A More Just Future

August 8, 2022
Social psychologist Chugh (The Person You Mean to Be) offers a frank yet ingratiating guide to “embracing the paradox” that America is “a country of egalitarian ideals founded on slavery.” Noting that George Floyd’s killing by a Minneapolis police officer has pushed many Americans to search for a fuller, more accurate version of the country’s history, Chugh interweaves lessons on structural racism and settler colonialism; discussions about binary bias, system justification theory, and other social psychology concepts, along with personal anecdotes of her own efforts—as the daughter of Indian immigrants—to “unlearn” the myths of American greatness. She also draws helpful comparisons to other countries, noting, for example, that Germany teaches citizens beginning in childhood to confront the horror of the Holocaust, while Texas and other states politicize school curriculum, resulting in significant gaps of knowledge. Throughout, Chugh cites the work of Black writers and scholars including Ta-Nehisi Coates and Nikole Hannah-Jones, and offers practical advice focused on acknowledging “ugly” truths with nondefensive reactions; she cites Anderson Cooper’s response to learning that his ancestor was a slave holder who was killed by one of the people he enslaved as an example of this. Marked by its authenticity and sense of encouragement, this is a welcome look at how the average person can help fulfill America’s promise.