The evidence of things not seen

In this searing and moving essay, James Baldwin examines the Atlanta child murders that took place over twenty-two months in 1979 and 1980.

He delves into the significance of Atlanta as the site of these brutal killings—a city that claimed to be 'too busy to hate'—and the pervasive role of race throughout the case.

Baldwin critiques the prosecution of Wayne Williams, the Black man tried for the crimes, and argues that the case highlights the failures of integration and the ongoing racial stagnation in America.

The book is a profound and disturbing look at American race relations, making a time-specific event timeless and revealing the hard-to-face issues that continue to plague the nation.