people on the end of them. And while many people undoubtedly are always aware of this, many other people aren’t. There are reasons why teachers usually diaries and first-hand accounts when teaching major historical events and issues such as the Holocaust or when teaching slavery. This book, importantly, follows in that vein, showcasing the real impact of various policies or lack of policies as well as the impact of drugs themselves.
Ramsey takes an issue that has several different aspects to it – not just drugs and addicts, but Civil Rights among others – and weaves them together in an easy to follow and engrossing history. At times, the book is difficult to read, yet it is worth reading. Not only should we be confronted with uncomfortable truths but also, so we know what happened.
In many ways, this is an excellent book to assign to a college class or an upper-level high school class. It is clear, concise, and has an emotional impact. Students should be able to see themselves in the four people that Ramsey has chosen to highlight, at least in terms of the background of those people. I mentioned this book when a student asked what I was reading, and he immediately said that he wanted to read it. And if that isn’t an endorsement, then I really don’t know what is.
If I had any quibble with this book it has to do with the four people who were chosen. It should be noted that Ramsey treats all four with respect. But the ratio is 3:1 in favor of men, and the one woman is the one addict. This isn’t a problem, and her story, because of who she becomes, is vitally important. I just wish there had been another non-addict female voice to balance out the male voices. I do love the fact that Ramsey included a politician, and that provides a unique use of the narratives because we are getting them from different perspectives on all sides of the issue/history.
Ramsey’s book is one on hand a history of the cocaine and crack epidemic, and on the other hand a history of four people during the epidemic. The four people include an addict, two dealers, and a politician.
The use of biography and history works well because it shows that history, the facts, aren’t simply abstract facts but have real people on the end of them. And while many people undoubtedly are always aware of this, many other people aren’t. There are reasons why teachers usually diaries and first-hand accounts when teaching major historical events and issues such as the Holocaust or when teaching slavery. This book, importantly, follows in that vein, showcasing the real impact of various policies or lack of policies as well as the impact of drugs themselves.
Ramsey takes an issue that has several different aspects to it – not just drugs and addicts, but Civil Rights among others – and weaves them together in an easy to follow and engrossing history. At times, the book is difficult to read, yet it is worth reading. Not only should we be confronted with uncomfortable truths but also, so we know what happened.
In many ways, this is an excellent book to assign to a college class or an upper-level high school class. It is clear, concise, and has an emotional impact. Students should be able to see themselves in the four people that Ramsey has chosen to highlight, at least in terms of the background of those people. I mentioned this book when a student asked what I was reading, and he immediately said that he wanted to read it. And if that isn’t an endorsement, then I really don’t know what is.
If I had any quibble with this book it has to do with the four people who were chosen. It should be noted that Ramsey treats all four with respect. But the ratio is 3:1 in favor of men, and the one woman is the one addict. This isn’t a problem, and her story, because of who she becomes, is vitally important. I just wish there had been another non-addict female voice to balance out the male voices. I do love the fact that Ramsey included a politician, and that provides a unique use of the narratives because we are getting them from different perspectives on all sides of the issue/history.
July 13, 2023
I was familiar with the history of the crack epidemic before this book. That said, if there is one book you should read about it - make it this one. The history is there and accurate. In addition Ramsay has woven in the stories of how the epidemic impacted individuals by following four people through their experiences in some of the worst hit areas. These stories resonated with me as so familiar to stories of others I have known. One small quibble is that it doesn't show the long term health decline, usually in kidney disease and failure for former addicts and the impact of these early deaths, often following late reunions, by their children and grandchildren. The trauma continues. To understand it better start here, and then talk to people where you live.
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September 12, 2023This was such an interesting and eye-opening book. I wasn’t necessarily shocked by all the blatant racism and economic struggles that african americans had to deal with but having it so brazenly laid out like this, one horrific incident after another, building upon each other, leading up to the explosion of the crack epidemic in the 1980s made for some very difficult reading. Reading so matter-of-factly about riots that led to the deaths of so many innocent people felt strange, and the anger that I felt had nowhere to go.
I initially thought that the addition of the personal stories by the four people who lived through this time period would make the book more captivating, but after a while, I lost interest in everyone but Lennie’s story. Having the historical portions broken up by their ongoing stories threw me off and broke whatever informational high I was experiencing. I eventually skipped those sections, finished the book, and then went back and finished Lennie’s story. She had a difficult childhood, became hooked on crack while she was still a teenager, then became a prostitute to support her habit. The things she had to deal with, the things she had to do in order to survive, they were horrible and I commend her for being able to get out of that lifestyle and being the amazing person she is today.
*******
I was born in the 1980s and always heard jokes about crackheads and crack babies. Though I wasn’t a part of that world, I lived during the time of drug related gang violence and mass incarceration. I remember being in the D.A.R.E program and the “war on drugs.” Even though I’m half Asian I still remember the stereotypes that all black people had to deal with because of that epidemic and what it did to the people caught up in it. The gangsta rap and movies depicting that lifestyle used to scare me, but I was too young to think to think about it too critically. I’m so proud of the author for putting this together. He deserves all the praise he’s currently receiving.
I initially thought that the addition of the personal stories by the four people who lived through this time period would make the book more captivating, but after a while, I lost interest in everyone but Lennie’s story. Having the historical portions broken up by their ongoing stories threw me off and broke whatever informational high I was experiencing. I eventually skipped those sections, finished the book, and then went back and finished Lennie’s story. She had a difficult childhood, became hooked on crack while she was still a teenager, then became a prostitute to support her habit. The things she had to deal with, the things she had to do in order to survive, they were horrible and I commend her for being able to get out of that lifestyle and being the amazing person she is today.
*******
I was born in the 1980s and always heard jokes about crackheads and crack babies. Though I wasn’t a part of that world, I lived during the time of drug related gang violence and mass incarceration. I remember being in the D.A.R.E program and the “war on drugs.” Even though I’m half Asian I still remember the stereotypes that all black people had to deal with because of that epidemic and what it did to the people caught up in it. The gangsta rap and movies depicting that lifestyle used to scare me, but I was too young to think to think about it too critically. I’m so proud of the author for putting this together. He deserves all the praise he’s currently receiving.
