Of Greed and Glory by Deborah G Plant weaves history, both personal and societal, with analysis and a call to action.

Several of my areas of interest brought me to this book. One is my admiration for both the person and the writer Zora Neale Hurston. Another is my concern and activism for a better society, which must include every person regardless of who they are or what mistakes they may have made. Which leads directly to our (in)justice system in this country and the ways in which we have become a carceral state.

First, the Hurston interest. I am particularly impressed with the way Plant didn't simply cite Hurston but put her words and ideas into conversation with contemporary society. The passage from which the title is taken is both powerful and warrants unpacking to fully appreciate. You see some apologists for our country's past mistakes (mis)use the fact that some Africans did indeed sell other Africans to white slave traders. As Hurston makes clear, this illustrates the broader issues of greed and glory. It is not a way of excusing the treatment of human beings as property, it does not justify what was done. It simply points out that greed and glory seeking are more universal than human compassion. If Frenchmen had sold Germans into slavery, would we be lumping all Europeans into a monolithic group and say "well, Europeans did it to each other so we can't be blamed?" Increasing the number of responsible parties does not decrease the level of responsibility for any party, it simply adds to those responsible.

From that slave trade the society created around it and on top of it has worked overtime finding ways to replicate that human bondage without calling it slavery. One major element of that is our carceral system. It isn't just that the laws are enforced unevenly or that sentences are handed down with a lot of bias, but that through this system a large portion of the population is placed, and remains, under the thumb of a government that cares very little for them.

If you hesitate to even consider abolitionism because you fear it would make society less safe, then you're living a very privileged life. Life for many in this country is already unsafe, and the danger and violence is government driven. Abolition will be a process and steps have to be taken to provide a system of accountability and reparation, as well as assistance. A large part of this has to be a fairer society. You can't expect to deprive neighborhoods of adequate schools, utilities, and opportunity and then act surprised that people often have to find other ways to survive. You can't have a society that systematically incarcerates Black men then blame that community for not having male role models. In other words, you can't be the cause of the problem then blame those you're oppressing for what you've done. To the point where you're even ashamed to let actual history be taught to your children.

I found Plant's use of her own and her family's personal journey to be effective and useful. We aren't just talking about numbers, we're talking about communities, about families, and ultimately about human beings. Anyone unwilling to address this as such is, whether they admit it or not, okay with oppressing other human beings.

As an additional resource, watch or read the interview on The Real News Network about Baton Rouge Police black sites (https://therealnews.com/baton-rouge-cops-tortured-detainees-at-brave-cave-black-site). This is the city Plant refers to in the book and one I know fairly well having lived there for nine years back in the 90s.

Highly recommended for anyone interested in these issues we face as a society. There should be some discomfort for any reader, we have all, intentionally or not, contributed to this dysfunctional system. Rather than hide our heads, raise them and do something about it.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley. ( )