Customer Reviews (11)

The usual liberal white guilt
"Scholars" like Rothenberg love to choose subjects like racism, Native American history, and feminism.They do this because these subjects allow them to not only feel "multicultural," but to feel as if they are somehow saying, "I told you so" to American conservatives and any white citizens who might feel that racism is overblown.

The fact is, racism is overblown.Take Hurricane Katrina for instance.African Americans and liberal whites were screaming, "RACISM!!" after the failure of FEMA to respond effectively to the disaster.This argument dies when you look at FEMA's response to Hurricane Andrew in 1992.That hurricane decimated predominantly white neighborhoods in Miami to the point that the chief of Miami disaster relief, Kate Hale, said, "Where the hell's the cavalry?"FEMA did not respond effectively then.In fact, they have never responded effectively to a major disaster.But, I suppose Katrina is different, right? Wrong.

Katrina is only one example in a sea of them.The Paula Rothenbergs of the world like to use South Africa as an example.They claim that country came together for a national dialog and collectively eliminated Apartheid.What they fail to acknowledge is the fact that their "invisible racism" is still alive an well in South Africa and always will be.White South African shop owners still prefer white South African customers.This will never change, no matter how many books like Rothenberg's are published.

There has never been a society without subtle preferences for one's own race and there never will be.As long as people like Paula continue to press white people for ever more "progress" on this "invisible racism," they'll merely push this supposed invisible-racism-free utopia further away.

Excellent book!
This book is highly readable and the analysis is very good.The only reason people would be reacting so negatively is if they have an investment in perpetuating racism. If you do not, then you will appreciate this book and its contribution to helping us understand the dynamics of privilege and how we can unconsciously fuel racism.The first step to changing something is understanding it.Nothing is helped by sticking your head in the sand and denying a problem exists.I encourage everyone who cares about ending the racist (and sexist and classist) power structure in our society to read this book.

Read for Class
This book was a pretty good source of article information for a class I took.If you are looking for something that helps open the mind regarding what "white" means in race/status this is the book for you.

A white activist who's tired of white guilt
It wasn't long ago that I was a very active and outspoken advocate of social change, an activist if you will. I marched on the WTO convention in Seattle and have joined numerous activist groups in protesting the ills of American society, the economy and our awful "President" Bush and his senseless wars on Afghanistan and Iraq. I would like to see a reformed America where people are truly equal. One thing I was fond of taking a stance against was racism, or at least, what I thought was racism.

However, after attending rally after rally and marching alongside everyone from Black Power advocates, La Raza, gay/lesbian/bisexual rights workers, punk rock anarchists and various Maoist and Marxist groups(a philosophy I have since renounced), I slowly began to realize that "racism" when spoken by activists on the Left had a different meaning than what I thought it was. Racim basically equals white people, and white people equals bad.

I cannot march with such hypocrites anymore. I will not stand up for equality when I'm told I should be ashamed for what my ancestors did, nevermind that those accusers know nothing of who my ancestors were and what they experienced. I'm tired of being guilty for being white. When I discussed this with a La Raza member at a recent antiwar demonstration he merely replied "Well, I hate to say it, but you guys kinda deserve it...I mean, you did invent it."

It is this kind of idiocy that permeates the anti-racist movement in America. When they talk of racism, what they really mean is bad bad Whitey, slavery, and "Eurocentrism". But never do you hear about the thousand year old oppression of the Irish by their Anglo Saxon neighbors in England. Rarely will you hear about the discimination faced by Lapps in Finland. And if you mention the Rwandan genocide of the Tutsis people will claim that whites instigated it and turn a blind eye to similarly brutal tribal warfare in other parts of Africa. Mention the vicious attacks upon black Sudanese by Arabs of the north and you'll get confused looks. Mention the name Idi Amin and you'll get people asking "Who?".

Taking a stand against racism means you should take a stand against ALL FORMS OF RACISM! It isn't race exclusive. If African powers colonized America instead of European ones and whites or other ethnic groups were enslaved then the result would be the same! Have whites committed atrocities against peoples of different color? Of course. Have blacks? Oh yes. Have asians? Some of the worst in human history.

The point of my argument is that human beings are human beings, and all are capable of brutality against those they feel are different. This includes the Aztecs and Mayans that Latino activists like La Raza and MeCHA are so fond of admiring, and African civilizations such as Kush and Nubia that Afrocentric intellectuals fawn over. It is just as Nieztche said: The strongest and most succesful of nations are those who are well practiced in cruelty.

