Reimagining Equality: Stories of Gender, Race, and Finding Home [Hardcover]

Anita Hill (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 4, 2011

From the heroic lawyer who spoke out against Clarence Thomas in the historic confirmation hearings twenty years ago
 
At the historic Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings, Anita Hill spoke out courageously about workplace sexual harassment. Now she turns to the topic of home. As our country reels from the subprime mortgage meltdown and the resulting devastation of so many families and communities, Hill takes us inside this “crisis of home” and exposes its deep roots in race and gender inequities, which continue to imperil every American’s ability to achieve the American Dream.  In this period of recovery and its aftermath, what is at stake is the inclusive democracy the Constitution promises. The achievement of that ideal, Hill argues, depends on each American’s ability to secure a place that provides access to every opportunity our country offers. Building on the great strides of the women’s and civil rights movements, Hill presents concrete proposals that encourage us to broaden our thinking about home and to reimagine equality for America’s future.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“An eloquent continuation of her giving voice to the invisible, the voiceless, the undocumented, the hopeless and, yes, the all too literally homeless.” —Patricia J. Williams, The Nation
 
“This ambitious book provides just as dignified and well intentioned a performance as the one she gave at those hearings.” —Megan Buskey, The New York Times Book Review
 
“Hill superbly articulates the nuanced spaces inside the home where gender inequities might be present, and outside the home where gender and race disparities create barriers to housing stability. She concludes with a call to US leaders and citizenry to proactively engage as partners for a more just society. Summing Up: Recommended. All academic levels/libraries.”—Choice

"Serious readers of all kinds, especially those interested in current affairs and social policy, will appreciate a book that is both highly readable and deeply analytical.”—Library Journal 

“With extraordinary grace and clarity, Anita Hill weaves the story of her family with that of other American families struggling to find and define homes for themselves. What emerges is a powerful story of our nation’s ongoing quest for equality of opportunity, viewed through the eyes of the people who have been deeply engaged in that quest. Beautifully written, elegantly seen, compellingly argued.”—Robert B. Reich, author of Aftershock

“Thoughtful and disturbing examination of slippery ideas, rendered in powerful prose.”—Kirkus Reviews 

“Her book, lucid about law, lively with smatterings of history and reminders of cultural markers, may open that conversation.”—Publishers Weekly

“Combining the sincerity of memoir and the rigor of sociology, Anita Hill looks at home as a physical space, but also as a microcosm of American society. The women profiled in this engaging and moving book illustrate the challenges of living in America as a raced and gendered person while simultaneously demonstrating the beauty of resistance and the triumphs of family, community, and faith. Hill connects the dots between the home-making efforts of African Americans just after Reconstruction and the heartbreaking (and enraging) consequences of the subprime mortgage scandal. After reading this book, you will never see a house as just four walls and a roof. It is a dream and we, as Americans, are the dreamers.”—Tayari Jones, author of Silver Sparrow

“Anita Hill’s bravery, intellect and commitment to justice galvanized a generation of women. If that weren’t enough, it turns out she’s also a wonderful story-teller. Re-Imagining Equality will change your ideas about home, race and gender—and it’s also great fun to read.”—Peggy Orenstein, author, Cinderella Ate My Daughter

"In a book that is rigorous and heartfelt, sharply analytical and deeply moving, Anita Hill examines the idea of what 'home' means to Americans. Bringing to bear her formidable skills as a scholar of American law, history, and culture, Hill has produced a personal narrative that reaches across color and class to explore how our family homes and our national home are inextricably linked to how we understand achievement, opportunity, and equality."—Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Alphonse Fletcher University Professor, Harvard University 

“In her new book, Reimagining Equality: Stories of Race, Gender, and Finding Home, Professor Anita Hill has written a sobering and compelling book about the plight of woman historically and now. This book is a must read for anyone who is committed to gender equality, and will be invaluable to those who are trying to understand many of the burdens that women, black and white face, in their everyday lives. An easy read, this book has both tragic and triumphant stories and covers the life of women through slavery, and those who now live in the Obama era. They remind us that we still have to come to grips with issues of race and gender, and that we need to re-imagine the question of equality for all. I recommend it with great enthusiasm and excitement about its value to a large audience of readers.”—Professor Charles J. Ogletree Jr., author of The Presumption of Guilt: The Arrest of Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Race, Class, and Crime in America

About the Author

Anita Hill is a professor of social policy, law, and women’s studies at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. She has written widely on race and gender issues in the New York Times, Newsweek, Boston Globe, and other publications.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Beacon Press (October 4, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807014370
• ISBN-13: 978-0807014370
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.8 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #723,081 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Philosophical. Thoughtful. Relevant. October 15, 2011

By J. Al-hashimi VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

My original impression was surprise that Anita Hill wrote this book because it is so broad in scope, both historical and forward leaning. She is looking at the meaning of home and looking at what it meant and what it might mean in an imagined future as well as the problems of the collapse of the housing market and which groups have suffered disproportionately, losing hard-won gains, with no clear reversal in sight is captured in this book.

It was shocking to realize that it is only 20 years since the Clarence Thomas hearings. Gloria Steinham recently said on a Charlie Rose program that we are "about 30% there" in terms of gender equality.So much was wrong then that we barely acknowledged, and the majority of people didn't have a script or the words to handle this problem of relative gender powerlessness in many settings. Having been in college mid-70s,I figured that increased awareness, educational opportunity, laws, and birth control would do the job of gender equality but the problem was deeper and moer recalcitrant than I imagined.

Reimagining family and home is in constant flux and it isn't a linear process. Anita Hill speaks of her grandparents and their progress and set backs and her parents and then her generation and each of these shifts regarding homes and women and jobs and education and money were driven by the shifts in their time and place. I think we tend to think that as we keep working out problems like inequalities, things will get easier but because of complexity of a failing economy and global challenges, meeting our goals require constant examination of what we want, creativity, the ability and willingness to adapt, and even then final results are uncertain and may be unexpected.

This is another well written and thoughtful book by Anita Hill, who seems destined to break into our collective and individual consciousness with articulate and sensitive clarity.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible insight into the homestead May 11, 2012

By Eve Briere

Format:Hardcover

I thought Anita Hill did an amazing job outlining the journey to owning a home in America. While I enjoyed the whole book, I resonated most with the pride one took to home ownership. What it meant to put down roots and what family and community where about. I feel like we have lost this and look forward to the day when owning a home is more appreciated that just designing or flipping it. ~ Eve Briere

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant must-read! January 8, 2012

By Nadine B Hack

Format:Hardcover

Anita Hill's insights about how race and gender are intertwined with our hopes for equality and a world in which everyone can be "at home" are stunning. Combined with her artful stories from her own personal family history through to others who have somehow championed what she believes support this quest for home and equality, this book by a woman who changed the course of history is a must-read.