I first heard about this book from a colleague back in January, and the premise immediately intrigued me. After reading it, I took my time reflecting before finally sitting down to write this review.

UC Berkeley Professor Stephanie E. Jones-Rogers offers a groundbreaking look at the active role white women played in the slave trade, challenging the widely held belief that they were unaware or uninvolved in this brutal system. Drawing on firsthand accounts from formerly enslaved people collected by the Federal Writers’ Project, along with records of slave sales, Jones-Rogers uncovers the undeniable truth of their direct participation—not just as beneficiaries but as enforcers of the system, often inflicting even more brutality than their male counterparts.

This book is a pivotal and eye-opening exploration of how white women benefited from and contributed to the oppression of Black people during and after slavery. Jones-Rogers’s meticulous research dismantles the long-standing myth of their passivity, revealing a complex reality where these women wielded power in ways often overlooked and ignored. Even as slavery crumbled, they found new ways to continue exploiting and controlling Black lives, using systems like “apprenticeship” to maintain forced labor under a different name.

I am incredibly grateful to the formerly enslaved people who courageously shared their stories, ensuring this history isn’t lost or forgotten. Their voices, combined with Jones-Rogers’s meticulous research, make this book an essential read for anyone seeking a more complete and honest understanding of slavery in America. By challenging myths and exposing overlooked truths, Jones-Rogers presents a well-rounded history of slavery—one that acknowledges the full scope of those who upheld and sustained it.