If anything, the anti-racist movement in America promotes segregation and isolationism more than it promotes peace and tolerance. Basically, their core belief is that whites are bad, but everyone else is ok. Because of this, I cannot in good conscience support a movement which seeks a racist role-reversal instead of destroying racism in all its forms utterly and completely.

Free your mind

Lies, fallacies, and unfounded garbage: A "How to" guide for hating white people
This book is ridiculously myopic and ignorant at best, extremely racist at worst.

If you are intelligent enough to realize that word "racism" applies to all races, then you don't need this book.If, however, you think that the only people who are racist are whites, make sure you pick this book up to for your propaganda horse-blinders.

Simply because the book is well written does not make it true.If the author states something as fact, don't buy into it.If the author cites a source, check out the source; it will be, without a doubt, written by someone who shares the exact same mendacious views (Who's parroting now?).Citing a source that is without any genuinely academic purpose does not create a strong foundation for supporting an already weak hypothesis.Even the author, within the first 10 pages, admits that what she is trying to prove is "invisible", and therefore that much more insidious.In other words, the department of "I just pulled these stats, findings, thoughts, citations, and facts out of my rear" is alive and well within this book.

If you read this book with an open-mind, and you haven't already been tainted by one side or the other, you'll see more hypocrisy in this book than a book titled "Why I Love and Practice Democracy" written by Joseph Stalin.Within the first two chapters you'll find yourself wanting to debate the author, calling her out on her BS, and asking her why there aren't inter-connected footnotes that chronicle her contradictions.

If I could give it zero stars, I would.The book does nothing but stoke the coals of racial tensions, persuading those who believe in "The Man" and "The System" to dig in their heels with their misguided and misinformed positions. ... Read more

Book Description
Nearly fifty years after his death, Albert Einstein remains one of America's foremost cultural icons. A thicket of materials, ranging from scholarly to popular, have been written, compiled, produced, and published about his life and his teachings. Among the ocean of Einsteinia—scientific monographs, biographies, anthologies, bibliographies, calendars, postcards, posters, and Hollywood films—however, there is a peculiar void when it comes to the connection that the brilliant scientist had with the African American community. Virtually nowhere is there any mention of his relationship with Paul Robeson, despite Einstein's close friendship with him, or W.E.B. Du Bois, despite Einstein's support for him.

This unique book is the first to bring together a wealth of writings by Einstein on the topic of race. Although his activism in this area is less well known than his efforts on behalf of international peace and scientific cooperation, he spoke out vigorously against racism both in the United States and around the world.

Combining the scientist's letters, speeches, and articles with an engaging narrative that places his public statements in the context of his life and times, this important collection not only brings attention to Einstein's antiracist public activities, but also provides insight into antiracist struggles in America. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Einstein's Sense of Justice
This volume is a tremendous piece of writing on a subject little known to the general public.It's an important contribution that adds to Einstein's genious, his humanity, his sense of justice for all people living in the narrow straits of prejudice.

It's authors have done a permanent service for both Paul Robeson and Einstein, Princton's African American community and the history of a period probably hidden from view on purpose.

Einstein on Race and Racisn by Jeerome and Taylor should be required reading for high school, college and the general public.It's just that important.

Common Ground...Einstein on Race & Racism
This book is a timely, fascinating and important read about thecommon ground between Albert Einstein and members of the African American community of Princeton, NJ in the 40's. This book should be a requirement in every public library and recommended reading in many college & high school history curriculums. The example of fearlessness of Einstein, Robeson, DuBois and others in their activism against racism in America and abroad is one that needs to be emulated in today's society... if change is to come. The authors, Jerome and Taylor have produced and excellent literary work.

Einstiein on Race and Racism
This book presents a revealing, fascinating and compelling side of Albert Einstein relative to the Black community.The story is totally unknown and undocumented anywhere else.It provides an example ofhow racism is treated in our society.Denial of the existenceof racism and overlooking the impact of the problem will never leadto a appropriateway to address,and certainly not solvethe reprecussions suffered because of racism.It is an impotant work that should awaken a sleeping society.

Very Interesting Book
I never would have thought of the genius Albert Einstein to be concerned about race, but apparently he was, as Jerome and Taylor have carefully documented. I'm glad to know that the great cultural icon, Einstein, was more than a mathematician and physicist, he was a concerned citizen of the world. Perhaps we all can examine ourselves closer as we explore our views on race and racism in our society today. This book could be an excellent teaching tool for an honors or AP course in history for high school students, or for a political science course in college.
Good and insightful information. ... Read more

Book Description
The explosive story of racial exclusion in the north, from the American Book Award-winning author of Lies My Teacher Told Me

As American as apple pie:
• Most suburbs in the United States were originally sundown towns.
• As part of the deepening racism that swept through the United States after 1890, town after town outside the traditional South became intentionally all-white, evicting their black populations with tactics that ranged from intimidation to outright violence.
• From Myakka City, Florida, to Kennewick, Washington, the nation is dotted with thousands of all-white towns that are (or were until recently) all-white on purpose. Sundown towns can be found in almost every state.