December 2, 2023
Well this was just FANTASTIC. The author expertly weaves history and stats with the stories of four real people. So interesting, well-written, and thought-provoking. Extra points for the focus on Baltimore!
September 14, 2023
WHEN CRACK WAS KING
Donovan X Ramsey
Wow, a great history of the crack epidemic. The history is wrapped up in a story about four people. One addict, two dealers, and a politician.
Well done. What a read.
5 stars
Happy Reading!
Donovan X Ramsey
Wow, a great history of the crack epidemic. The history is wrapped up in a story about four people. One addict, two dealers, and a politician.
Well done. What a read.
5 stars
Happy Reading!
October 17, 2023
As a huge fan of TV shows like Snowfall, BMF and Narcos and films like Cocaine Cowboys, Kill the Messenger and Paid in Full, I knew that this book would be everything that my crack cocaine epidemic obsessed heart could wish for. 😊
In When Crack Was King: A People’s History of a Misunderstood Era, Donovan X. Ramsey skillfully combines meticulous research with the personal accounts of four individuals whose lives were greatly impacted and/or influenced by the crack epidemic of the 1980s and 1990s. While the shows I mentioned above highlight the glamour, wealth and notoriety that comes with being a successful player in the drug game, When Crack Was King gives a voice to the victims and those who fought for them. We get to know Elgin whose father openly used crack in their home, Lennie who experienced crack addiction and prostitution at a young age, Kurt Schmoke who was the first African American to be elected as mayor of Baltimore, and Shawn who was a founding member of “Newark’s most legendary group of drug traffickers”. These firsthand narratives allow readers to connect with these characters on a deeper level; we get insight into their trauma and humanity rather than focusing on the stigma and disgrace associated with crack use.
The historical events that were covered in When Crack Was King were equally as informative and enlightening. I learned about incidents that either occurred before I was born or when I was too young to be aware of them. I was intrigued by the research that was done on the effects of prenatal cocaine exposure on developmental outcomes, which concluded that the term “crack baby” was a myth. I was enthralled reading about Jimmy’s World, a fabricated news article by Janet Cooke published in The Washington Post about an eight-year-old heroin addict. Bill Clinton’s “Sister Souljah moment” introduced me to a political moment and term that I had never heard of.
In summary, this was an impressive book by a talented debut author that I highly recommend to anyone with a desire to know more about this time in American history.
In When Crack Was King: A People’s History of a Misunderstood Era, Donovan X. Ramsey skillfully combines meticulous research with the personal accounts of four individuals whose lives were greatly impacted and/or influenced by the crack epidemic of the 1980s and 1990s. While the shows I mentioned above highlight the glamour, wealth and notoriety that comes with being a successful player in the drug game, When Crack Was King gives a voice to the victims and those who fought for them. We get to know Elgin whose father openly used crack in their home, Lennie who experienced crack addiction and prostitution at a young age, Kurt Schmoke who was the first African American to be elected as mayor of Baltimore, and Shawn who was a founding member of “Newark’s most legendary group of drug traffickers”. These firsthand narratives allow readers to connect with these characters on a deeper level; we get insight into their trauma and humanity rather than focusing on the stigma and disgrace associated with crack use.
The historical events that were covered in When Crack Was King were equally as informative and enlightening. I learned about incidents that either occurred before I was born or when I was too young to be aware of them. I was intrigued by the research that was done on the effects of prenatal cocaine exposure on developmental outcomes, which concluded that the term “crack baby” was a myth. I was enthralled reading about Jimmy’s World, a fabricated news article by Janet Cooke published in The Washington Post about an eight-year-old heroin addict. Bill Clinton’s “Sister Souljah moment” introduced me to a political moment and term that I had never heard of.
In summary, this was an impressive book by a talented debut author that I highly recommend to anyone with a desire to know more about this time in American history.
June 19, 2023
Review to come.
November 30, 2023
Well constructed and super digestible despite the heavy topic; deserves a place in the must-read canon
July 24, 2023
This book just blew me away. The amount of research that went into it is nothing short of amazing and I am in awe of the stories that Mr. Ramsey was able to tell. What is even more amazing to me is that this is Mr. Ramsey's first book; you absolutely do not get that sense when you are doing the deep dive into the drug world, the government that contributed to the drug culture and the people that lived it. In fact, about halfway through, I went looking for other books by Mr. Ramsey and was shocked to find that this was his first book as you do not get that sense from the breadth and compassion, but never pity or condemnation in the way he writes. I will go as far to as to say he writes better than some seasoned biographers I have read in the past.
Told through the eyes of 4 people and then also from the governments involvement [the "war" on drugs and the farce that was], the story begins in 1965 with Lennie and ends with all four in present day. And what a story it is. It is happy and sad and heartbreaking and joyous. It is heart-racing and resignation, and it is every-man. Anyone can relate to this book - we have all known someone [of the friend/family member of someone] who has struggled with drugs and addiction and this book will resonate with everyone who reads it. There is never any judgement here, resignation at times yes [the author talks about his own struggles in getting this book written and how it affected him], but always trying to find the hope and joy in the lives of the people he is writing about.
Told with feeling and caring, this book is a MUST READ for everyone. I cannot state that enough. We should ALL be reading this book. Absolutely brilliant. I will forever be changed by what I read.
Thank you to Donovan X Ramsey for writing the book we ALL need to be reading. I am so grateful for your ability to write about a subject that I thought I knew about, but found I was mostly [sadly] mistaken. I am grateful for the chance to read this and learn from it.
