Book Review: The Queen
I had only heard of Linda Taylor a couple of times in my life. Her many scandals predate me! I knew that she was the real-life welfare queen Reagan made famous, but I didn’t know her backstory. Many people didn’t even know the “welfare queen” trope was based on a real person. This is why I was fascinated when I got Josh Levin’s new book, The Queen: The Forgotten Life Behind an American Myth. (For transparency, I got an advance review copy from the publisher.)
I also listened to the Slate podcast Levin did on this. It is so interesting how the actions of one person could affect generations that come after them in a very negative way. In this case, Taylor’s scheming has cemented this negative stereotype about poor people and especially poor people of color on government assistance as being lazy “takers.”
But it is not just her fault, politicians on both sides of the aisle have used this welfare trope to demonize poor people. Yes, Reagan used Linda Taylor to win elections and stir up subtle racism, but it was Bill Clinton who pushed for welfare reform to stir up middle-class resentment.
I also found her upbringing quite interesting. She was born to a white mother and a black father in the Jim Crow South, and the mother’s family rejected her biracial daughter. Linda ran away at an early age and went onto to live a bizarre life of crime. While her early life doesn’t make any excuses for her crimes of fraud, theft, kidnapping and possibly murder, it was clear that this woman had mental health issues along with going through an identity crisis.
This book is not just about race, both it’s also about class and how the politics of dog whistles can leave a lasting impression.