In this groundbreaking New York Times bestselling anthology of essays and poems on race in America, Jesmyn Ward brings together the most important voices of a new generation. More than fifty years ago, James Baldwin wrote, in The Fire Next Time, that ‘the country is celebrating one hundred years of freedom one hundred years to soon’; now, responding to both Baldwin’s words and the new tragedies of our day, eighteen influential thinkers wrestle with the past, present, and future of American race relations and the Black experience. This is an essential collection for anyone who wishes to confront the truth of America.