Open Season: Legalized Genocide of Colored People

I recommend Open Season for anyone who really wants to know what the cry "Black Lives Matter" is all about. This book is a detailed narration of, not just past racial injustices in the justice system, but of the current injustices in the headlines today. Open Season is an important chronicle of the state of POC and poor whites in the American Justice system. After listening to this book, I'm convinced more than ever that the word "genocide" is not an overstatement or exaggeration when it comes to the state of black people in America. <br /><br />The author, Benjamin Crump, is probably the most well-known civil rights attorney in America today and, in this book, he makes a riveting and persuasive argument that a silent genocide is being waged on "colored" people in America. Even though Mr. Crump uses the word "colored people" in his title, after listening to this book, I convinced more than ever that the word genocide is not an overstatement or exaggeration when it comes to the state of black people in America.<br /><br />What really makes "Open Season" stand out and apart from many other important books about the conditions of POC in the American justice system is Crump's storytelling ability and the fact that he's been involved, as legal counsel, in most of the high-profile cases that he writes about. From Trayvon Martin to Marissa Alexander to Philando Castille (and many others profiled in this book), Crump is able to humanize the most complex legal cases and make a convincing argument of the role that racial biases played in their outcomes, in such a way, that even a child could understand and see the racial injustices. This book was a fascinating and fast read. I listened to the entire book in one night. <br /><br />While this book should be mandatory reading for law students, lawyers, and judges, I also highly recommend to anyone who has ever questioned if we are living in a post-racial America or why, in 2013 and beyond, we still have to remind some people that BLACK LIVES MATTER!!

Breaks down the way systematic racism in the U - especially its legal system - works in an extremely concise, well-written, and accessible manner. If you're from the USA, this should be required reading for you.

Attorney Ben Crump exposes the monstrous reality about racial and discriminatory genocide. This is a must read for those who need a further understanding of how systemic racism/discrimination has brutalized the BIPOC community for countless years and where we all stand today.

A confronting and important read. A good first step in educating yourself on these issues and #BlackLivesMatter written by someone in the forefront of the movement.

Such an important read! Ben Crump is extremely thorough and goes through many cases that both he himself has represented as well as others that show the continued systematic oppression of Black and brown individuals. I highly recommend as both an educational resource and to get you fired up when it's put right in front of your face that this fight is far from over.<br /><br />My one star knock is due to some editing issues. There were a couple paragraphs repeated word for word as well as quite a few words dropped grammatically, etc.

This was a hard audiobook but so important for the fight against social injustice. Very difficult to remember all the lives lost to police brutality in recent years.

“The Constitution and Bill of Rights provide the backbone of American greatness, but we still have to recognize and root out fundamentally racist beliefs and discriminatory laws that have contaminated and corrupted American greatness from our nation’s birth.”<br />Ben Crump’s Open Season is a perfect starting point for those who want a better understanding of systemic racism and the specific ways Black people are still experiencing racism in America on a daily basis. Attorney Ben Crump, the attorney who has represented high-profile cases, such as Trayvon Martin, Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and Breonna Taylor, works through explaining the justice system, voter suppression, environmental racism, and more — he breaks down each flaw in our country’s history and present day that we’ve yet to overcome. It’s not only about white people being racist. Our country doesn’t have a strong support system for people of color and there are many remedies to be made that everyone must understand.<br />I would challenge everyone to read this book and see that it has the power to change your mind on some things or give you a better understanding of the people around you.<br />Before reading this book I thought I had a decent knowledge of the judicial process and its effects on all people; but having Crump lay it all out for me with specific examples and personal stories, I feel as if he removed some blind spots I was unaware of.<br />I’m extremely thankful for this book and the way it has changed my point of view.

An informative read/good introduction to what people of color have been saying for, like, ever, and why we've been saying these things. The book had more grammatical–or just not-proofreeding–errors which were saddening and a little upsetting. Also, Crump says that he thinks the US's legal system is one of the best in the world and that the US is a great country but doesn't offer any justification, so the statements feel like they were written to appease someone else and not the truest sentiments. Lastly, Crump's solutions to the problems addressed in his book feel weak. Some of them are good short-term solutions, but most of them argue for change within the system right after he says the foundation is discriminatory and biased; we've been trying to change things from within the system for around 300 years to no avail, so why would that be a long-term solution, especially when the foundation is flawed?

FABULOUS! informative, heart wrenching, yet hopeful. <br />Things WE each can do: <br />"1. admit the problem<br />2. call out injustice<br />3. hold the powerful accountable<br />4. share information<br />5. change focus from criminal justice reform to criminal justice transformed<br />6. see that our communities are represented in the structures governing them<br />7. rethink incarceration<br />8. change the mission of policing<br />9. amend 'stand your ground'<br />10. end voter suppression<br />11. end environmental racism<br />12. make access to critical financial support a priority"<br />"True peace is not merely the absence of tension -- it is the presence of justice." <br />~ Martin Luther King, Jr

Really string overview of the many kinds of racism Black people face in America. Crump lays out his thesis and uses a ton of examples to drive the points home. Not a lot of this book felt new to me, but a refresher is always nice. The cases he uses as examples are the standouts in the book.<br /><br />I listened in audio and the narrator is very solid.