The Rage of Innocence
How America Criminalizes Black Youth
By Kristin Henning
Book Signing will be on Saturday at 5:45pm, directly following Kristin
Henning's workshop.
Rage of Innocence: How America Criminalizes Black Youth
“Georgetown law professor Henning draws on high-profile cases, sociological
research, and her experiences representing defendants in D.C.’s
juvenile courts to document the institutional mechanisms that criminalize
the normal adolescent behavior of Black youth . . . Copiously documented
and passionately argued,[The Rage of Innocence] is a powerful and persuasive call for change.”
—Publishers Weekly, *starred review*
“We’ve long needed a great book on race and the juvenile legal
system. Thanks to Kris Henning, we have it. Deeply researched and passionately argued,
The Rage of Innocence details how we criminalize Black children—and explains how we can
stop.”
—James Forman, Jr., J. Skelly Wright Professor of Law, Yale Law School,
and Pulitzer-prize winning author of
Locking Up Our Own
“Henning’s vividly told stories, meticulous research, and
trenchant analysis teach us just how widespread the pernicious mistreatment
of children of color in contemporary America is—not just on the
streets, but in our schools, courts, and social institutions.
The
Rage of Innocence is much, much more than a compelling and timely indictment of our justice
system. It is a deeply disturbing look at what it means to grow up as
a Black child in a society that fears, vilifies, and demonizes young people
simply because of the color of their skin.”
—Laurence Steinberg, Distinguished University Professor of Psychology,
Temple University, and former director of the MacArthur Foundation Research
Network on Adolescent Development and Juvenile Justice.
“A vivid and enraging account of how Black children don’t
get to be children in the eyes of police, politicians, and sometimes their
own teachers. Henning, a star defense attorney and law professor, tells
stories—in and out of school—of how the new Jim Crow targets
Black boys and girls and tears apart families. Lucid analysis from a brilliant
scholar at the top of her game,
The Rage of Innocence blesses readers with common sense solutions that provide hope that we
can do better for our children and our democracy.”
—Paul Butler, Albert Brick Professor in Law, Georgetown University,
and author of
Chokehold: Policing Black Men
Author Bio:
KRISTIN HENNING is a nationally recognized trainer and consultant on the intersection of
race, adolescence, and policing. She is the Blume Professor of Law and
director of the Juvenile Justice Clinic and Initiative at the Georgetown
University Law Center. From 1998 to 2001 she was the lead attorney of
the Juvenile Unit at the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia.
Awards she has received include the 2021 Leadership Prize from the
Juvenile Law Center and the 2013 Robert E. Shepherd Jr. Award for Excellence
in Juvenile Defense from the National Juvenile Defender Center.