Book & podcast collection

Black Evidence: A History and a Warning

byCandis Watts Smith

Political scientist Candis Watts Smith examines America's recurring refusal to accept Black testimony, data, and lived experience as credible evidence. Moving through history and contemporary politics, she shows how demands for ever more proof allow racial injustice to persist in plain view while warnings about democratic decline go unheeded. The book connects disbelief with institutions, media, public opinion, and the normalization of authoritarian behavior. Smith argues that learning to recognize Black evidence is not a matter of symbolic inclusion; it is essential to diagnosing danger accurately and protecting a multiracial democracy.

Publisher

W. W. Norton & Company

Publication date

2026-03-03

Format

Hardcover

Pages

320

ISBN

9781324036272