July Book Club: The Sum of Us

We will be discussing the New York Times Best Seller The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together by Heather McGhee. While racism is typically discussed as a force that negatively affects people of color, in this book, Heather McGhee takes us to different corners of the USA to dive into how racism and the zero-sum game mentality negatively affects everyone. The author showcases several examples throughout American history of how racist policies and practices have negatively affected BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) and, indirectly, white people too. McGhee also discusses how the Solidarity Dividend, which is a gain resulting from people joining forces across racial lines, can help us achieve a common goal as a collective rather than failing to do so individually. More specifically, we will be discussing the following chapters:

• Chapter 2: Racism Drained the Pool
• Chapter 9: The Hidden Wound
• Chapter 10: The Solidarity Dividend

Here’s a preview of the book in an interview with Heather McGhee on NPR’s Fresh Air:
'Sum Of Us' Examines The Hidden Cost Of Racism — For Everyone
​
Additional references for discussion:

• Page 4 of the NCSEA SE3 Discrimination and Harassment Topic Brief, summarizes how discrimination/harassment affects the career satisfaction of those who experience it:
• The article How Diversity Makes Us Smarter  argues that working and collaborating with others across race, gender, national origin, etc. leads to innovative and creative solutions.