I was asked to read/review this book by Random House Publishing Group - Random House/One World and I thank them for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Told through the eyes of 4 people and then also from the governments involvement [the "war" on drugs and the farce that was], the story begins in 1965 with Lennie and ends with all four in present day. And what a story it is. It is happy and sad and heartbreaking and joyous. It is heart-racing and resignation, and it is every-man. Anyone can relate to this book - we have all known someone [of the friend/family member of someone] who has struggled with drugs and addiction and this book will resonate with everyone who reads it. There is never any judgement here, resignation at times yes [the author talks about his own struggles in getting this book written and how it affected him], but always trying to find the hope and joy in the lives of the people he is writing about.
Told with feeling and caring, this book is a MUST READ for everyone. I cannot state that enough. We should ALL be reading this book. Absolutely brilliant. I will forever be changed by what I read.
Thank you to Donovan X Ramsey for writing the book we ALL need to be reading. I am so grateful for your ability to write about a subject that I thought I knew about, but found I was mostly [sadly] mistaken. I am grateful for the chance to read this and learn from it.
I was asked to read/review this book by Random House Publishing Group - Random House/One World and I thank them for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 8, 2023
i really enjoyed this. it's a lovely blend of personal anecdotes and history. though the first segment of the book made me feel quite underwhelmed, the rest made up for it.
April 10, 2023
When Crack was King by Donovan X. Ramsey is the recounting of the crack Cocaine epidemic in American and what led many black Americans to experience its futile depths.
In 1970’s America, there was a feeling that the black American could do anything if given the chance. Unfortunately, many were not given that chance. According to Ramsey:
Cocaine, or Crack after the crackling sound it makes while cooking, spread through the urban American poor in the 1970s, relieving the pain of those who could get ahold of it for a short while. As with so much in the cultural zeitgeist, cocaine was taken both too seriously and not seriously enough in the beginning. Black America was seen by White America as both pathetic and degenerate while refusing to take any of the blame onto themselves for decades of systematic racism (sound familiar?).
I found this book interesting because much of this happened as I grew up. I was born in 1985, just a year after the “Just Say No” (to drugs) campaign was launched. I was a part of my school’s DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance) Program - considered a failure.
The author seamlessly integrated the history of “the war on drugs” was well as personal accounts into the narrative. Instead of just reading the facts from a distance we can experience with heart-wrenching clarity why people used cocaine.
I recommend this book to anyone interested in the politics of addiction and crime as well as the history of how Cocaine impacted black America.
Rating: 5/5
Genre: Addiction/History/Politics
I received a digital copy of this book as a NetGalley ARC
In 1970’s America, there was a feeling that the black American could do anything if given the chance. Unfortunately, many were not given that chance. According to Ramsey:
“Unbridled ambition requires a vehicle. Without one, it can torture those who have it, perverting their judgment until ambition meets opportunity and is finally satisfied. It seems that’s what happened for many young Blacks in the late 1970s determined to let “nothin’, nothin’ ” stand in their way. Cocaine seemed tailor-made for the moment.”
Cocaine, or Crack after the crackling sound it makes while cooking, spread through the urban American poor in the 1970s, relieving the pain of those who could get ahold of it for a short while. As with so much in the cultural zeitgeist, cocaine was taken both too seriously and not seriously enough in the beginning. Black America was seen by White America as both pathetic and degenerate while refusing to take any of the blame onto themselves for decades of systematic racism (sound familiar?).
I found this book interesting because much of this happened as I grew up. I was born in 1985, just a year after the “Just Say No” (to drugs) campaign was launched. I was a part of my school’s DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance) Program - considered a failure.
The author seamlessly integrated the history of “the war on drugs” was well as personal accounts into the narrative. Instead of just reading the facts from a distance we can experience with heart-wrenching clarity why people used cocaine.
I recommend this book to anyone interested in the politics of addiction and crime as well as the history of how Cocaine impacted black America.
Rating: 5/5
Genre: Addiction/History/Politics
I received a digital copy of this book as a NetGalley ARC
July 11, 2023
THIS IS THE BOOK... Absolutely phenomenal!
Kudos to Donovan X. Ramsey for writing the book! The book that I personally needed to read and that which I know will have a lasting impact on others who pick it up as well. Thank you to NetGalley for sharing a copy and allowing me to read it in exchange for an honest review. If you haven't gotten your copy yet, what are you waiting for?
I grew up in the 80s and 90s LA County and the crack epidemic was not just something we read or talked about, but actually lived. I recall keenly the start of the DARE program and officers visiting my kindergarten classroom. I recall the war on drugs and the Regan's approach. I remember all of the programming (after school specials and anti-drug campaigns). But, I also remember seeing crack vials on random walks home from school. And the introduction of the terms 'crackhead' and later 'crack baby'. I remember the LOOK that came with use (the weight loss, the worn out bodies)... all of that. I wasn't a teen myself but I saw the effects of crack on the body, on the person, on the family, on the community.
One of the things that I loved most about When Crack was King is that not only was it the most comprehensive and thoughtful exploration of an almost forgotten era, but it is real, raw, and relatable. It is compelling in that the author uses four very real individuals to share in their perspective from that time. And I'd argue that we all have known or have known of someone who falls into one of those categories (user, dealer, politician, etc).
This book is an exploration of a time period that needed further inquiry and it is done in great taste and with reliable research. With a timeline that goes as far back as the civil rights movement and extends into present-day struggles of mass incarceration and police brutality, When Crack Was King nails it. I am very pleased with this book and highly recommend it! It's out today, 7/11/23.
Kudos to Donovan X. Ramsey for writing the book! The book that I personally needed to read and that which I know will have a lasting impact on others who pick it up as well. Thank you to NetGalley for sharing a copy and allowing me to read it in exchange for an honest review. If you haven't gotten your copy yet, what are you waiting for?
