Book Review: Allow Me to Retort

Elie Mystal, Allow Me to Retort: a Black Guy's Guide to the Constitution. New York: The New Press, 2022.  ISBN: 9781620976814.

 

Genre: politics, U.S. history

Subgenre: African American, law and legal

Format: e-book galley

Source: NetGalley 

 

The subtitle of the book tells you a bit about what the book is: "a Black Guy's Guide to the Constitution." Elie Mystal is a lawyer as well as author, justice correspondent for The Nation, and a commentator for MSNBC. He takes on a big task: to debunk the myth that the U.S. Constitution is infallible and inclusive. In reality, the document is a monument to preserve and maintain White supremacy at the expense of Black people (as well as other non-White people, but Mystal focuses mainly on Black people, and that is a big task). If you are stuck having to argue with some Republican/conservative about the "greatness" of the document, this book explains exactly why they are wrong most if not all of the time. So read this book and keep it handy. 

 

The book includes an introduction, 21 chapters, and an epilogue. It also has a section of notes to provide documentation, references, and evidence to support the author's arguments. In 21 chapters, the author goes through key elements of the Constitution. He pays close attention to Bill of Rights (the first ten amendments). He also discusses various common issues such as police harassment and brutality, land theft, and reminds readers that yes, the document can be amended. He also reminds us that the law is not really objective; it is "a collection of subjective decision. . . " (6), and the reason for that is explained in the book. 

 

The author writes in clear language. Legal terms are explained, but the legalese is fairly minimal. This is a book anyone can read and learn from it. Needless to say, some folks may not like being told the truth. Give them this book anyways; they need to read it then do their work. 

 

Overall, it is a good book. It can be seriously infuriating, and at times the situation may seem hopeless. I will admit I have less faith in the American people than the author does, but I think each reader needs to be their own judge. The book is well written, and it makes good, compelling, and well supported arguments. Some readers may not like it, but like has nothing to do with truth. Do note some parts of the book may be a bit more interesting than others. Pacing can be a bit inconsistent; some parts may be a bit longer than they need to be. 

 

To be honest, this is the kind of book I think would be good for the faculty reading group on our campus to read and discuss. However, this is not an academic volume, so I am afraid the group might view it as beneath them. The fact it is not an academic tome is a strength as it is accessible to all readers. 

 

For me, this book falls under my self-imposed moratorium on political/social issues/activist materials. I broke my moratorium for this book because it is timely and relevant, plus I was curious about the book and wanted to read it. I also chose it to read for Black History Month. 

 

I do recommend this book for all libraries, yet I am aware it may not be palatable to certain communities. I say order the book anyhow. This is one I would order for our library. The combination of good arguments, evidence, and a touch of snark is just what a lot of people need to read. I really liked this one. 

 

4 out of 5 stars. 

 

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Additional reading notes: 

 

What the Constitution is: 

 

"It is a document designed to create a society of enduring white male dominance, hastily edited in the margins to allow for what basic political rights white men could be convinced to share. The Constitution is an imperfect work that urgently and consistently needs to be modified and reimagined to make good on its unrealized promises of justice and equality for all" (1). 

 

Who wrote the Constitution: 

 

"It was written by a collection of wealthy slavers, wealthy colonizers, and wealthy antislavery white men who were nonetheless willing to compromise and profit together with slavers and colonizers. At no point have people of color  or women been given a real say in how it was written, interpreted, or amended" (2). 

By the way, SCOTUS is not the end all, be all: 

"Sometimes people forget that most of the decisions made by the Court are issues of interpretation that can be directly reversed by legislation, if you have the votes" (19). 

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This book qualifies for the following 2022 Reading Challenge: