America has a long, complicated history with race relations. In 1896, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of a “separate but equal” policy that encouraged segregation in the country for the next 60 years.
Steve Luxenberg says we have to come to grips with that controversial history.
“I don’t like the idea of calling that black history — it’s not black history or white history — it’s our history,” he says. “In order for us to make progress on it today, we need to confront the past and own it.”
Luxenberg is the author of SEPARATE: The Story of Plessy Vs. Ferguson, and America’s Journey from Slavery to Segregation.
The book sheds light on one of the most controversial Supreme Court decisions in U.S. history and gives insight on how that case still affects our country today.
Steve Luxenberg will be in Traverse City on Thursday, February 6, as part of the National Writers Series.