Slavery by Another Name

The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II

By: Douglas A. Blackmon

Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris

Length: 15 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

Pulitzer Prize, General Nonfiction, 2009

In this groundbreaking historical expose, Douglas A. Blackmon brings to light one of the most shameful chapters in American history: an Age of Neoslavery that thrived from the aftermath of the Civil War through the dawn of World War II.

Using a vast record of original documents and personal narratives, Douglas A. Blackmon unearths the lost stories of slaves and their descendants who journeyed into freedom after the Emancipation Proclamation and then back into the shadow of involuntary servitude shortly thereafter.

By turns moving, sobering, and shocking, this unprecedented account reveals the stories of those who fought unsuccessfully against the re-emergence of human labor trafficking, the companies that profited most from neoslavery, and the insidious legacy of racism that reverberates today.

©2009 Douglas A. Blackmon (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Shocking....Eviscerates one of our schoolchildren's most basic assumptions: that slavery in America ended with the Civil War.” ( The New York Times)

“The genius of Blackmon's book is that it illuminates both the real human tragedy and the profoundly corrupting nature of the Old South slavery as it transformed to establish a New South social order.” ( The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

A Precursor to “The New Jim Crow”

In the annals of history, this is a hidden story about the continuation of slavery and the dehumanization of the African-American. State sanctioned re-enslavement. The author does a great job telling the story of the systematic re-enslavement, the review by the Federal Government that ultimately opens the door for state sanctioned slavery and the continued boost to the economy on the backs of African-Americans.

Other points highlighted are the strengthening of White supremacy as well as the further subjugation of the African-American citizens. Free, only in name, the population effectively were right back in slavery.

Pay attention to sub-plots involving Booker T. Washington, W. E. B. DuBois, Presidents: Teddy Roosevelt, & Woodrow Wilson. The introduction of the FBI & J. Edgar Hoover and the dichotomy of how the 2nd Amendment was interpreted for White Americans vs African-Americans.

Should be in your library.

Enlightening. Revealing. Sobering.

This work reveals more inconvenient truth that helps all Americans understand just how deep our divisions run and how fragile our racial environment is. Its no wonder why our nation has once again succumbed to distrust and fallen into disharmony . We must learn from our past to avoid repeating it.

A must read/listen to book.

The only way a country can be truly great is to acknowledge its past no matter how ugly, cruel, or evil it was. Denying history is not equal to attempt to erase history.

Life Changing

Incredible live story. I have never been so sensitive and emotionally involved with any book like I have this one. Bravo Mr. Blackmon

Why has this been left out of history lessons?

I had to put this down several times because I was sick to learn that this cruelty had happened in our country and that it had been left out of any history that I have been exposed to. I’m more determined than ever to do something about reparations.

Unrealistically revealing

It's scary to know the history given to us through education is but a glossy finish to what actually happened. I am an African-American and it makes my heart heavy that I've never acknowledged my predecessors properly. After reading this one can only imagine the torment and hopelessness prior generations had to endure just so I could do things as simple as writing this review. I do not hate white people, not even a little bit. I do however, feel the need to pass this information along. I recommend this book to anyone grounded in this country.

American History

This is book does a powerful job illuminating a poorly covered piece of American history. I listened to this as part of a series of books about the African American experience. It's a difficult subject to hear, but an incredibly important one when you consider that slavery didn't end effectively until 1945.

rivoting

details and documents a history most of us are never taught and our nation fails to recognise

Great book!

This was very well put together! He really goes in depth on the continued slavery. I had no idea this continued for as long as it did.

Every American should read this book

Great investigative reporting. The author does a good job explaining a painful topic that needs to confronted by all Americans. Using an engaging narrative, he brings to life what would otherwise be dry, but hair raising facts and statistics about the forced labor system in the south. Since the prison labor system existed for nearly a 100 years and he goes through it chronologically, there are times when it gets a bit repetative. But he brings the book to a thoughtful close, which leaves one thinking about how we should go forward from here.