“Unpunished Murder: Massacre at Colfax and the Quest for Justice” is a book by Lawrence Goldstone that discusses systematic racism, white supremacy, and the political issues in 19th century America leading up to the Colfax Massacre in 1873 where a band of white supremacists massacred over 100 African Americans. It also explores the court case and events following the massacre. One theme I identified from this book is, regardless of our differences, everyone should be treated with fairness and respect. From the events of slavery, to the Black Codes, to the white supremacists that received no charges after the Colfax Massacre, this book continuously develops the discrimination against African Americans and the injustices they faced.

The first reason why you should read this book is because this book discusses the Colfax Massacre, an important event in history that contributed to the discrimination regulated in the U.S. justice system that is often overlooked. It provides eye-opening stories about the injustices that we faced. The second reason you should read this book is because the central ideas of systematic racism and white supremacy in American are still relevant issues the United States and the world seem to face today. For example, the Black Lives Matter movement and George Floyd, an innocent African American man, that was murdered by the police.

One important thing I learned and found helpful in this nonfiction unit is the concept of rereading. “Unpunished Murder” can get confusing at times discussing politics and mentioning new names, dates and events almost every chapter. Rereading taught me to go back and read the paragraph, page or chapter multiple times so that I can get a better understanding of the more confusing concepts.