The Library Mouse's Book Nook

*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of When Crack Was King from a giveaway. All opinions and reviews are my own*

When Crack Was King: A People’s History of a Misunderstood Era is an intimate exploration of the crack epidemic of the 1980s and 1990s. In alternating chapters, Donovan X. Ramsey recounts the stories of a handful of individuals touched in some way by the epidemic.

While each of the four individuals have such different backgrounds, all of their lives were deeply impacted by the epidemic of crack. Ramsey does an amazing job at illustrating their stories in heartbreaking detail and emotional intensity. Kurt Schmoke, the mayor of Baltimore during this era, fought an uphill battle with other legislators as he advocated for progressive drug laws and decriminalization. The book also follows Lennie Woodley, a young woman whose life was affected by an addiction to crack and turning to sex work to survive. Ramsey explores the impact of drug addictions on the children of addicts with Elgin Swift. Finally, Shawn McCray was a dedicated student and basketball player who was seduced by the allure of selling crack for its massive profit, despite the dangerous consequences.

Ramsey intersperses each personal history with the history of the epidemic, starting with Nixon, and connects larger historical and political actions to their individual stories. Ramsey goes into depth on how the Nixon and Reagan administrations used fear to enact punishing legislation that directly impacted Black communities. Drug policies of this era focused more on punishment and policing than providing adequate recourses for addicts and their families, leading to devastating consequences that are still felt today.

This should be required reading for all American history classes and anyone wanting to learn more about this period of history. Ramsey’s research sheds light on the blatant lies and direct involvement of the Nixon and Reagan administrations, as well as the damaging and prejudiced attitudes of Americans toward addicts.

I love how this book focuses on individual stories, rather than listing facts and figures. Ramsey treats his subjects with such empathy that their personalities, struggles, and livelihoods shine from every page.

Rating: 4/5

Read this book if:

• You love intimate character studies

• You love history but hate stuffy history books

• You want to read about a very misunderstood time in American history