Summer for the Gods by Edward J. Larson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review

4.5/5 stars

Video Review

Summer for the Gods by Edward J Larson is a nonfiction book exploring everything leading up to, during and after the Scopes trial of the 1920s. This is often referred to as the “monkey trial” where a creationist was battled an evolutionist about the validity of the two world views. It was essentially a battle between whether or not evolution should be taught in schools, but the trail itself had a very different argument than the modern separation of church and state precedent that we are familiar with today.

The book I’m reviewing is the most recent edition of the original 1997 release. That is the 2020 edition which is the same exact book with a slightly modified afterward. While I received an e-ARC, I chose to listen to the edition on audible. I believe that is an adaptation of the 2006 edition which features its own afterword. After I listened to the book, I read the modified afterword in my 2020 e-ARC which I will discuss at the end.

I was surprised to learn that Scopes trial was not about separation of church and state as is the modern reasoning for keeping Christianity out and evolution in. I am loosely familiar with the Scopes trial period because I had a phase of extreme atheism (i.e. really into the social network), and the scopes trial was a major part of the atheist rhetoric and arguments discussed. However, most of my knowledge, while slightly vague, never really clearly defined the Scopes trial as it really was. A big part of this book is about debunking a lot of the misconceptions or the mindset the public has created around the Scopes trial.

The Scopes trial gave the “official” win to the state (supporting the law banning the teaching of evolution, but after the trial, there of re-branding where many saw it as a blow to creationists. This book discusses this thoroughly in the final part of the book. The book is split into three parts.

First is the period leading up to this trial which is an excellent review of what the societal mindset is around religion creationism in evolution. Second, the actual Scopes trial is discussed, and we learn that the trial was orchestrated by the ACLU to challenge that the law violated teachers individual liberties. The ACLU put out a request for a teacher to be used for this trial. What precedes is the trial as we know it. It comes down to trying to argue whether evolution breaks the law as defined by Tennessee.

Tennessee’s law stated that evolution couldn’t be taught because it contradicts the views of the Bible. Scopes (lawyer’s) defense tries to focus on the fact that evolution is consistent with an interpretation of Genesis depending on how you look at it. In the end Scopes loses because it’s clearly plain that he taught evolution and wasn’t supposed to. It wasn’t about whether or not evolution is in line with Christianity because the law wasn’t about teaching things that go against Christianity; it was about teaching evolution.

However, the framing of the argument set up the infamous questioning of one of the states lead experts William Jennings Bryan. He was incapable of explaining away the many inconsistencies of the Bible with science (outside of just evolution). Many saw it as demeaning, and it resulted in Bryan being painted as uneducated and dumb by many in society. Granted, that view was among those who supported evolution. The opposing side saw Bryan as a martyr who stood for faith. Both of these views would fuel the more extreme actions of both the religious and the secular sides after the trial. It didn’t change the law, but it worked as a way of reshaping the battleground in a way that eventually lead to more action.

It was a long time before we started to recognize that the problem here isn’t that someone’s liberties were being infringed. Eventually, the emoluments clauses would be used to garner court decisions that set a precedent of a clear separation of church and state. You can’t block evolution because it is inconsistent with your religion (that is the state sanctioning or endorsing that religion over others). Nor can you teach creationism as if it is science. It’s a recognition that creationism is entirely outside of the purview of the secular state.

I went into this book expecting much more of a discussion about religion versus secularism (i.e. separation of church and state). That was only a small fraction of the book. That is probably my biggest disappointment with the book. I wanted more on freedom of religion and the ability of the state to teach one religion over the other (i.e. Christianity). In the context of the trial, this book a does a great job taking a broad look overtime. Necessarily, it limits how deep we can explore each part.

We get such a clear picture of what led to the Scopes trial and then everything that came after and how it re-framed the way society looked at Christianity and evolution. There was no change in the law, but it triggered a polarization on both sides, and it set the groundwork for this conversation of freedom of religion. So overall, this was a fantastic book. It is dense with information just the way I like it. As with any great book, it paints a clear picture while leaving the reader inspired to search out more to learn.

As for the changes in the book (i.e. the afterward), it was largely unchanged. The most significant change was a discussion of statistics on the relationship between education, geography, and the belief in creationism. We see a lot of things happening in modern day that ties back to the cases of the past and the argument of the Scopes as Christians continue to push the boundary of church/state separation. We see attempts to try and hinder the ability to teach evolution without alluding to Christianity, but the subtle approaches are still very clear in their intent. However, it doesn’t change that in the modern day we have conservative presidents like Donald Drumpf that contribute to the slow erosion of these previous presidents similar to the fears around the erosion of abortion rights as courts allow one new law after another that slowly restricts and decays the existing rights.

He makes a very persuasive and succinct argument as to why this information is still relevant to today. Speaking as someone from the South who grew up a young earth creationist, I think the mindset around evolution has changed, but religious extremism continues. If anything, the mainstream nature of evolution puts society at risk of complacency. It just highlights the need to understand and the importance of separation of church and state.

