Rooted

The American Legacy of Land Theft and the Modern Movement for Black Land Ownership

By: Brea Baker

Narrated by: Brea Baker

Why is less than 1% of rural land in the U.S. owned by Black people? An acclaimed writer and activist explores the impact of land theft and violent displacement on racial wealth gaps, arguing that justice stems from the literal roots of the earth.

“With heartfelt prose and unyielding honesty, Baker explores the depths of her roots and invites readers to reflect on our own.”—Donovan X. Ramsey, author of the National Book Award for Nonfiction semi-finalist When Crack Was King

To understand the contemporary racial wealth gap, we must first unpack the historic attacks on Indigenous and Black land ownership. From the moment that colonizers set foot on Virginian soil, a centuries-long war was waged, resulting in an existential dilemma: Who owns what on stolen land? Who owns what with stolen labor? To answer these questions, we must confront one of this nation’s first sins: stealing, hoarding, and commodifying the land.

Research suggests that between 1910 and 1997, Black Americans lost about 90% of their farmland. Land theft widened the racial wealth gap, privatized natural resources, and created a permanent barrier to access that should be a birthright for Black and Indigenous communities. Rooted traces the experiences of Brea Baker's family history of devastating land loss in Kentucky and North Carolina, identifying such violence as the root of persistent inequality in this country. Ultimately, her grandparents' commitment to Black land ownership resulted in the Bakers Acres—a haven for the family where they are sustained by the land, surrounded by love, and wholly free.

A testament to the Black farmers who dreamed of feeding, housing, and tending to their communities, Rooted bears witness to their commitment to freedom and reciprocal care for the land. By returning equity to a dispossessed people, we can heal both the land and our nation’s soul.

*This audiobook includes a PDF containing a family tree, photographs, and other visuals from the book.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2024 Brea Baker (P)2024 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“In her vigorous debut history . . . [Baker] writes evocatively about Black farmers’ relationship with the land and argues passionately for Black Americans to return to family farms (she’s unabashedly utopian on this point, and her frustration with Black people uninterested in rural life is palpable). Baker keeps tightly focused on the topic and writes in a conversational prose that casually draws on a wide range of thinkers. Educators in particular will find this invaluable.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“With Rooted, Brea Baker takes us on an inspiring journey through the complexities of identity, the modern movement for Black land ownership, and the pursuit of belonging. With heartfelt prose and unyielding honesty, Baker explores the depths of her roots and invites readers to reflect on our own.”—Donovan X. Ramsey, author of the National Book Award for Nonfiction semi-finalist When Crack Was King

“Brea Baker’s Rooted is a moving, insightful, and intimate account of the history of Black land ownership and land theft in the United States. It is a must-read for anyone interested in advancing racial justice and equity.”—Keisha N. Blain, co-editor of the #1 New York Times bestseller Four Hundred Souls

An important reference and a vision for the future

In Rooted, Baker tells the story of her family’s legacy of land ownership while recounting statistics, historical records, and oral histories documenting the way that Black and indigenous people have been intentionally excluded from land ownership in the United States. The book resonates with me as a Latina landowner because people of color make up fewer than 15% of all landowners in Texas. A much smaller percentage of these landowners are female. The reasons for these disparities are not something to be proud of, and they are stories we should all learn. Baker’s research invites us to consider the benefits of a liberated, decolonized, and racially equitable agricultural economy in the United States. But more importantly, how living with the land nourishes our humanity.

A great reflection on Black and Indigenous relations and connection to land

In my mine, much of what Baker writes in this book isn’t entirely new, but her addition of family-based stories and attempting to create a connection and coalition between Black and Indigenous communities is where this book shines. Many conversations about Black land ownership and dispossession avoid or only superficially engage with the tension and reality of Indigenous genocide and displacement, but Baker, near the end of the book, really tries to bring these two realities to bear with one another. I think it could have been addressed even more directly earlier on in the book, but I love this first attempt. Excellent read and very heart-felt.