Cheryl's Reviews > Disillusioned: Five Families and the Unraveling of America's Suburbs

As i was reading this, it was just in addition to making me angry, it also was really, really sad. I think everyone should read it. And when you do, you need to *not* view this as a ‘people are just trying to get the best education’ for their kids. Because there is more to it than that. If it was just “people trying to get the best education” you wouldn’t see a lot of what is happening.

I picked this up after hearing an ig live with the author and Michael Harriott (go read his book if you haven’t AND follow him on socials. You might learn something) and i am glad i did.

There is so much going on in how systemically clear America has fought to keep things comfortable for themselves all the while not embracing those who could *actually* assist in that as well as making things better for EVERYONE. A lot of the rot that keeps happening with structural stuff where someone comes in, neglects, then flees when the cost to repair the neglect is *just slightly north of well if we had done this before, we wouldn’t be here, totally reminds me how the US government goes to other countries “in the name of democracy / freedom for all” to “fix stuff” but instead makes things worse and then turns around as says “look at all that ish that country is in” not even truly cognizant of the damage created and left to be fixed by others.

It also highlights further for me the notion of those with the funds to fix things, generally won’t, but those who truly do not will give what they can to make things better. Mainly because they recognize it is all they have and they need to do what they can to make it work because “America” has demonstrated it won’t as a collective do something about it.

One day, it would be nice to see clear America wake up to the damage they have caused and continue to cause (by standing by being all “wasn’t me”) and starts working for the collective instead of the clear collective, but only if you are a particular type in the clear collective.

(And yes, i am using clear to refer to ⚪️ people. Socials has a habit of censoring that as if it is an actual slur instead of a fact. And as a black woman, i can say definitively after having dealt with so many clear on a regular basis, the amount of hit dogs who will read this book and immediately start is entertaining).