"An intrepid, revelatory account of how inequality is foundational to the very seat of US democracy. With impeccable research and bold insight, Jones brilliantly details the enduring legacy of racism at the highest level of government, and illuminates the poignant experiences of Black congressional staff, who heroically strive to build an American democracy true to its ideals. The Last Plantation is absolutely essential--the one book you must read on the state and stakes of Congress." --Alondra Nelson, Institute for Advanced Study "This is a book unlike any other on Black politics. Offering an unprecedented account of Black congressional staffers and service workers, Jones explores the many manifestations of agency among Black workers while analyzing how these workplace dynamics impact the democratic process of lawmaking. Deeply researched and profoundly important, The Last Plantation is a critical addition to the scholarship on Black political change." --Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, author of Race for Profit: How Banks and the Real Estate Industry Undermined Black Homeownership "In The Last Plantation , Jones brilliantly unveils the inner workings of one of the world's most influential institutions--the US Congress. Drawing on rich ethnographic data, Jones maps the everyday politics and practices that significantly shape the experiences of Black congressional workers.

Jones presents a daring and theoretically compelling analysis of the US Congress as an inequality regime." --Celeste Watkins-Hayes, Jean E. Fairfax Collegiate Professor of Public Policy and Sociology, University of Michigan "James Jones does the important work of shedding light on the failures of Congress--in the past and still today--to be the house for all Americans. Ensuring Congress members and congressional staff look like America, ensuring Black Americans have every opportunity to participate in and lead in this democracy, and ensuring workers in the Capitol are adequately compensated and respected--from interns to chiefs of staff, from committee staff to those who keep the institution running every day--are goals that are both vital to equity and are also at the very core of our representative democracy. The work of Jones and others has inspired and informed significant reforms--including the establishment of an Office of Diversity and Inclusion, the payment of interns, congressional workforce collective bargaining, and new trainings for Congress members and managers--but The Last Plantation makes clear that there is far more work to be done." --Congressman Derek Kilmer "Jones meticulously weaves together data and a compelling argument to explain how and why Congress remains so segregated. The Last Plantation is aptly named to describe the insidious nature of White supremacy that impacts the daily lives of Black staffers and every aspect of American politics." --Nadia E.

Brown, author of Sisters in the Statehouse: Black Women and Legislative Decision Making.