"Don't let the sun go down on you in this town." We equate these words with the Jim Crow South but, in a sweeping analysis of American residential patterns, award-winning and bestselling author James W. Loewen demonstrates that strict racial exclusion was the norm in American towns and villages from sea to shining sea for much of the twentieth century.

Weaving history, personal narrative, and hard-nosed analysis, Loewen shows that the sundown town was—and is—an American institution with a powerful and disturbing history of its own, told here for the first time. In Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Missouri, Pennsylvania, and elsewhere, sundown towns were created in waves of violence in the early decades of the twentieth century, and then maintained well into the contemporary era.

Sundown Towns redraws the map of race relations, extending the lines of racial oppression through the backyard of millions of Americans—and lobbing an intellectual hand grenade into the debates over race and racism today. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

Now I Understand.
First off, thank you to Professor Loewen for his painstaking research. Biased or not he backs up his information and makes you think as long as your mind is open and willing to absorb.

I'm an African-American, 37, grew up in a all-black neighborhood, but it wasn't always that way. I remember and have pictures of when I was 4 or 5, my next door neighbors were white and at least half of my block had white families. My brother and sister are 9 and 10 years older than me and they remember when the neighborhood was predominately white. They as well as I went to a Catholic school for grade school. They told me stories of racial slurs yelled towards them while walking together to school, but ten years later I never heard any. They had white classmates, I did not. At least not until I went to a different school starting in 5th grade, a predominately white school(about 95%). Believe me, I'll get to my point

While in this mostly black Catholic school I received all A's all the way up until 4th grade. In the 4th grade I received my first B. My father subsequently lost his mind and took me out of the school at the end of the year. He told me he was placing me in a mostly white private school. I really didn't think anything of it until I took the test for admission and barely passed. The admissions office told me I needed to attend summer school just to be admitted in the 5th grade or else I would have had to repeat 4th grade. WHAT THE !@#$. I got all A's, get 1 B in the 4th grade and I may have to repeat? Was this white suburban private school that much tougher than my black, city Catholic school? Well anyway I went to summer school and attended 5th grade but never got all A's ever again. It wasn't for lack of effort, it was because I never had the foundation for learning or skill set for that matter. I grew up in Philadelphia. The public school system has always been a mess. My father thought Catholic school was a step up. It was until he realized in order for me to have a chance I needed to be challenged and make connections.

These white kids parents had loot. Big houses, big cars, prestigious jobs etc. They mostly came from the suburbs, areas not to far from me but not areas where black folks lived. I never knew why until I grew up. I made friends quickly, even spent the night at their houses. I remember the odd looks I received in their neighborhoods from kids who had never seen a black face up close. No one ever called me any names but I did feel tension. One of my white friends even came to my neighborhood and spent the night. He never complained but I could tell he was a tad uncomfortable. Any way the value of schooling with the majority cannot be overstated. I learned how to deal with the upper class white majority something my neighborhood friends never did because they were not exposed.

Fast forward, today I own a DJ/Wedding business and 95% of my customers are white. I know some of my potential customers see color and would never hire a black DJ for a white wedding. then again some do not and hire me. I feel the stares at all my weddings when the crowd walks in, I'm dressed in a tux and people ask me where are their seats, like Im waiting on tables. I tell them I'm the DJ and I'm not sure where they're sitting and this blank stare lasts for about 3 seconds and they just walk away. It's funny but it's not. But by the end of the night it's all good.

I say all this because this book answers a ton of my own personal questions about race relations, things I've heard from family, things I've experienced and why things(neighborhoods) are the way they are. I have been very fortunate but most African-Americans have not been afforded the opportunities I have. Then again my post could have been entirely different had I grown up in an area that was not a racially tolerant as Philly, and Philly has it's own racial issues. I have no hatred of white folks, I was taught well. I would hope this book teaches and makes all races understand what we(Americans)are up against as a society. Open your minds.

