The Right Of The People by Osita Nwanevu
A sharp, historically grounded critique of American policing that traces how beliefs about safety, property and race shaped the police’s expansion and distorted their role, arguing that contemporary reforms often entrench harm by treating symptoms rather than causes. Weaving legal and social history with reporting, the book shows how slavery-era patrols, labor control, and twentieth-century professionalization remade public order, and how police increasingly became the default responders to homelessness, mental illness and domestic crises. From this foundation it challenges familiar reformist fixes and advances a practical, justice-oriented case for shrinking police functions, redirecting resources to community institutions and reimagining public safety around prevention, care and democratic accountability.
The 13104th greatest book of all time
- Published
- 2025
- Nationality
- American
- Length
- Moderate
- Pages
- 384
- Original Language
- English
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- Alternate Titles
- None
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This book is on the following 1 lists:
- 676th on The Greatest Books of 2025 - Honorable Mention (The Greatest Books)