I grew up in the 80s and 90s LA County and the crack epidemic was not just something we read or talked about, but actually lived. I recall keenly the start of the DARE program and officers visiting my kindergarten classroom. I recall the war on drugs and the Regan's approach. I remember all of the programming (after school specials and anti-drug campaigns). But, I also remember seeing crack vials on random walks home from school. And the introduction of the terms 'crackhead' and later 'crack baby'. I remember the LOOK that came with use (the weight loss, the worn out bodies)... all of that. I wasn't a teen myself but I saw the effects of crack on the body, on the person, on the family, on the community.
One of the things that I loved most about When Crack was King is that not only was it the most comprehensive and thoughtful exploration of an almost forgotten era, but it is real, raw, and relatable. It is compelling in that the author uses four very real individuals to share in their perspective from that time. And I'd argue that we all have known or have known of someone who falls into one of those categories (user, dealer, politician, etc).
This book is an exploration of a time period that needed further inquiry and it is done in great taste and with reliable research. With a timeline that goes as far back as the civil rights movement and extends into present-day struggles of mass incarceration and police brutality, When Crack Was King nails it. I am very pleased with this book and highly recommend it! It's out today, 7/11/23.
August 6, 2023
"When Crack Was King" de Donovan X. Ramsey es un gran libro. Narra la historia de la epidemia del Crack en Estados Unidos y cómo afectó a los negros y latinos. Mi calificación es un 4.5. Disfruté mucho la obra y su manera envolvente de narrar los acontecimientos, porque por un lado conocemos historias reales de los protagonistas y por otro lado el autor destaca acontecimientos que ocurren paralelamente en la época. Sólo hay que leer algunas páginas para sentirse totalmente ambientado.
Nos sumergimos en los barrios marginales de población negra en Estados Unidos en diferentes décadas. La droga moldea por completo a los jóvenes, e incluso se apodera de sus recuerdos. En esta historia también se detalla la lucha que han tenido los negros en Estados Unidos para poder ser vistos como iguales, enfrentando divisiones raciales y económicas.
Donovan X. Ramsey creció en Columbus, Ohio, y para escribir este libro entrevistó a muchas personas que sufrieron los efectos devastadores de la droga. Estas historias afectaron su salud y mientras escribía sintió episodios de pánico similares a lo que ocurren en una persona con estrés postraumático. El enfrentarse a los bloqueos como escritor y volver a revivir esas historias, le afectaron psicológicamente. Un libro que es directo y que desenmascara los sesgos de la época.
También recuerda la época del presidente Richard Nixon. Y el racismo que empezó a surgir porque muchos de los negros empezaban a formar parte de la clase media. (En esta parte me sentí muy identificado porque en la actualidad parece ser la misma fórmula cuando se trata de crear miedo y odio en la población hacia las minorias).
También se cuenta sobre esos mecanismos puestos a disposición de los jóvenes para intentar salir de las drogas. Por ejemplo el deporte, la música y todo tipo de arte. Acciones que en numerables ocasiones se quedaban como un intento.
Las historias más cercanas que relata Ramsey, son de cuatro sobrevivientes a la epidemia del crack.
El libro es muy positivo porque más allá del sufrimiento y dolor causado por la droga, también deja claro cómo las comunidades logran empoderarse para expulsar la epidemia. Aunque hay muchas caras detrás de la historia, fue la unión de todos los vecinos lo que logra el cambio. También hay muchas referencias de gente que aportó su granito de arena.
Si algo me hubiese gustado es contar un poco las experiencias que estamos viendo en Estados Unidos de gente que ahora consume drogas mucho más fuertes. Por ejemplo sustancias como el fentanilo que han tomado los barrios y reemplazado de alguna manera al Crack. Tal vez la realidad sea que la lucha nunca acaba, porque siempre hay un sustituto.
Nos sumergimos en los barrios marginales de población negra en Estados Unidos en diferentes décadas. La droga moldea por completo a los jóvenes, e incluso se apodera de sus recuerdos. En esta historia también se detalla la lucha que han tenido los negros en Estados Unidos para poder ser vistos como iguales, enfrentando divisiones raciales y económicas.
Donovan X. Ramsey creció en Columbus, Ohio, y para escribir este libro entrevistó a muchas personas que sufrieron los efectos devastadores de la droga. Estas historias afectaron su salud y mientras escribía sintió episodios de pánico similares a lo que ocurren en una persona con estrés postraumático. El enfrentarse a los bloqueos como escritor y volver a revivir esas historias, le afectaron psicológicamente. Un libro que es directo y que desenmascara los sesgos de la época.
También recuerda la época del presidente Richard Nixon. Y el racismo que empezó a surgir porque muchos de los negros empezaban a formar parte de la clase media. (En esta parte me sentí muy identificado porque en la actualidad parece ser la misma fórmula cuando se trata de crear miedo y odio en la población hacia las minorias).
También se cuenta sobre esos mecanismos puestos a disposición de los jóvenes para intentar salir de las drogas. Por ejemplo el deporte, la música y todo tipo de arte. Acciones que en numerables ocasiones se quedaban como un intento.
Las historias más cercanas que relata Ramsey, son de cuatro sobrevivientes a la epidemia del crack.
El libro es muy positivo porque más allá del sufrimiento y dolor causado por la droga, también deja claro cómo las comunidades logran empoderarse para expulsar la epidemia. Aunque hay muchas caras detrás de la historia, fue la unión de todos los vecinos lo que logra el cambio. También hay muchas referencias de gente que aportó su granito de arena.
Si algo me hubiese gustado es contar un poco las experiencias que estamos viendo en Estados Unidos de gente que ahora consume drogas mucho más fuertes. Por ejemplo sustancias como el fentanilo que han tomado los barrios y reemplazado de alguna manera al Crack. Tal vez la realidad sea que la lucha nunca acaba, porque siempre hay un sustituto.
October 15, 2023
"Anytime you have one out of ten Americans using or abusing drugs, you have a problem that won’t be solved overnight,” said Frank Keating, one of the board members." On December 9, 1987.
