🕠Get Created Equal: The Painful Past, Confusing Present, and Hopeful Future of Race in America by Ben Carson
Created Equal: The Painful Past, Confusing Present, and Hopeful Future of Race in America by Ben Carson
Now a New York Times Bestseller! Bestselling author and conservative icon Dr. Ben Carson lays out a hopeful and inspiring road map for how America can come together. External physical characteristics that are genetically encoded are things over which no individual has control. But rather than appreciating the gift of diversity, some have chosen to use it to drive wedges between groups of people. Some of these external characteristics are associated with the past moral failing of slavery. Though slavery in America formally ended in the 1860s, the vestiges of that evil institution are still with us today, and those vestiges often inflict guilt on some and facilitate feelings of victimhood in others. In Created Equal , Dr. Carson uses his own personal experiences as a member of a racial minority, along with the writings and experiences of others from multiple backgrounds and demographics, to analyze the current state of race relations in America. Instead of using race as an excuse to remake America into something completely antithetical to the Constitution, Dr. Carson suggests ways to enhance and bring great success to our nation and all multiethnic societies by magnifying America's incredible strengths instead of her historical weaknesses. Read more
I have long been an admirer of Dr. Ben Carson for his medical prowess and his wise, gentle demeanor grounded in deep faith. I was really looking forward to this book, and it did not disappoint. As a Black male that grew up in a poor, single-mother household, Dr. Carson has the authority to express certain opinions that many of us agree with but often cannot say without harsh rebuke in today's charged political environment (although he IS rebuked by many, regardless). Many voices that speak on racial issues today focus only on one angle of the issue. Dr. Carson skillfully looks at the whole picture, "warts and all", and tries to put everything in context. He does not say that there is no racism in America today...there is, as there is everywhere; human beings are sinful...but he reviews the trajectory that America is on and the great progress that has, and continues to be, made in terms of racial equality. He celebrates the growing presence of Black individuals in high profile business and government roles, among other arenas. He has such a gentle and forgiving attitude. He cites many instances in which white people said or did awful things to him, and his natural reaction was to forgive and recognize that something in that person's past probably predisposed them to say/do what they did. Those kinds of reactions likely served promoting racial harmony FAR more than anger and demands for apologies. His story reinforces that the color of your skin does not need to limit what you can accomplish in America, but each individual needs to be committed to self-improvement and strive for excellence in their own life. He greatly stresses the importance of education and points out that educational disparities in our country need to be fixed. As an important aspect of how the country can move forward, he emphasizes that people need to "stop looking for a racial angle in every conflict." AMEN. Identity politics are poisonous. As Dr. Carson states, "There are good white people and bad white people. There are good Black people and bad Black people." We need to stop "getting in our respective corners and demonizing each other." So much great wisdom in this book, but sadly, it will probably not be read by those who most need to hear his wonderful, common sense message. Read it; share it!
Publisher -> Center Street (May 17, 2022) Language -> English Hardcover -> 272 pages ISBN-10 -> 1546002642 ISBN-13 -> 978-1546002642 Item Weight -> 1.05 pounds Dimensions -> 6.35 x 1.25 x 9.3 inches Best Sellers Rank: #1,159 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #4 in Discrimination & Racism #5 in History & Theory of Politics #8 in African American Demographic Studies (Books)
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