The Color of Compromise
By Jemar Tisby
When engaging in topics about racism, history is often a good place to start. It is difficult to understand the weight and impact of American racism in the 21st century without looking back at racism through the ages. The mass shootings, Emmett Till, police brutality, the kneeling of Colin Kaepernick, the lynchings, MLK’s assassination, Ahmaud Arbery and events in Charlottesville do not happen in a vacuum. As a society indoctrinated in individualism and so removed from antebellum slavery and subsequent Jim Crow laws (legal white and black discrimination and segregation), we have trouble linking what is to what has been.
In his book, The Color of Compromise, Jemar Tisby masterfully gives an overview of the American history of slavery, racism, and segregation while highlighting the American church’s involvement and complicity. Tisby is a Christian, theologian, and historian that ties all three together in this eye-opening work. It aims to decentralize a narrative that seems to always appeal to the white majority; not to discredit popular history, but to tell a fuller and more robust history through a much wider lens. By doing this, we can all move forward with a sober mind rightfully addressing the racial tensions that plague us.
This is a must read for all, but especially those who are interested and have become conscious of the racial tensions that surround us. The Color of Compromise leads its readers on a journey through history with the goal of conviction so that rightful action can be pursued. Tisby does not aim to shame or guilt anyone, but rather uses compelling information to lovingly confront what most have willingly ignored -- starting with the church.