Torn Apart: How the Child Welfare System Destroys Black Families--and How Abolition Can Build a Safer World

In "Torn Apart: How the Child Welfare System Destroys Black Families—and How Abolition Can Build a Safer World," award-winning sociologist Dorothy Roberts lays bare the systemic injustices at the heart of the child welfare system. Published on April 5, 2022, this seminal work challenges the prevailing narrative that this system serves the protective needs of children, revealing instead its role as a punitive mechanism disproportionately targeting Black families. Roberts compellingly argues that what is often termed as child protection is in effect a family policing system, intricately linked with law enforcement to perpetuate the oppression of Black communities. Through rigorous research, Roberts illustrates how this system ensnares Black children, subjects families to invasive scrutiny, and often results in the unwarranted separation of children from their homes, funneling them towards juvenile and criminal justice systems. Advocating for the abolition of the current framework, the book is a critical read for those in adult education looking to explore deep-seated racial injustices and the intersections with criminal justice reform. "Torn Apart" not only exposes foundational flaws but also ignites a conversation on how we might envision and enact a world where all communities can thrive safely and with dignity.