I grew up in a "Sundown Town"
I am African American and I grew up in one of the towns in the northeast mentioned in the book (I didn't read the book, my sister told me about it, she said it was very good so that's where my rating comes from.)This town was EXTREMELY RACIST.My siblings and I were the only African American kids in the local school and we went through hell.We were called "nigger" so many times that we lost count.I heard that this town "opened up" in the 1980's, but I still cannot bring myself to go back there.

Nevertheless, I don't hate white people or anyone else for that matter.I try to judge people as individuals, and have raised my children to do the same.In fact, I feel sorry for the people who were so hateful to us.What kind of person gets pleasure or satisfaction from inflicting pain on others?

I live in a large city that has its share of racial problems.However, I live in a very nice, integrated neighborhood. There are blacks, Asians, and Latinos.Many of the residents (including myself) are city workers. I have to admit that I would have not moved there if there were no other people of color there.At the risk of contradicting myself, I just would not feel comfortable being the only black person in an all-white neighborhood. Been there, done that, and it wasn't fun.

I just can't bring myself to read this book, though, because it would bring back too many painful memories.

Could have been so much better.
After the first one hundred pages, I was ready to give this five stars.I have lived or worked in most of the towns mentioned in Southern Illinois, and the book correctly presents a great deal of information.On the other hand, some of the oral histories were quite incorrect.Eldorado has not had a "sundown sign" since 1960 at least, if ever.But the author claims it had such a sign into the 1980's.The mayor of Benton, Illinois remarks were taken out of context and totally misrepresented her, and her comments.These errors and several similar ones could have easily been avoided, making the book much better.The tragedy is that his points are well made and accurate generally, but when errors creep in it allows those who are racist in their attitudes to mount a defense that the book is filled with inaccuracies.If this were the only problem, I would still give the book four and one half to five stars.
The greatest problem with this book is when the author allows his own political views to overshadow reality in assuming that race was the motivation for many southern whites to vote Republican for the past forty years.Saline County (Eldorado, IL), Franklin County (Benton, West Frankfort and Ziegler, IL) and Union County (Anna, IL) are some of the most racist communities in the United States.Yet, these communities rarely even have Republican candidates on the ballot for local elections.The Democrat Party reigns supreme in these communities.Party affiliation is not reflective of racist attitudes.This is the great blemish on what could have been a truly great book.It does shine light on a horrible problem.It is a common reality throughout the United States.Much of the analysis is excellent.But the author's personal biases tarnished the final product.

Get Over the Guilt!
More liberal hand-wringing about human nature. More guilt over the supposed special evil of white people.
First, if a group of white people wants to live by itself without seeing a black face after dark, why is that bad? Who does it hurt? Why would a black person WANT to be in that town,anyway? Second, I can name several "sundown towns" that exist today, where WHITE people are not allowed: Harlem, South Central Los Angeles, etc. And that's okay with me; that's their turf, and they deserve a white-free space and are welcome to it. Third, the idea that white people are especially racist, which this book promotes, is absurd in the extreme. India is 99% Indian. China is 99% Chinese. Mexico is 99% mestizo. Most sub-saharan African countries are 99% black. These appear to be "sundown countries." Very, very few European countries are today 99% white, or even 90% white, if that. Non-whites are flooding into Europe and America, a curious thing to do if whites there are so notoriously racist. Slavery is an ages-old institution which Europeans and Americans led the way in ending. We should be PROUD of our past, not ashamed of it. Books such as this try to exploit white guilt for various reasons, including envy for white success and and excuse for black failure; that's the agenda behind the "history." Ultimately this strategy will fail because it is contra human nature. My prediction is that in the future "sundown towns" will be back in America in a big way, and with no apologies.

Racism:Solving the Problem
Not only is this a book about the many subtle and not-so-subtle ways that minority groups (African-Americans, and to a lesser degree Asian- and Hispanic-Americans) have been kept segregated, it is a book about possible remedies that are practical in nature.There are many surprising facts, both to those who thought certain states were immune to the virus of racism that created segregated communities ("sundown rules in sundown towns") but also to those who felt some areas of the country had to be more frequently guilty of the practice of warning minorities to get out of town by sundown.

The author takes a sociologist's view of census reports about residential patterns.Some towns that might not appear to be "sundown towns" turn out in fact to be because the accidents of having a large minority population do not exempt a town from scrutiny (the presence of a prison system within city or county limits might skew the numbers, for example).This skewing effect might give one a false impression about the history and present practices of a particular community.