If you haven’t read this, 100% recommend (especially if you’re a history buff), but if you have a previous edition, I don’t think there is anything new here worth investing in.

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The Black Cabinet by Jill Watts ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½

Book provided by NetGalley for a fair and honest review

You can watch my reading vlog and review on my YouTube Channel.

4.5/5 stars

I approached Jill Watt’s book with a little trepidation. I was intrigued by the concept and the topic because it’s not something I’ve ever heard of. History is not my profession, and I know there’s always more for me to learn. As the publication data approached I grew wary of reading it. It wasn’t that I wasn’t interested in learning about what was in it; I was just worried about my ability to comprehend what I read. Some of these more academic books can be really difficult to get into and read through. It doesn’t help that I’m a better reader when listening to audiobooks. Lucky for me, May was a tough month, and I was late to reading this. By the time I got to it the book was published. The audiobook was out. So I chose to listen to it. And I’m glad I did because I ended loving the audiobook. What’s more, I also think this would probably make a fantastic book to read physically as well.

The black cabinet first informally started in the age of Theodore Roosevelt, not long after the reconstruction when we begin to see a few black figures begin to get a voice in the federal government. Unfortunately this is also the time of the reconstruction when the federal government was supposed to be keeping the South from implementing things like Jim Crow, basically forcing them to follow the law rather than be resistant as they were prone to do.

Unfortunately, black Americans proved to be more trouble than it was worth, so the Republican party decided to let it go. Any issues to do with black Americans was put to the sideline. Voices were ignored and after Theodore Roosevelt left the office the few people in the black cabinet were removed from the federal government and lost any sway they might have had. A few presidencies passed and we begin to see a few voices pushing back on this idea that the Republican party as the party of African Americans.

African-Americans may have played a part in the election of Woodrow Wilson, but that democratic win was also in part due to a third party candidate. Around the time of FDR we begin to see black Americans really pushing for his election. We see people thinking that this might be the candidate who can represent them and can make things happen.

When he finally is elected, we begin to see a few African Americans again in positions of power. They weren’t a cohesive group of people, nor was it anything formal orchestrated by FDR. These were just a few individuals placed throughout the federal government or in organizations tied to the government. In fact fractions begin to form as certain African Americans push back against each other in the fight for civil rights and equality.

Income Mary Bethune and things change. Where there was a fraction there was now a group of people held together by this amazing woman who was capable of inspiring and leading them into standing together. Across FDR’s several administrations, they would go on to decrease black unemployment and increase funding in black American education. They fought for in the military, but this battle was not completed before FDR’s death in his fourth term.

While by the end of the book we may begin to feel a bit disenfranchised by all the ways in which they failed to get everything they had strove for, Watts still helps us recognize that despite their shortcomings they played an immeasurable part in the move towards civil rights. They set the stage for Kennedy who introduced the civil Rights act. Even before him, FDR’s successor would go on to desegregate the military, something FDR fought against out of fear or apathy. Of course, eventually Johnson would sign into law the civil rights act. Johnson had a had a relationship with Bethune before he took office, and it is impossible to measure the effect that kind of connection may have had on him. Many of the civil rights figures, who you may be more familiar with, were inspired by people like Mary Bethune.

In all of this, FDR is often remembered as being responsible for putting together this group of people to help advise him. However, that is not the case. The reason in which they could not get everything they wanted was because of FDR and his cabinet. FDR may not have played an active role in fighting them, but he stood by and let the rest of his administration do that for him. Either out of a desire to prevent it or a apathy toward African American, he would consistently fail to act. Any of the few actions that may have happened under his presidency were done very much against his will. To him the problems about the Americans were too much of a risk.

In his death he may have been memorialized as this civil rights figure, but it is important to recognize that the progress of his time was not due to him. It was due to this group of people who fought him every step of the way. While his untimely death (well he did get elected four times) may have caused a slight rewriting of history, it’s important to remember that this was because of a group of African Americans who put themselves at risk to fight for equality and they deserve to be remembered. What’s more, I think this book is very relevant today when we think about the existing inequalities whose existence is similarly denied or marked as unavoidable. What’s more, it speaks to the need for representation. When people say why do we need a women of color VP, this is why. They aren’t just overlooked when qualified, their viewpoints are necessary to truly overcome our inequalities.

Now the book itself was fantastic. There were times where I got a bit lost. A part of that is just because it is very detailed, and there are a lot of names we need to remember. Mary Bethune is just a leader here, and there are four or five other important figures who you might want to take note of. I mentioned them in my video review and vlog. Watts begins the book with an introduction where she talks about this basic setup of Bethune guiding the black cabinet and her relationship with Eleanor Roosevelt and how FDR really played no part in the black cabinet. However, I would have liked if she had mentioned the other key figures there too just so that I would have known to keep an eye out for those figures. When we’re talking about so many different individuals in history, it’s easy for these more significant individuals to get lost in the details. Once I identified them I did a better job keeping up, but that was really my only complaint in this book.

