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Finishing up page proofs for The Whiteness of Wealth that shows how tax policies designed with white Americans in mind disadvantage black Americans at every turn AND HOW WE CAN FIX IT (Available for pre-order here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/591671/the-whiteness-of-wealth-by-dorothy-a-brown/) I did NOT write it for academics 1/ 14
My first publication in 1996 was a book chapter showing how married black couples’ taxes were more likely to be higher than their white peers. Taxing America https://www.amazon.com/Taxing-America-Critical-Karen-Brown/dp/0814726615/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=taxing+america&qid=1601128144&s=books&sr=1-2 eds. by Karen Brown and Mary Louise Fellows who were very gracious to this junior colleague. 2/14
While tax profs @ProfBCrawford @Narfnampil @TaxLawProf @bearerfriend engaged my work, for the most part tax law scholars have ignored my work. However some of the responses to my research and the race and tax project have been downright hostile and frankly mean spirited. 3/14
Like the time a “progressive” senior white male scholar announced to a room full of tax professors after my race, tax, and marriage presentation in January 2002 “Dorothy everybody knows your work is irrelevant because blacks are poor and don’t pay a lot in taxes.” 4/14
I wrote about it here: https://taxreview.law.pitt.edu/ojs/index.php/taxreview/article/view/9 And now I thank Tony Infanti who was in the audience a decade letter when I was telling that story and he suggested I publish my remarks because as he put it: these stories need to be told. He. Was. Right. 5/14
Zelenak organized an entire symposium in 1996 entitled: Taking Critical Tax Theory Seriously where regarding the race and tax project he did everything but. I write about it here https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=617523 6/14
So when THAT guy writes a piece over 20 years later that doesn’t start with: I. Was. Wrong. Be afraid. Be very afraid. 7/14
Nevertheless I persisted. I continued researching and writing and finding my voice. What helped? I STOPPED TALKING TO LAW PROFESSORS. THEY DON’T GET #SystemicRacism And I joined the faculty @EmoryUniversity 8/14
There I met sociologists: Tyrone Forman; Amanda Lewis; @tressiemcphd @MiChicana4ever Through them I met economists @SandyDarity @DarrickHamilton and I met historians: @ProfCAnderson @ProfLMH and political scientists: @milo_phd @AndraGillespie 9/14
In our numerous conversations over the years they have taught me, supported me, and nurtured me. The Whiteness of Wealth owes an intellectual debt of gratitude to each and every one. 10/14
I decided to write a book for a general audience because I’m done talking to CLUELESS law profs about #SystemicRacism because they don't want to understand why it should be part of tax policy discourse. 11/14
In stark contrast every time I have presented my work to any audience other than law professors, including a general audience, the audience is engaged and wants to hear more. So this book is for you. 12/14
For those who want to understand why no matter how hard black Americans try, they can’t get ahead and how tax policy plays a significant part. Once you see how it happens you will understand what needs to happen next. 13/14
The Whiteness of Wealth is available for pre-order https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/591671/the-whiteness-of-wealth-by-dorothy-a-brown/ 14/14 THE END
