CLEVELAND — The interview in the player is from our Front Row: A Turning Point special which aired Jan. 27, 2022.
We hope you were able to join us Thursday for a conversation with author Heather McGhee, whose book "The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together" was the focus of 3News' "Front Row: A Turning Point" program in January.
3News partnered with Cuyahoga County Public Library to keep the conversation going about “The Sum of Us,” frequently called one of the best books to be published in 2021.
Sara Shookman, anchor of Front Row, hosted the virtual community conversation with McGhee. They discussed McGhee’s views on "zero-sum thinking," or the belief that when one racial group moves ahead, another loses ground.
McGhee, an economist, writes that the zero-sum paradigm—the idea that what’s good for people of color is bad for whites—has led to policies that historically have kept people of color from pursuing the American dream, and have had harmful effects for whites too.
Our "Turning Point" special took a deep dive into several anecdotes cited in the book that happened in our own backyard, including how officials in Warren, Ohio, chose to turn a public pool into a members-only club rather than integrate. It also explored McGhee’s ideas for solutions that allow all Americans to prosper together, which she calls the “solidarity dividend."
During the January special, 3News viewers were encouraged to read "The Sum of Us," a New York Times bestseller. To watch a replay of our 30-minute special which aired Jan. 27, 2022, click here.
During Thursday's follow-up book discussion, which was broadcast live on Zoom, attendees were able to pose questions to McGhee via the Zoom chat function. You can watch the entire event again in the player below:
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