Understanding America’s Racial History: A Foundational Guide for Educators and Community Leaders

To Understand Race in America: Start Here is a powerful, accessible introduction to race, racism, and White supremacy in the United States. It is written by a biracial team. Sue Kiefer Hammersmith is White, an academic sociologist. Ms. Bobe Simpson Epps is African American, a change-maker, consultant, and trauma specialist. Our book blends lived experience with scholarly insight to explain how race has shaped American history, institutions, culture, and everyday life.

Designed for individuals, book clubs, educators, and community groups, this text offers clear structure, engaging storytelling, and reliable guidance for anyone seeking to understand systemic racism, racial justice, and America’s political divide.

To Understand Race in America: Start Here uncovers the hidden history often missing from US classrooms — including the advanced civilizations of precolonial Africa and the Americas, the violence and legacy of European settler colonialism, and the creation of the nation’s racial caste system. The book exposes the illusion of “race” as a scientific concept, explains the racialization of land and people, and traces the long struggle for civil rights, liberty, and justice across generations.

This direct, compelling, and trustworthy guide helps readers understand how race and racism developed in the United States and how they continue to shape society today. For readers searching for books on systemic racism, racial justice, American history, African American Studies, Indigenous American Studies, social justice, or education, this book is an invaluable resource.

Discover the book, join the conversation, and take your next step toward informed, meaningful learning.