Shackled Again

Are we still shackled? In his debut title, author Tony Watkins explores the deep and lasting stain left by the institution of slavery on our country by chronicling events and personalities from the Civil War to the Civil Rights movement. He examines just how far America has moved forward (or regressed) in regards to race and equality in the age of Obama and Trayvon Martin, and how much further still we have to go. "Shackled Again?" is a collection of stories, historic documents, photos, important events and personal accounts of well-known and unsung heroes of the Civil Rights Movement. Through vivid detail, the book shows the pain of slavery and the ongoing struggle for racial equality. Yet, despite all the gains that have been made concerning race since the first African slaves were brought to the nation's shores in 1619, "Shackled Again" asks the question, "Are we still shackled?" Watkins' makes a compelling argument that in many ways the answer is "yes". The shackles are no longer the iron chains, mob violence, Jim Crow, or forms of legally sanctioned discrimination. Instead, the shackles have evolved over time into persistent crime, failing public educational systems, employment discrimination, broken families and generational poverty.An exciting read, "Shackled Again?" triumphs by challenging the reader to re-examine the past and offers real solutions to break the shackles that hold our communities captive.