Black freedom prompted all-out white backlash. Reconstruction “did not simply fail; white conservatives overthrew it.” They targeted Black homes as well as other spaces that should have offered safety. Depressing but detailed. ( )

I Saw Death Coming by Kidada E Williams is an intimate look at the violence, as well as the country's missed opportunity to begin to live up to its ideals, during the period of Reconstruction and shortly after.

After establishing some foundational information upon which the research is to be considered, Williams allows us to hear about what happened largely through the words of those who experienced it. It is this combination of personal accounts and well-researched analysis that makes this a powerful read.

I have to wonder about what baggage a reader is bringing to the topic when the issue is that systemic genocide wasn't proven in the book. Maybe they didn't actually read the book, I don't know. But here, in Williams' own words, is the counter to the disingenuous criticism. "The association of Reconstruction violence with genocide may seem hyperbolic and contrary to the stories we've been told again and again about Reconstruction's supposed "failure." Confederate extremists did not kill all African Americans. And there is no evidence that Americans pursuing the Confederate cause and their supporters organized to plan genocide. But racially conservative white southerners' intentions should not outweigh the effect of their actions on Black peoples' lives." Enough said, I don't want to even consider what the mindset of someone who makes such as asinine complaint actually is, just happy not to have the stench in my life.

For those who are open to truth, Williams uses the UN definition of genocide and genocidal action to help position what took place, as well as recent research in critical trauma studies, to look at the violence of the period (and, frankly, the continued violence to this day) using the firsthand accounts of survivors. It is both tremendously moving as well as very enlightening. Well, for those who want to look critically at what happened rather than play word games to downplay the violence and terrorism.

Highly recommended for those interested in history, particularly Civil War and Reconstruction, as well as those wanting to better understand how past trauma is passed down to following generations. Those with an interest in history as told by those who lived it, this will be a rich volume for you.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley. ( )