Reading this book is a real challenge to the assumption that housing and residential patterns in the U. S. are/were created through voluntary choices made by consenting adults.Some of the unlikeliest of places were sundown towns.Many readers may be surprised to find their own communities listed (I won't give away the real surprises).This is must reading for those who care about equality of treatment for all minorities. ... Read more

Book Description
How do members of "in" groups talk about minority groups? How does everyday talk contribute to the spread, and acceptance, of ethnic prejudice? These are but two among the many fundamental questions raised in this revealing look at ethnic stereotypes and the way in which they are diffused through interpersonal communication and inter group interactions.By analyzing informal discourse about ethnic minorities, and the reproduction of racism within the white majority, Communicating Racism offers us a new understanding of many deeply rooted and poorly understood patterns of prejudice. In a clearly written and methodologically elegant analysis of conversation as an integral and revealing mirror of human behavior, the author teaches us far- reaching lessons about the cognitive, social, and communicative dimensions of racism.Communicating Racism will be essential reading for a wide variety of social science and humanities professionals and their students, including specialists engaged in the study of discourse, cognition, persuasion, and communication. As a result it will be especially useful as background reading for upper division and graduate courses in linguistics, discourse analysis, cognitive and social psychology, micro sociology, anthropology, speech communication, and ethnic studies."The most analytically comprehensive and revealing treatment of the social organization of ethnic prejudice to date. . . . van Dijk exposes the subtle means by which ethnic prejudice . . . maintains and sustains social inequality and injustice. . . . A remarkable tour de force of scholarship and social concern."--Thomas Kochman, University of Illinois, Chicago"The research in this book disproves the idea that racism and ethnic prejudice come from a particular geographical, sexual, or socioeconomic group. . . . Van Dijk's work is both carefully documented and dedicated to social change. As such it can remind us of and encourage us in our own battles with racism and other prejudices."--Homiletic"The study . . . has considerable methodological value. Advanced students and mature scholars can further develop the ideas presented. Good bibliography."--Choice"Communicating Racism is an ambitious, well-written, and important coordination of varied methodologies and insights of cognitive studies, discourse analysis, and social psychology; it attempts to explicate the social reproduction of prejudice through ordinary language and everyday speech. . . . A significant contribution to the field."--Contemporary Sociology"Communicating Racism will be of interest to scholars in several fields, particularly those who are concerned with the relationship between racist discourse and the perpetuation of racist ideology.. . . van Dijk has accomplished the difficult task of writing for several audiences without biasing the thesis toward general or technical readers. Both scholars and laymen can gain considerable insight. . . . Discourse analysis is presented as a useful tool. . . [the author] has filled an important gap in the field."--American Journal of Sociology"Thorough. . . . Conveys valuable information about shared social cognitions as the bases of prejudice, a group phenomenm. The most striking point made is that the white elite is the group most responsible for the diffusion of racism through the media."--Readings: A Journal of Reviews andCommentary in Mental Health"van Dijk has accomplished the difficult task of writing for several audiences without biasing the thesis toward general or technical readers. Both scholars and laymen can gain considerable insight. . . . Linguists, communication scholars, and others interested in the sociology of racist talk will find this. . . . valuable. . . . Quantitative evidence is provided in support of these observations, and clear patterns emerge out of the arrangements repeatedly raised in support of racial prejudice.. . . van Dijk has provided one of the most comprehensive analyses available racist discourse. Indeed, he has filled an important gap in the field of discourse analysis . . . . Communication Racism is one of the most insightful evaluations of the social and cognitive foundations of racism to date."--American Journal of Sociology"An ambitious . . . attempt to build a theory of prejudiced discourse. . . . Refreshingly, [this book] possesses . . . a scholarly as well as social mission. I recommend [it] as supplemental reading for graduate courses."--Quarterly Journal of Speech"The text [has] a sense of relevance and urgency. The book has the great merit of striking a balance between the necessary detachment of the social scientist and the deep human concern of the author trying to understand how ethnic prejudice is reproduced in society."--Semiotica"An ambitious assault on an extremely delicate problem, the everyday expressions of racism among White people."--Contemporary Psychology"Because of the depth and scope of the research, this book makes a significant and important contribution to research on racism and prejudice. . . . Each chapter includes extensive research data to support van Dijk's theories. . . . Sustains the reader's interest throughout, not only because of the topic relevance, but also because it forces the reader to reflect upon his or her language patterns and how they may be sending rascist messages to others.. . . This book is a 'must read' for educators--from preschool teachers to college professors."--Dimensions"This work is very important to both the areas of discourse analysis and interracial/intercultural communication. . . . This work does much to stimulate thought on undeniably important theoretical, methodological, and social concerns. . . . For those interested in the application of interracial and intercultural communication research to communication skills, van Dijk's work has value. . . . As a theoretical work, Communicating Racism also makes a contribution in identifying components of a framework to be utilized and in pulling together some relevant research related to that framework. . . . There is much in Communicating Racism that is useful and much that is important."--International Journal of Intercultural Relations ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

about the book
its great and is very educative.makes one really understand the word racism and prejudice ... Read more

