Registration now closed

LWV of Wilmette and WPL Book Group (Virtual)

The Sum of Us by Heather McGhee

We will be discussing The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together by Heather McGhee.

Heather McGhee’s specialty is the American economy—and the mystery of why it so often fails the American public. From the financial crisis to rising student debt to collapsing public infrastructure, she found a common root problem: racism. But not just in the most obvious indignities for people of color. Racism has costs for white people, too. The Sum of Us is a brilliant analysis of how we arrived here: divided and self-destructing, materially rich but spiritually starved and vastly unequal. McGhee marshals economic and sociological research to paint an irrefutable story of racism’s costs, but at the heart of the book are the humble stories of people yearning to be part of a better America, including white supremacy’s collateral victims: white people themselves. With startling empathy, this heartfelt message from a Black woman to a multiracial America leaves us with a new vision for a future in which we finally realize that life can be more than a zero-sum game. (Adapted from the publisher)

Find a copy of the book here. Ebook and eaudiobook copies are available through Digital Library of Illinois or the Libby app.

Registration will close two hours before the program begins and registrants will receive a link to join shortly thereafter.

Please email community@wilmettelibrary.info with any questions about how to access the program via Zoom.

Upcoming events