The book uses the politics of respectability concept as an appropriate framework to show why racial disparities between black and white people in America persist. The politics of respectability originated with black Baptist women in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Sadly, the politics of respectability is under utilized and often confused with respectability politics. The book using the politics of respectability to examine three important myths: the myth of the American Dream, the myth of America as a meritocracy, and the model minority myth. Additionally, the politics of respectability is used to understand #BlackLivesMatter and recent NFL protests led by Colin Kaepernick.