4.5⭐ - The above statement by Mr. Keating was made back in 1987 but it still holds true today, and unfortunately I don't feel that our government's approach to the drug crisis is any better today than it was then. One thing is indisputable, no matter what the crisis whether it is drugs, epidemics, or natural disasters it is always the poor, the disenfranchised and the people of color that suffer the most. For me this impacting book was more personal histories than historical records, but that works for me because the best way to understand the effects of an epidemic or any crisis is to hear the accounts of those that are most affected by it, and Mr. Ramsey has definitely brought those stories to life for us readers.
4.5⭐ - The above statement by Mr. Keating was made back in 1987 but it still holds true today, and unfortunately I don't feel that our government's approach to the drug crisis is any better today than it was then. One thing is indisputable, no matter what the crisis whether it is drugs, epidemics, or natural disasters it is always the poor, the disenfranchised and the people of color that suffer the most. For me this impacting book was more personal histories than historical records, but that works for me because the best way to understand the effects of an epidemic or any crisis is to hear the accounts of those that are most affected by it, and Mr. Ramsey has definitely brought those stories to life for us readers.
November 25, 2023
4.9/5. This book is trying to do a lot all at once and ends up being successful at all: a play by play timeline of US drug history and the crack cocaine epidemic spanning 20 years, a media analysis of the coverage (or lack thereof, and sensationalization, and misinformation) from news outlets, a political analysis of the calculus made by local and national representatives during the “war against drugs” , a personal telling of dealers and family members and users impacted by the crack epidemic. The back and forth between the personal stories and historical/political timeline starts off awkward but clicks into place a third in when Ramsey is making the narrative point about how these policy changes impacted people during the same time. All in all, I really can’t recommend this book enough.
December 1, 2023
4.25 Stars.
This book was educational, emotional, and very eye opening for someone who knew very little about the crack epidemic. I spent a long time reading this book, not because I wasn't enjoying reading it, but because it was heavy and dense at times and a lot to take in. I think Ramsey did an amazing job of sharing individuals stories and also showing the larger picture of what was happening in our country during this time. I took a lot away from this book and highly recommend it to anyone wanting to learn more about the topic.
This book was educational, emotional, and very eye opening for someone who knew very little about the crack epidemic. I spent a long time reading this book, not because I wasn't enjoying reading it, but because it was heavy and dense at times and a lot to take in. I think Ramsey did an amazing job of sharing individuals stories and also showing the larger picture of what was happening in our country during this time. I took a lot away from this book and highly recommend it to anyone wanting to learn more about the topic.
October 21, 2023
Personal perspectives of people in very different circumstances that lived through the crack epidemic. The stories varied widely and were all compelling, from a young kid to a city mayor. Ramsey does go into a bit about theories behind how crack became such a force of destruction and the politics of its origin and demise. Overall a very interesting set of stories wrapped around a bit of history.
August 14, 2023
Interesting book, especially for those of us who were alive during the crack epidemic years.
September 9, 2023
When Crack Was King by @donovanxramsey provided more context about the crack era that I grew up in. The so-called “war on drugs” was really a war on Black and impoverished communities. It created an environment of fear and shame, perpetuating cycles of violence and poverty within the Black community.
It never sat right with me when people (particularly white people) referred to things that they enjoy as “crack”. “Crack Buffalo Dip” or some recipe that’s so good it’s addictive. Using the word in the way makes fodder of the pain of the communities and people impacted by crack. Some of which that still haven’t recovered.
Ramsey crafted a book that goes back and forth between a political and historical history of crack and the war on drugs, and narratives from 4 individuals who know first hand how crack impacted a generation.
It never sat right with me when people (particularly white people) referred to things that they enjoy as “crack”. “Crack Buffalo Dip” or some recipe that’s so good it’s addictive. Using the word in the way makes fodder of the pain of the communities and people impacted by crack. Some of which that still haven’t recovered.
Ramsey crafted a book that goes back and forth between a political and historical history of crack and the war on drugs, and narratives from 4 individuals who know first hand how crack impacted a generation.
Read
December 5, 2023humanizes crack epidemic - political/policy history & storytelling blended
December 1, 2023
My heart broke for Lennie, Elgin and Shawn. I’m so glad the author followed their stories to present time. This was so well researched. Oddly though I have a huge desire to binge The Wire. Highly recommended.
August 11, 2023
4.5 rating! This was a deep dive into when the crack epidemic thrived in the 80s and 90s. There was a lot that I didn't know about certain issues and they were very jarring. I like that the author followed 4 different individuals that were involved in that time period, either as an addict, a dealer, or on the political end.
October 18, 2023
A masterpiece of investigative journalism, WHEN CRACK WAS KING is a comprehensive history of the Crack Epidemic Era (roughly from 1985 to the Early 90s). A massive shift took place in the 1980s when cocaine was repackaged in solid or "rock" form that, when inhaled, delivered an immediate high to the user. It swept all corners of America, particularly the African-American community. It devastated families and whole communities in US cities from Los Angeles to Baltimore. When the epidemic was over, those communities came back stronger than before, but at a high cost.
Part of the crisis came from the way that white politicians handled the epidemic, mostly by confusing, in Ramsey's words, "the afflicted with the affliction". Black users were stereotyped as criminals themselves, and street dealers of color in cities like Newark were categorized not as people turning to crime in urban areas blighted by deindustrialization and unemployment, but as hardened criminals who faced much higher prison terms than those who sold and used regular powdered cocaine (the drug's other popular form, favored by white users). Toward the end of the epidemic, politicos like Bill and Hillary Clinton were using terms like "superpredators" as new catchphrases to pass draconian anti-crime bills popular with white middle-class voters.
Ramsey gives us not only a comprehensive view of Crack's devastating effects, but he intertwines the main narrative with four mini-biographies (three men and one woman) that reflect a key part of the effects of crack cocaine's rise in the USA.
