The deliberate devaluation of Blacks and their communities has had very real,
far-reaching, and negative economic and social effects. An enduring white
supremacist myth claims brutal conditions in Black communities are mainly the
result of Black people's collective choices and moral failings. That's just
how they are or there's really no excuse: we've all heard those not so
subtle digs.But there is nothing wrong with Black people that ending racism
can't solve. We haven't known how much the country will gain by properly
valuing homes and businesses, family structures, voters, and school districts
in Black neighborhoods. And we need to know.Noted educator, journalist, and
scholar Andre Perry takes readers on a tour of six Black-majority cities whose
assets and strengths are undervalued. Perry begins in his hometown of
Wilkinsburg, a small city east of Pittsburgh that, unlike its much larger
neighbor, is struggling and failing to attract new jobs and industry. Bringing
his own personal story of growing up in Black-majority Wilkinsburg, Perry also
spotlights five others where he has deep connections: Detroit, Birmingham, New
Orleans, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C. He provides an intimate look at the
assets that should be of greater value to residentsand that can be if they
demand it.Perry provides a new means of determining the value of Black
communities. Rejecting policies shaped by flawed perspectives of the past and
present, it gives fresh insights on the historical effects of racism and
provides a new value paradigm to limit them in the future.Know Your Price
demonstrates the worth of Black people's intrinsic personal strengths, real
property, and traditional institutions. These assets are a means of
empowerment and, as Perry argues in this provocative and very personal book,
are what we need to know and understand to build Black prosperity. Read more