Book Description
Filling a critical void in the literature, Race, Racism, and the Developing Child provides an important source of information for researchers, psychologists, and students on the recent advances in the unique developmental and social features of race and racism in children's lives. Thorough and accessible, this timely reference draws on an international collection of experts and scholars representing the breadth of perspectives, theoretical traditions, and empirical approaches in this field. ... Read more

Book Description
While there are numerous studies of racism and racial inequality at the macro-level of analysis, there has been little work done on the experience of everyday racism for black people.Philomena Essed's brilliant work fills this gap.This landmark volume compares contemporary racism in the United States and the Netherlands through in-depth interview data from more than 2,000 experiences of black women. As an interdisciplinary analysis of gendered social constructions of racism, it breaks new ground. Essed problematizes and reinterprets many of the meanings and everyday practices that the majority of society has come to take for granted. She addresses crucial but largely neglected dimensions of racism: How is racism experienced in everyday situations? How do black women recognize covert expressions of racism? What knowledge of racism do black women have, and how is this knowledge acquired? How do they challenge racism in everyday life? To answer these questions, over two thousand experiences of black women are analyzed within a theoretical framework that integrates the disciplines of macro- and micro-sociology, social psychology, discourse analysis, race relations theory, and women's studies.Samples include only black women with higher education. Many of their experiences of racism involve the "elite" among the dominant group. The book seriously challenges both the notion of Dutch tolerance and the idea that U.S. racism is a problem of the past. With this concept in mind, Understanding Everyday Racism is urgent reading.Essed's volume represents a landmark in the study of race and ethnicity and will interest researchers, lecturers, students, and professionals of discourse analysis, policy and women's studies, sociology, psychology, management, psychotherapy, and qualitative methodology."Without getting bogged down in nit-picking about the definition of racism, the author has succeeded in presenting the true face of racism and has investigated the sociology and psychology of racism.A marvellously subtle and skillful report of everyday racism."--Counselling Psychology Quarterly"In this provocative book, Philomena Essed weaves insights from psychology, sociology, discourse analysis, and women's studies into an original and important new theoretical framework. She combines a phenomenological approach of describing the experiences of individuals with a structural account of inequality."--Contemporary Psychology"Racism remains a contested concept in both popular and scholarly discourse. Typically unaware of the extent of institutionalized racism, whites generally deny that racism exists. People of color typically see things differently and interpret the dominant group perspective as insensitive and insincere. Philomena Essed's groundbreaking volume, Understanding Everyday Racism tackles this ambiguity surrounding both popular and scholarly interpretations of racism and sheds considerable light on the difference between dominant and subordinate group views. . . . Essed's volume makes an extremely important and unique contribution to our understanding of contemporary racism."--Contemporary Sociology ... Read more

Book Description
This book examines the history of Africans and African-Americans in Mainland China and Taiwan, the Chinese and African nation's relationship and its political repercussions for Mainland China and Taiwan, and the Chinese/African-American social relationships in the United States. Although the Chinas are thought by western societies to advocate racial equality in their respective countries, this book uncovers the everyday racial attitudes of the Chinese people and governments toward Africans and African-Americans. In this book, crucial events in the Chinas such as the forced opening of China by the west and Chinese philosophical views throughout her history, are analyzed in how they have been instrumental in shaping racial attitudes that have led to racial polarization, racial violence and race riots against Africans and African-Americans in the Chinas. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Another Gouldian Marxist view of eugenics.
Most of the books on eugenics from the radical environmental fringe, such as this one, recount the same earlier mistakes made in eugenics, and then the books trail off into some abstract Gouldian/Boas dissertation on theevils of biological determinism.This book follows the same worn outformula, but has a few interesting new twists on the story.But first, anydiscounting of eugenics because of errors made at the very beginning, wouldapply to virtually any scientific niche, including medicine.Do any ofthese authors try to convince people that we should give up modern medicinebecause at one time it was practiced only by witch doctors?I think not,but that is the general theme of all these books. But of course, no matterhow recent they are published, they usually suspend scientific facts atabout 1975 so they do not have to discuss the dazzling progress made ingenetics over the last twenty five years.

