Book
Inheritance : an autobiography of whiteness / Baynard Woods.
"In this gripping and perceptive memoir, Woods takes us along on his journey to understand how race has impacted his life. Unflinching and uninhibited, Inheritance explores what it means to reckon with whiteness in America today and what it might mean tobegin to repair the past"-- Provided by publisher.
Record details
- ISBN: 9780306924194 (hardcover)
- Physical Description: ix, 338 pages ; 24 cm
- Edition: First edition.
- Publisher: New York : Legacy Lit, 2022.
Search for related items by subject
| Genre: | Biographies. Autobiographies. Personal narratives. |
Available copies
- 1 of 1 copy available at Tsuga Consortium.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 1 total copy.
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stroud Branch | 070.92 Woods | 31681010282242 | NONFIC | Available | - |
- Baker & Taylor
A politically left-leaning writer and educator is forced to confront his own familyâs own racist past as slaveholders and that he had inherited their privilege, wealth and legacy of lies. 50,000 first printing. - Grand Central Pub
In this unflinching, honest narrative, an award-winning journalist discovers his familyâs heritage as slave owners in the South and grapples openly with his whiteness to inspire others to do the same.
"Bracing, candid, and rueful." âKirkusÂ
Baynard Woods thought he had escaped the backwards ways of the South Carolina he grew up in, a world defined by country music, NASCAR, and the confederacy.
But when a white guy from his hometown of Columbia, S.C.âalso the birthplace of secessionâ massacred nine Black people in Charleston in the name of Southern whiteness, Woods began to delve into his familyâs historyâand the ways that history has affected his own life.
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Upon discovering that his familyâboth the Baynards and the Woodsesâcollectively claimed ownership of more than 700 people in 1860 and that his great-grandfather had assassinated a Black politician in 1871, Woods realized his own name was a confederate monument. With assiduous research and brutal self-analysis, Woods uncovers the details of his familyâs crimes and all of the mundane ways he inherited themâ¦and their coverup. Along with his name, he had inherited privilege, wealth, and all the lies that his ancestors passed down through the generations.
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At a time where Southern states are embracing a return to authoritarian, anti-democratic principles, Woods' analysis of how we inherited our whiteness from the twisted psychology of Southern slavers is both trenchant and urgentâbut always cast against the foibles and failures of his own life.
Unflinching and uninhibited, Inheritance is a no-holds-barred memoir that exposes the story from Trump country that you havenât heard while excavating what it means to reckon with whiteness in America today and what it might mean to begin to repair the past. - HARPERCOLL
Baynard Woods thought he had escaped the backwards ways of the South Carolina he grew up in, a world defined by country music, NASCAR, and the confederacy. He’d fled the South long ago, transforming himself into a politically left-leaning writer and educator.
Then he was accused of discriminating against a Black student at a local university. How could I be racist? he wondered. Whiteness was a problem, but it wasn’t really his problem. He taught at a majority Black school and wrote essays about education and Civil Rights.
But it was his problem. Working as a reporter, it became clear that white supremacy was tearing the country apart. When a white kid from his hometown massacred nine Black people in Charleston, Woods began to delve into his family’s history—and the ways that history has affected his own life.
When he discovered that his family—both the Baynards and the Woodses—collectively claimed ownership of more than 700 people in 1860, Woods realized his own name was a confederate monument. Along with his name, he had inherited privilege, wealth, and all the lies that his ancestors passed down through the generations.
In this gripping and perceptive memoir, Woods takes us along on his journey to understand how race has impacted his life. Unflinching and uninhibited, Inheritance explores what it means to reckon with whiteness in America today and what it might mean to begin to repair the past.
