Redeem a Nation - by Damario Solomon-Simmons (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Amazon Editors' Pick - Best History Books of May

We all feel it, the teetering toward a place in America from which there is no return. The battle to remain hopeful in spite of injustice after injustice. In this powerful story of one lawyer's fight for his community, both justice and hope are redeemed.

The Greenwood neighborhood of North Tulsa was once a promised land for African Americans, deemed "Black Wall Street." But on May 31, 1921, the deadliest race massacre in U.S. history sent Greenwood up in flames. At the time, Lessie Randle was just a child running to safety as bullets ricocheted around her. Almost a century later, lawyer Damario Solomon-Simmons knocks on her door asking if she'd be willing to run toward justice this time.

In Redeem a Nation, we follow Solomon-Simmons's fight for justice, from the courtrooms of Tulsa to our nation's capital, representing three centenarians: the last survivors of the Tulsa Race Massacre. Documenting a race against the calendar and the courts, Redeem a Nation grapples with the truth about corruption and disenfranchisement in America through this historic legal case for reparations and the deeply moving stories of survivors and descendants of the Massacre.

Yet this isn't just a story of Tulsa. The community is a microcosm of the continued harm America inflicts through racial violence and economic injustice. The damage of generational poverty and loss of opportunity isn't some relic of the past. It is happening right now. Redeem a Nation offers a way forward for communities across the nation through systemic change and community love. The time is now to resist, repair, and redeem a land once promised.

"You think we can win?" Randle asked that day. This story is Solomon-Simmons's answer.

Review Quotes

"How we recover from centuries of slavery, racial terrorism, violence, and codified racial hierarchy remains one of the central questions in American life. Solomon-Simmons's extraordinary lawyering, activism, and engagement on how we repair harms long unaddressed is at the forefront of urgent and critical issues in this country. . . An American story we cannot ignore." --Bryan Stevenson, New York Times bestselling author of Just Mercy

"In Redeem a Nation, Solomon-Simmons lays out a path toward justice with power, love, and dignity."--Resmaa Menakem, New York Times bestselling author of My Grandmother's Hands

"Redeem a Nation is a true-crime story, an epic tale about a heroic pursuit of justice, and a history of the unpaid debt this nation has evaded for more than a century. It's a tale as old as America. But in this version, Damario Solomon-Simmons is the debt collector, and he actually brings all the receipts."--Michael Harriot, New York Times bestselling author of Black AF History

"The raw and moving account of one attorney's passion for justice for his community and the authoritative history of reparations in America . . . an ambitious and important book for all of us who want to see wrongs made right in our lifetime and set this nation on a path to healing. This book makes clear: Justice delayed is justice denied." --Lurie Favors, racial justice attorney

"Weaving together Solomon-Sommons's Tulsa childhood, the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921, and the modern-day legal battle to finally grant reparations for victims, this book is a powerful, riveting read for anyone interested in better understanding the legacy of anti-Black racism in this country and the effort for justice . . . finally coming to fruition."--Areva Martin, Esq., award-winning civil rights attorney

"A clarion call that echoes through generations past and present."--Angela Rye, award-winning host, social justice advocate, and lawyer

"Solomon-Simmons passionately exposes and perfectly articulates the divide between our present system and a truly just society making it clear that reparations are not just economic redress but a manifestation of justice in its purest form." --Reverend Al Sharpton, founder and president of the National Action Network

"Redeem a Nation unflinchingly exposes the painful truth that the legacy of racism endures . . . a rallying cry to confront the ingrained inequalities that persist and to provide the resources needed for all communities to thrive." --Brittany Packnett Cunningham, award-winning political and social change strategist and founder of Love & Power Works

"Redeem a Nation shows us that love is not passive--it's a call to action, a commitment to support and uplift those who have been marginalized and oppressed." --Joy Reid, New York Times bestselling author of Medgar and Myrlie

"Solomon-Simmons inspires readers to recognize the transformative potential of reparations in shaping a more inclusive and just society." --Tiffany Cross, author of Say It Louder!

"A must-read for those seeking to understand our shared responsibilities and shape a future rooted in justice." --Lee Merritt, civil rights attorney and activist

About the Author

Damario Solomon-Simmons, Esq., M.Ed. graduated with honors from the University of Oklahoma and became the first African American to receive the Joel Jankowsky Award for most outstanding law graduate. He has been a practicing civil rights attorney for almost 20 years and currently is the Managing Partner of SolomonSimmonsLaw, the co-founder and Executive Director of the Justice for Greenwood Foundation, and co-founder of the MVP Foundation. He has been featured on CNN, The View, Good Morning America, ABC News, ESPN, The New York Times, and more. He lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma with his beloved wife.