This book, unlike others,spends a great deal of time discussing the eugenic movements success inpenetrating education, by presenting its value to school children in thecurriculum.Selden laments this, but of course the flip side is that nowthe radical egalitarians are demanding that racial equality in intelligencebe taught in schools, along with other Marxist ideologies, but ignores thefact that like eugenics it is unfounded and pseudoscientific.In allfairness, during the earlier part of the last century, eugenics was largelypseudoscience.But now, the Gould/Boas school of egalitarianism nowcarries that mantle by denying what modern science has found. Genes matterfar more than the environment on important human traits such asintelligence, athleticism, conscientiousness, and even religiosity.Theseare all solid facts now discussed openly at the academic level, but keptfrom the general public by the new doctrines of political correctness. Published in 1999, it even has the gall to ignore books and reports by theAmerican Psychological Association showing that there is a real concernwith regards to dysgenic trends and that blacks are in fact lessintelligenton average than whites.(The Rising Curve / Intelligence:Knowns and Unknowns.) These are stated policy positions of this veryliberal organization, but ignored by Selden, putting him in the Marxistcamp along with Gould, Kamin, Lewontin and Rose.He even discusses Gould'srejection of the correlation between brain size and intelligence, eventhough there have been numerous recent studies showing a correlation usingMRI of about 0.4. (Gould has never apologized for omitting this latestevidence from his republication of "The Mismeasure of Man" to thechagrin of other scientists who have pointed it out to him.)

Seldenhammers home again and again how biological determinism is a theory oflimits, ignoring the fact that modern eugenicists believe that improvinggenetic capital means building for the future.Would we cut down the"rain forests" if it gave us additional money for Head Startprograms?I wouldn't think so.But that is the logic used throughout thebook to condemn all studies in human nature.

One rebuttal that I haven'tseen so far, apparently because the Gouldian school is getting desperate inlight of all the recent data in behavior genetics, is that twin andadoption studies are not reliable because the separated subjects, placed indifferent families, may in fact be in families that are so similar as to bealmost like they are the same family. Did you get that? For years,sociologists have been looking for subtle differences between familyenvironments to explain differences.But now, even after they haven't beensuccessful at finding what Jensen says is the missing Factor X explainingracial differences in intelligence (which these debates are really allabout), they claim that twin studies are invalid because, well, familiesare really just all alike. I would think even Gould should admit that thisis a "just so" story with little empirical evidence. Anyonefamiliar with behavior genetics can see the duplicity of such an inane argument. But to the unaware reader it may appear to be valid.So much foracademic honesty.

Overall, if one is aware that this book is really aboutpolitics and not science, and Marxist politics at that, it is easy to readand does a very good job of showing the lucid reader how desperate the lefthas become in trying to stop studies in racial differences.

Selden is a genius.
I recently picked up Selden's book in the local mall.I planned to only skim through it.However, I was left stunned with the introduction and had no choice but to purchase the book.In fact, I read the entire book in onenights time.Selden's story of Eugenics in America is amazing.He is atrue scholar and story teller, a gleeman of the modern age.Highlyrecommend this book to students of all majors. ... Read more

Book Description
Ignorant. Brutal. Male. One of these stereotypes of the Ku Klux Klan offer a misleading picture. In Women of the Klan, sociologist Kathleen Blee unveils an accurate portrait of a racist movement that appealed to ordinary people throughout the country. In so doing, she dismantles the popular notion that politically involved women are always inspired by pacifism, equality, and justice.
"All the better people," a former Klanswoman assures us, were in the Klan. During the 1920s, perhaps half a million white native-born Protestant women joined the Women's Ku Klux Klan (WKKK). Like their male counterparts, Klanswomen held reactionary views on race, nationality, and religion. But their perspectives on gender roles were often progressive. The Klan publicly asserted that a women's order could safeguard women's suffrage and expand their other legal rights. Privately the WKKK was working to preserve white Protestant supremacy.
Blee draws from extensive archival research and interviews with former Klan members and victims to underscore the complexity of extremist right-wing political movements. Issues of women's rights, she argues, do not fit comfortably into the standard dichotomies of "progressive" and "reactionary." These need to be replaced by a more complete understanding of how gender politics are related to the politics of race, religion, and class. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Then and Now
According to author Kathleen Blee, "It is more helpful to understand the second Klan by considering it within - rather than as an aberration from - the ideas and values that shaped white Protestant life in the early twentieth century, fueling fundamentalism..." Sound provocative?

Dr. Blee also maintains that Klanswomen held the same fanatical views on race, religion, and nationalism as their menfolk - in other words, anti-negro, anti-semitic, anti-Catholic, and hyper-patriotic - but that their perspcetive on gender roles were often progressive.