However, even with that one complaint I never stopped being thoroughly engaged. I enjoyed reading this. I did not want to stop; I wanted to find out what happened next even if have a general idea of what was to come. I was also just very excited to learn about history and politics. I’m excited to continue learning and to find other resources about the past. I’m interested in learning more about the civil rights movement and the different people who played a role in the past and the intricacies that are often lost in the history books. For that, I applaud Watts.

I adore this book, and I’m so happy that I read it. Any hesitation I had about it being too academic or too difficult to read was wrong. I highly recommend this book if you have any interest in the history of civil rights movement or politics because it is fascinating for all of those reasons.

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What the SCOTUS decision means to me.

The Decision

“What do you think about the supreme court’s decision on gay marriage,” another co-op asked me, not long after I had gotten to work. I just looked at him confused. I had no idea what he was talking about. I thought he was asking if I was either in favor of or against gay marriage, but we had had this conversation before. Of course I was in favor of it. Then it dawned on me, “Wait, are you saying the supreme court made their decision on gay marriage?” I was shocked; everything I had heard suggested the decision wouldn’t come until the very last week of June. “Yeah, they said gay people can get married,” he said. I began to smile as it finally begin to sink in.

Friday did not start very well for me. I woke to my phone alarm going off, and I just wanted to go back to sleep; I had had barely any sleep. I’d been up all night trying to fix both tires on my bike after they were flattened on my way home from work. I finally went to bed thinking I had fixed them only to wake up and find my front tire was still flat. Normally, I wouldn’t stress too much about it. I’m only working part time this semester, but this week I had to work extra hours as I rushed to finish something my boss needed done. Of all the days it could happen, this was the worst.

I looked for the patch kit. Oh yeah, I used up all the patches the night before. Just my luck. I googled the bike shops near me; none of them opened before 10. I had to decide: pay $8 in shipping to have a new kit sent to me in an hour or less with Amazon Prime Now, or wait until ten. I opted for Amazon figuring it would be faster and would leave me with extra patches. It arrives in about 45 minutes. I had removed the front wheel and was cursing profusely as the package arrived because I couldn’t get the god damn tire off. It really is impossible to pry off. Luckily, a miracle happened, and I got it off. I little hocus-pocus and I had the wheel fixed and back on the bike.

I went to leave for work. What do I listen to? A podcast? An audio book? How about NPR? Usually at this point, I’d be at work streaming NPR, but I was really into the audio book I had been listening to, and it’s easier to follow along with biking as opposed to working. Not to mention, I could download the NPR podcast later. It’s just one show, what does it matter? So that’s what I did, and in doing so, I arrived to work oblivious of the monumental change our country had experienced.

After I had learned about it from my co-worker, I felt delighted but also somewhat cheated. I don’t know why. It was like someone spoiled the ending before I got to it. I love the ending, but I wanted to get there on my I own. Obviously, life isn’t a book. The radio is still just another person telling me the same thing, but I think there is something more authentic about it. Although in the end, what does it really matter? It’s done. Same sex marriage is legal in the United States of America, and that is the real accomplishment.

Why it’s a Good Thing

The Constitution promises liberty to all within its reach, a liberty that includes certain specific rights that allow persons, within a lawful realm, to define and express their identity. The petitioners in these cases seek to find that liberty by marrying someone of the same sex and having their marriages deemed lawful on the same terms and conditions as marriages between persons of the opposite sex.

—Justice Anthony Kennedy, opening statements in the majority opinion.

These were the opening words, from Justice Anthony Kennedy, in the majority opinion. Justice Kennedy is right. Whether you believe it or not, all of these people feel like you were denying them equality. You’re saying that their relationships are less important and less worthy of this recognition and the benefits that come with it. It’s a way to express their love for one another the same as everyone else, and your saying that love is less deserving. Why? The Constitution says everyone should be granted the same benefits.

No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

—The Equal Protection Clause, From Section I of the 14th Amendment

If you object to homosexuality or gay marriage, whether for religious reasons or otherwise, you cannot deny them the same liberties you have. State or federal, the government cannot deprive any person of these privileges.

They lack–I mean lacked–the same benefits provided to same sex married couples. These range from financial benefits to custody rights or visitation rights to an array of other things. But all those things, I think, pale in comparison to the overall demeaning nature of it. So long as you maintain that these people are second class, you will continue to degrade them. As bi-sexual, I share that feeling of being seen as less than with the rest of the LGBT community. That’s why LGBT pride is so important. We have to stand up and say, “No! You are no better than us.” And we have to continue doing that until that stigma of being second class is eroded away completely.

This decision is a big step towards that. Despite all the opposition, I think, over time, this will help to change societies views on it. It’s still a long ways to go and a lot of work left to do. So many people still feel like the LGBT are less than. I have family and friends who I know that feel that way whether they say it or not, and it continues to create a wedge between us because I know how they feel. It doesn’t matter why they feel it, it’s enough that they do. This decision fights back saying, you’re no better than we are. Whether you’re a member of the LGBT community or not, you should stand up and say it too. Say it, and show that you mean it.