One is Kurt Smoltke, a mayor of Baltimore who offered a new paradigm in curtailing the crack scourge. There is also Elgin, the rap-inspired kid from Yonkers, New York, who deals with a crack addict for a father. Shawn is a young black basketball star dealing crack in his old neighborhood until he finds a way out through community organization. Last but not least is Lennie, a Los Angeles woman who went from a very ugly home environment to a life of prostitution and the crack pipe and came out, years later, onto a better life.
All four lives chronicled add to understanding how the tsunami of crack cocaine grew and crested and abated but not before a lot of misunderstanding and over-incarceration took place. (Much of which still has negative effects in our country today.)
The book also features an excellent chapter on the evidence of CIA and State Department complicity in bringing large shipments of cocaine from Columbia and Central America to California and other American states. That segment is both balanced and thorough, another example of the quality of Mr. Ramsey's achievement.
Part of the crisis came from the way that white politicians handled the epidemic, mostly by confusing, in Ramsey's words, "the afflicted with the affliction". Black users were stereotyped as criminals themselves, and street dealers of color in cities like Newark were categorized not as people turning to crime in urban areas blighted by deindustrialization and unemployment, but as hardened criminals who faced much higher prison terms than those who sold and used regular powdered cocaine (the drug's other popular form, favored by white users). Toward the end of the epidemic, politicos like Bill and Hillary Clinton were using terms like "superpredators" as new catchphrases to pass draconian anti-crime bills popular with white middle-class voters.
Ramsey gives us not only a comprehensive view of Crack's devastating effects, but he intertwines the main narrative with four mini-biographies (three men and one woman) that reflect a key part of the effects of crack cocaine's rise in the USA.
One is Kurt Smoltke, a mayor of Baltimore who offered a new paradigm in curtailing the crack scourge. There is also Elgin, the rap-inspired kid from Yonkers, New York, who deals with a crack addict for a father. Shawn is a young black basketball star dealing crack in his old neighborhood until he finds a way out through community organization. Last but not least is Lennie, a Los Angeles woman who went from a very ugly home environment to a life of prostitution and the crack pipe and came out, years later, onto a better life.
All four lives chronicled add to understanding how the tsunami of crack cocaine grew and crested and abated but not before a lot of misunderstanding and over-incarceration took place. (Much of which still has negative effects in our country today.)
The book also features an excellent chapter on the evidence of CIA and State Department complicity in bringing large shipments of cocaine from Columbia and Central America to California and other American states. That segment is both balanced and thorough, another example of the quality of Mr. Ramsey's achievement.
August 16, 2023
“The crack epidemic has grown into legend since it tailed off in the mid-nineties, and the further away we get from its height, the more grotesque it has become in the American imagination. That’s partly a product of memory itself, it seems, but also a consequence of which memories of the epidemic have been prioritized, and whose” (p. 433, Libby); and, “It’s all made more complicated by misinformation, propaganda, misremembering, and ongoing efforts to bury the past by both survivors of trauma and its perpetrators” (pp. 21-22).
NPR’s Ilana Masad calls Ramey’s book “an excellent work of people-first journalism” (https://www.npr.org/2023/07/11/118675....), and the author was interviewed for Fresh Air as well (https://www.npr.org/2023/07/13/118677...). I couldn’t agree with Masad more.
Imagine, if you will, living in an economically ravaged inner-city neighborhood, segregated and fortified by hostile architecture, with no social services, no jobs with living wages, no upward mobility, underfunded and understaffed schools, underfunded and understaffed for-profit healthcare, neighborhoods marred by transgenerational trauma and multigenerational, systemic racism from local to federal levels, and one constantly patrolled by brutal, sociopathic police forces armed with “broken windows”, “mandatory minimum sentences”, and “three strikes” policies, as well as awash in cheap guns, stiff competition for territory and customers, and hair-trigger anger with subsequent violence. Throw in the HIV/AIDS epidemic with shared needles and unprotected sex, and the federal indolence when it came to addressing it.
(Now study what poverty and systemic racism do to a person’s psycho-emotional health, as well as child development, under such dehumanizing, disenfranchising conditions.)
Then you discovered a way to make $1,000 a day in hard cash. You can put food in the fridge, pay the bills, support your siblings, and buy stuff you never could have before imagined. Criminal activity, from Ancient Rome to today, is all about making a living through extralegal means, often, at first, for personal survival. This is the foundation of the crack epidemic.
Now this is all abstract, maybe even obtuse to some. I grew up in suburban Chicagoland during the ‘70s and ‘80s and was “awoken” to all of this in the early ‘90s, thanks to being in the Army infantry alongside kids from wildly different backgrounds than me, with Yo! MTV Raps and 24-hour cable news, Rodney King and OJ Simpson. We had blunts and 40s, some shrooms and LSD. Nobody I knew used the hard stuff, but I knew guys who came out of the aforementioned neighborhoods, and dreaded going back to them. No one can truly understand multigenerational trauma unless they’ve actually experienced it. No one can truly understand police brutality until they’ve actually experienced it. No one can truly understand systemic racism until they’ve actually experienced it. That’s why we need books like Ramsey’s, to destroy the myths and bring the lives of those who lived through it into the light.
(Now study what substance abuse and addiction do to a person’s psycho-emotional health.)
You see, it’s far easier, cheaper, and worth more “political points” to have your police forces play whack-a-mole on local street corners and swell the privatized prison system with black and brown kids, than it is to go after the multinational cartels flooding the country with cocaine, especially when the US government is actively supporting or trying to overthrow many Central and South American regimes. (Watch Narcos and Narcos: Mexico on Netflix if you haven’t already; it’s some of the best television made over the last 10 years.) The “war on drugs”, fervently supported by Republicans and Democrats alike, was a colossal failure in every measurement. “The government couldn’t arrest its way to a drug-free America” (p. 321), but we keep trying decades later under the same dehumanizing stigmas, the same systemic racism, the same myopic futility.
