1st Edition
RAGEism Racism, Ageism and the Quest for Liberation Democracy
Foreword: Not Optimized to Thrive
Introduction
Rageism: Democracy, Power, & Health
1. The Political Determinants of Health Inequity
2. The Long Con & the Politics of Race
3. COVID-19 & the Politics of Harm
4. HIV & the Cost of Racial Exclusion
5. When Democracy Failed Flint
6. Baltimore City & The Map Trap
7. Housing & the Architecture of Inequality
8. Social Security Reform Con
9. Building Policy that Liberates People
10. The Quest for Liberation Democracy
Biography
Maya Rockeymoore Cummings is Founder and CEO of HyperVigilant Inc. and Global Policy Solutions LLC, former Visiting Fellow at Johns Hopkins University SNF Agora Institute, and former Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution. A political scientist and policy expert specializing in wealth, health, and Social Security policy, she has served as Chief of Staff for the late Congressman Charles Rangel, professional staff on the House Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee, and Vice President at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. She has testified before both chambers of Congress and has appeared regularly on CNN, MSNBC, and other major media outlets.
“RAGEism is the bold call to action we urgently need. With compelling research and powerful storytelling, Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings exposes the deep intersections of racism, ageism, and public policy to make the case for systematic change. This book is a must-read for anyone committed to justice, equity, and the fight for a truly inclusive democracy.”
Hillary Rodham Clinton, former Secretary of State and US Senator
“RAGEism was written for such a time as this—a clarion call for this generation. Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings is to be commended for offering us an unprecedented, bold, and timely examination of how structural racism shapes our health, revealing the urgent need for transformative change. Grounded in rigorous research and a deep commitment to justice, this book exposes the hidden toll of systemic inequities while offering an effective path forward. In a moment demanding both truth and action, RAGEism is essential reading for those ready to confront injustice and reimagine a healthier, inclusive, more equitable and prosperous future so we can keep America from wobbling off the path of health equity.”
Daniel E. Dawes, JD, Founding Dean, Meharry School of Global Health, Author, The Political Determinants of Health
“In an era of America where democracy is under attack in ways unseen in our lifetimes, the magnificently brilliant Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings gifts us a love-filled blueprint for freedom and justice for all. RAGEism is a necessary conversation with a nation at war with itself. It is the boldness of James Baldwin, the high intelligence of bell hooks, and the righteous indignation and drum beats of Kendrick Lamar’s rap music rolled into a stunning symphony of hope and possibilities – if we are willing to truly hear what Dr. Maya is calling us to be.”
Kevin Powell, human & civil rights activist/GRAMMY-nominated poet
“The nation's shifting demographics and progress toward a multicultural, egalitarian society have triggered a white supremacist backlash that threatens the very foundations of American democracy. Using meticulous historical research and a clear-eyed examination of public policy, Maya Rockeymoore Cummings explores the deep roots of this backlash and the social disruption leaves in its wake. RAGEism presents an equitable alternative to our economic and healthcare institutions, and essential food for thought for all decision makers and informed citizens.”
Marc Morial, CEO of the National Urban League
“Especially during this moment of crisis, when rising fascism seeks to return America to its unabashed white-supremacist roots, we must chart a course for real democracy and inclusion. RAGEism offers an honest assessment of the systems and institutions that embed interlocking oppressions into every facet of American life. In doing so, Maya Rockeymoore Cummings affirms the validity and necessity for courageous grassroots organizing as what will ultimately save the nation by moving it towards true freedom.”
Melinah Abdullah, Director of Black Lives Matter Grassroots and Professor of Pan-African Studies at California State University-Los Angeles
