The period between Barack Obama’s inauguration as president and the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol marked a pivotal time for Black Americans to gain dignity and the ability to fully participate in democracy.
These years were a time of reconstruction — marking a struggle between those who support the advancement of Black people and those who don’t.
That’s the argument of Peniel E. Joseph, a University of Texas at Austin professor of public affairs and history. His new book, "The Third Reconstruction: America’s Struggle for Racial Justice in the Twenty-First Century," comes out in early September.