Chocolate City, Chris Myers Asch
Chocolate City, Chris Myers Asch
1 Rating(s)
List: $29.99 | Sale: $21.00
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Chocolate City
A History of Race and Democracy in the Nation's Capital

Author: Chris Myers Asch, George Derek Musgrove

Narrator: David Sadzin

Unabridged: 25 hr 15 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 10/06/2020


Synopsis

Monumental in scope and vividly detailed, Chocolate City tells the tumultuous, four-century story of race and democracy in our nation's capital. Emblematic of the ongoing tensions between America's expansive democratic promises and its enduring racial realities, Washington often has served as a national battleground for contentious issues, including slavery, segregation, civil rights, the drug war, and gentrification. But DC is more than just a seat of government, and authors Chris Myers Asch and George Derek Musgrove also highlight the city's rich history of local activism as Washingtonians of all races have struggled to make their voices heard in an undemocratic city where residents lack full political rights.

Tracing DC's massive transformations—from a sparsely inhabited plantation society into a diverse metropolis, from a center of the slave trade to the nation's first black-majority city, from "Chocolate City" to "Latte City"—Asch and Musgrove offer an engaging narrative peppered with unforgettable characters, a history of deep racial division but also one of hope, resilience, and interracial cooperation.

About Chris Myers Asch

Chris Myers Asch teaches history at Colby College and runs the non-profit Capital Area New Mainers Project.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Kenneth

As a recent DC resident, Chocolate City gave me much greater insights to the cities' neighborhoods and how they came to be. Also gave me background on names and historical markers I see around town. Although the Book's length made it a challenge, it marched through history without a lot of wasted wo......more

Goodreads review by Zainab

Thanks to the random stranger online who needed me to read it for him (God bless you Juny). It was the first book I read on the history and politics of race in Washington DC. Or frankly, simply on race. Reflects quite brilliantly with boring historical and very academic undertones on how Jim Crow was......more

Goodreads review by Brett

As the title indicates, this book provides a definitive account of the District of Columbia’s history in terms of the advances and setbacks faced by its inhabitants in attaining racial and democratic equality. Beyond describing the city’s racial dimensions, however, Asch and Musgrove also illuminat......more

Goodreads review by Healey

The history of DC is even more fascinating than I had realized, and this book really covers it all. I was extremely impressed with the thoroughness; that said the level of detail and length of time it covered made it a bit of a slog to get through at times. But, no stars removed because I wouldn’t h......more