Abold,thought-provokingpathwaytothenationalsolidaritythatcould,finally,addresstheillsofracisminAmerica“RacismisanexistentialthreattoAmerica,“TheodoreR.Johnsondeclaresatthestartofhisprofoundandexhilaratingbook.ItisarefutationoftheAmericanPromiseenshrinedinourConstitutionthatallmenandwomenareinherentlyequal.Andyetracismcontinuestocorrodeoursociety.Ifwecannotovercomeit,Johnsonargues,whiletheUnitedStateswillremainasageopoliticalentity,thepromisethatmadeAmericauniqueonEarthwillhavedied.WhentheStarsBegintoFallmakesacompelling,ambitiouscaseforapathwaytothenationalsolidaritynecessarytomitigateracism.Weavingmemoriesofhisownandhisfamily’smulti-generationalexperienceswithracism,alongsidestrandsofhistory,intohiselegantnarrative,JohnsonpositsthatablueprintfornationalsolidaritycanbefoundintheexceptionalcitizenshiplongpracticedinBlackAmerica.Understandingthatracismisastructuralcrimeofthestate,hearguesthatovercomingitrequiresustorecognizethatacolor-conscioussociety--notacolor-blindone--isthetruefulfillmentoftheAmericanPromise.FueledbyJohnson’sultimatefaithintheAmericanproject,groundedinhisfamily’slongstandingoptimismandhisownmilitaryservice,WhentheStarsBegintoFallisanurgentcalltoundertaketheprocessofovercomingwhathaslongseemedintractable.
