Though I’m hardwired to do my part to “comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable,” I’m mindful that speaking out comes with some risk. So, I take comfort in having a network of lawyers that I can turn to if someone decides to get stupid.
I’m indeed fortunate that one of those lawyers is the brilliant and black Charles J. Ogletree Jr. Tree, a dear friend, was up in Harlem earlier this week for a book signing at Hue-Man Bookstore & Cafe. Just in time for holiday gift giving, his bestseller All Deliberate Speed is available in paperback. Tree's "call to arms" is part memoir, part legal analysis of Brown v. Board of Education and its legacy (he is, after all, a Harvard law professor), and all good.
Even if you already have the book in hardcover, buy the paperback because Tree has added some lagniappe, including a chapter on reparations. Now before you get too excited, your check will not be in the mail. Tree proposes the establishment of a trust fund to help lift those stuck at the bottom. The proceeds would be used to tackle the academic achievement gap, employment opportunities, housing discrimination and health disparities.
To purchase All Deliberate Speed, click here.