Ramsey gives a humanistic portrait of four individuals who were trapped in the trenches of the crack epidemic, while detailing the politics, media coverage, and cultural mass-marketing that helped create, fuel, and maintain it. From Janet Cooke’s completely fabricated “Jimmy’s World” article in 1980 that incited the myth of the “crack baby” all the way up into Ronald Reagan’s White House, to the Iran-Contra scandal (and the Kerry Committee report that followed) showing the connections between US officials, CIA operatives, and Central American regimes facilitating the trafficking of cocaine into the US (https://jacobin.com/2021/11/what-we-r...), and to all the drug policies concocted in the ’80s and ‘90s, what Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney aptly called “an ounce of prevention, a pound of punishment, and a ton of politics”, that fed the industrial-prison system and militarized piece forces across the country.
(Now study what a prison record does for one’s long-term future, redemption be damned.)
On Fresh Air, Ramsey compares the government reaction to crack vs. opioids, a predominantly Black epidemic vs. a predominantly White epidemic, and finds understandable hypocrisy with that. I don’t recall the meth epidemic being discussed. We need to readdress the findings of the Kerner Commission report from 1968, with some updated language usage (https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-lib...) and The Smithsonian’s Alice George gave a powerful critique on the report’s 50-year anniversary (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smiths...). “What white Americans have never fully understood—but what the Negro can never forget—is that white society is deeply implicated in the ghetto . . . white institutions created it, white institutions maintain it, and white society condones it.” In so many ways, we have done little to prevent similar epidemics from happening. This is a systemic failure again and again.
We need to create a new system that can better thwart the international drug trade, and imprison pharmaceutical company heirs for similarly destructive rackets. We need a new system that better helps poor communities—urban and rural alike—to be uplifted and vibrant, as well as better rehabilitate addicts of all kinds by empowering them to be productive, cherished members of their families, communities, and society at large. This is national, single-payer healthcare for all. This is a revitalized Green, and Blue, New Deal. This is mandatory civil service. This is stronger communities, stronger towns, and stronger cities bolstered by robust civic services, providing jobs with living wages, truly affordable and safe housing, phenomenal public transportation systems, the best public education system in the world, guaranteed high-quality senior care, and a culture that is unified under auspices of true freedom, true equality, true humanism for all.
The GOP is desperately trying to rip this country apart, fueled by dark-money billionaires incentivized by Citizens United, supported by weaponized news networks pumping disinformation 24/7 to the gullible and brainwashed, fueled by an unregulated internet now poisoned with AI programs, and now charged with flagrantly criminal behaviors in desperate attempts to hold onto power. Half of our elected officials are millionaires beholden to their stock portfolios over all else, and they get richer while holding public office, bought out by special interests. Some Supreme Court Justices are likewise. They are using the exact same tactics that have worked before, focused on crime and the criminalization of Black and Brown urban bodies, waging wars on the “blue-aligned” cities, and infiltrating school boards and public library meetings. They want to push the small-minded into acts of violence. Florida is just the beginning if they have their way, banning books, demonizing others with their xenophobia, and attempting to rewrite history to assuage White guilt. They must be stopped, because divided we fall.
Thank you, Public Library System, for having this title available. #FReadomFighters
NPR’s Ilana Masad calls Ramey’s book “an excellent work of people-first journalism” (https://www.npr.org/2023/07/11/118675....), and the author was interviewed for Fresh Air as well (https://www.npr.org/2023/07/13/118677...). I couldn’t agree with Masad more.
Imagine, if you will, living in an economically ravaged inner-city neighborhood, segregated and fortified by hostile architecture, with no social services, no jobs with living wages, no upward mobility, underfunded and understaffed schools, underfunded and understaffed for-profit healthcare, neighborhoods marred by transgenerational trauma and multigenerational, systemic racism from local to federal levels, and one constantly patrolled by brutal, sociopathic police forces armed with “broken windows”, “mandatory minimum sentences”, and “three strikes” policies, as well as awash in cheap guns, stiff competition for territory and customers, and hair-trigger anger with subsequent violence. Throw in the HIV/AIDS epidemic with shared needles and unprotected sex, and the federal indolence when it came to addressing it.
(Now study what poverty and systemic racism do to a person’s psycho-emotional health, as well as child development, under such dehumanizing, disenfranchising conditions.)
Then you discovered a way to make $1,000 a day in hard cash. You can put food in the fridge, pay the bills, support your siblings, and buy stuff you never could have before imagined. Criminal activity, from Ancient Rome to today, is all about making a living through extralegal means, often, at first, for personal survival. This is the foundation of the crack epidemic.
Now this is all abstract, maybe even obtuse to some. I grew up in suburban Chicagoland during the ‘70s and ‘80s and was “awoken” to all of this in the early ‘90s, thanks to being in the Army infantry alongside kids from wildly different backgrounds than me, with Yo! MTV Raps and 24-hour cable news, Rodney King and OJ Simpson. We had blunts and 40s, some shrooms and LSD. Nobody I knew used the hard stuff, but I knew guys who came out of the aforementioned neighborhoods, and dreaded going back to them. No one can truly understand multigenerational trauma unless they’ve actually experienced it. No one can truly understand police brutality until they’ve actually experienced it. No one can truly understand systemic racism until they’ve actually experienced it. That’s why we need books like Ramsey’s, to destroy the myths and bring the lives of those who lived through it into the light.
(Now study what substance abuse and addiction do to a person’s psycho-emotional health.)
You see, it’s far easier, cheaper, and worth more “political points” to have your police forces play whack-a-mole on local street corners and swell the privatized prison system with black and brown kids, than it is to go after the multinational cartels flooding the country with cocaine, especially when the US government is actively supporting or trying to overthrow many Central and South American regimes. (Watch Narcos and Narcos: Mexico on Netflix if you haven’t already; it’s some of the best television made over the last 10 years.) The “war on drugs”, fervently supported by Republicans and Democrats alike, was a colossal failure in every measurement. “The government couldn’t arrest its way to a drug-free America” (p. 321), but we keep trying decades later under the same dehumanizing stigmas, the same systemic racism, the same myopic futility.
Ramsey gives a humanistic portrait of four individuals who were trapped in the trenches of the crack epidemic, while detailing the politics, media coverage, and cultural mass-marketing that helped create, fuel, and maintain it. From Janet Cooke’s completely fabricated “Jimmy’s World” article in 1980 that incited the myth of the “crack baby” all the way up into Ronald Reagan’s White House, to the Iran-Contra scandal (and the Kerry Committee report that followed) showing the connections between US officials, CIA operatives, and Central American regimes facilitating the trafficking of cocaine into the US (https://jacobin.com/2021/11/what-we-r...), and to all the drug policies concocted in the ’80s and ‘90s, what Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney aptly called “an ounce of prevention, a pound of punishment, and a ton of politics”, that fed the industrial-prison system and militarized piece forces across the country.
(Now study what a prison record does for one’s long-term future, redemption be damned.)
On Fresh Air, Ramsey compares the government reaction to crack vs. opioids, a predominantly Black epidemic vs. a predominantly White epidemic, and finds understandable hypocrisy with that. I don’t recall the meth epidemic being discussed. We need to readdress the findings of the Kerner Commission report from 1968, with some updated language usage (https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-lib...) and The Smithsonian’s Alice George gave a powerful critique on the report’s 50-year anniversary (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smiths...). “What white Americans have never fully understood—but what the Negro can never forget—is that white society is deeply implicated in the ghetto . . . white institutions created it, white institutions maintain it, and white society condones it.” In so many ways, we have done little to prevent similar epidemics from happening. This is a systemic failure again and again.
We need to create a new system that can better thwart the international drug trade, and imprison pharmaceutical company heirs for similarly destructive rackets. We need a new system that better helps poor communities—urban and rural alike—to be uplifted and vibrant, as well as better rehabilitate addicts of all kinds by empowering them to be productive, cherished members of their families, communities, and society at large. This is national, single-payer healthcare for all. This is a revitalized Green, and Blue, New Deal. This is mandatory civil service. This is stronger communities, stronger towns, and stronger cities bolstered by robust civic services, providing jobs with living wages, truly affordable and safe housing, phenomenal public transportation systems, the best public education system in the world, guaranteed high-quality senior care, and a culture that is unified under auspices of true freedom, true equality, true humanism for all.
The GOP is desperately trying to rip this country apart, fueled by dark-money billionaires incentivized by Citizens United, supported by weaponized news networks pumping disinformation 24/7 to the gullible and brainwashed, fueled by an unregulated internet now poisoned with AI programs, and now charged with flagrantly criminal behaviors in desperate attempts to hold onto power. Half of our elected officials are millionaires beholden to their stock portfolios over all else, and they get richer while holding public office, bought out by special interests. Some Supreme Court Justices are likewise. They are using the exact same tactics that have worked before, focused on crime and the criminalization of Black and Brown urban bodies, waging wars on the “blue-aligned” cities, and infiltrating school boards and public library meetings. They want to push the small-minded into acts of violence. Florida is just the beginning if they have their way, banning books, demonizing others with their xenophobia, and attempting to rewrite history to assuage White guilt. They must be stopped, because divided we fall.
Thank you, Public Library System, for having this title available. #FReadomFighters
December 11, 2023
“I’ve been all over the country and have interviewed hundreds of people whose lives were touched by crack, but never have I met a ‘crackhead’. I just met people.”
This book is a must read. It covers a time in American history that is rarely discussed, the crack epidemic, but Ramsey does it through a well crafted combination of historical events and story telling. Instead of being bombarded by facts and statistics, you follow the stories of a black mayor, a young mother, a college basketball star, and a young white boy born in Yonkers. All of which were impacted by the epidemic that was fueled by racism and political gain. Their stories are what give this time in our history a uniquely human face, and are what kept me so invested and interested. Ramsey really handled their stories and secrets with such loving care, that had me rooting for their success and triumph, and wanting to give each narrator a hug.
An overall best nonfiction pick of 2023, and I look forward to learning more about the resilience of black Americans, that is so very often omitted from our school history books, and reading their stories.
This book is a must read. It covers a time in American history that is rarely discussed, the crack epidemic, but Ramsey does it through a well crafted combination of historical events and story telling. Instead of being bombarded by facts and statistics, you follow the stories of a black mayor, a young mother, a college basketball star, and a young white boy born in Yonkers. All of which were impacted by the epidemic that was fueled by racism and political gain. Their stories are what give this time in our history a uniquely human face, and are what kept me so invested and interested. Ramsey really handled their stories and secrets with such loving care, that had me rooting for their success and triumph, and wanting to give each narrator a hug.
An overall best nonfiction pick of 2023, and I look forward to learning more about the resilience of black Americans, that is so very often omitted from our school history books, and reading their stories.
August 8, 2023
"We know that drug epidemics come and go. Like the flu or the common cold, they infect the body politic when our systems are compromised. We are presented with options when these epidemics occur. We can shore up the weakened systems that allowed the epidemic to take hold. We can rally around vulnerable communities, providing them with resources and support to survive. Or we can turn our backs on those suffering. Worse yet, we can attack them as though they are affliction itself instead of the afflicted."
A humanistic approach to the crack epidemic of the 1980s, touching from the politics (both before and in reaction to the influx of drugs), interwoven with personal interviews / stories from those who lived through it and where they are now. It's a massive undertaking, and in reading it, I'm left with more questions than answers, but it's not a bad thing - in the sense that the questions are spurred by the book and require further research. A book that opens up a new door and new venues of knowledge - irreplaceable.
A humanistic approach to the crack epidemic of the 1980s, touching from the politics (both before and in reaction to the influx of drugs), interwoven with personal interviews / stories from those who lived through it and where they are now. It's a massive undertaking, and in reading it, I'm left with more questions than answers, but it's not a bad thing - in the sense that the questions are spurred by the book and require further research. A book that opens up a new door and new venues of knowledge - irreplaceable.
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