In the 1920s, as many as half a million women joined the ladies' auxiliary of the KKK (the WKKK). Were they just aping their husbands or were there specific motivations that brought women to an organization notorious for rough-neck violence? Well, sexual fears may indeed have played a role. The fraudulent portrayal of ex-slaves assaulting white women in the vile racist movie, Birth of a Nation, is credited with stimulating the resurgence of the Klan. Women had received the vote nationally only in 1918, on a wave of optimism that their votes would naturally fall on the side of justice, decency, and pacifism. "Women in the Klan" reveals how fallacious (and sexist) that attitude was.

Racism of the vicious intensity of the Ku Klux Klan is not extinct in America or in the world at large. If you'd like to get a dose of pseudo-scientific anti-Semitism as putrid as any in the rhetoric of the Klan, take a look at "The Culture of Critique" by Kevin MacDonald, a professor at a major university in southern California. Be sure to read some of the many five-star reviews, including ugly diatribes and racial-purity fantasies by young Scandinavian men. Like a herpes zoster virus that lurks in nerve tissue for decades and then erupts as shingles, racism lingers in the scum of our educated populace.

Great short history of both Klu Klux Klans!
This is one of the few histories of the Klan that clearly documents the fact that there have been not one, but two Klu Klux Klans. It also examines just how deeply women were involved in the movement, a little-noticed phenomenon in the past.

Obviously the Klan we know today was always a hate group, but it's astounding just how large, wealthy, and powerful the group was, with millions of members (as opposed to today, where they have a few thousand at best), and members in every state of the union.

It's also astounding just how powerful they were, and how involved women were in the organization. One thing the book highlights, that reviewers generally don't mention, is how many people were in the Klan without recognizing the violent or terroristic nature of the organization. The most discomfiting parts she documents are how many people who were involved simply viewed the Klan as a very normal, responsible organization that was a boon to its communities. The Klan worked hard to develop an aura of respectability--quite successfully, at least for a while.

I am rather stunned by several of the other reviews here, which say dumb things about feminism, animal rights, etc. I suggest ignoring those reviews, as they're obviously written by silly people. This is a very good book--highly readable, informative, and insightful. I recommend it highly.

Disturbing truth
I'm hardly surprised that reviews have been negative as this book breaks into the holy ground of feminism, proving beyond doubt that feminism and racism shared early roots.

I have done a lot of studying on feminism and there is little here that isn't available elsewhere but this work puts much in one place, making it easy to show how the modern femininist organisation NOW and the earlier WKKK are so closely related. More to the point it shows how feminism is a form of hate or superiority cult and has little to do with real equality. For example an extreme radical animal rights type is undisputed as an animal lover - are extreme radical feminists known for a desire for extreme equality? Or simply bias towards women and contempt for men?

Interesting, but...
As I read Ms. Blee's book, I am concerned that she is using informationfrom people who are now about 70 years old, who would have been smallchildren when the Klan was in power, to make such all encompasingstatements about the Klan.A child sees the world around him muchdifferently than an adult.A child would relish going to parades, parties,gatherings and enjoy them.If Ms. Blee asks the participants to describetheir feelings as a child, then reports them as their current feelings,then the reader must be aware of the bias of the author.Did Ms. Blee askthe participants of her interviews what their feelings were 65 years ago,or what their feelings are now, on reflection?I know that she asked theformer and used that information to substantiate her own biases about theKlan.

Complicates our view of race, gender, and social movements
Blee's work on women in hate movements sheds new light on why women join and support white supremacist movements. Her analysis of extensive archival data and interviews complicates how our assumptions about the role ofgender in promoting bigotry and prejudice, while at the same time heraldingeerily feminist principles. My students loved it because it was clear,engaging, and gave them several issues to grapple with around research anddata interpretation. Though white supremacists were (and still are) on thewhole, economically disenfranchised adn educationally bankrupt, Blee showshow a few "dangerous minds" are capable of mobilizing massnumbers of people in the name of "racial superiority." ... Read more

Book Description
What does it mean to be white? This remains the question at large in the continued effort to examine how white racial identity is constructed and how systems of white privilege operate in everyday life.White Out brings together the original work of leading scholars across the disciplines of sociology, philosophy, history and anthropology to give readers an important and cutting-edge study of "whiteness". ... Read more

Book Description
This book maintains that there has not been sufficient dialogue and cross-fertilization between various forms of critical approaches to education, notably multicultural/anti-racist education, feminist pedagogy, and critical pedagogy. Contributors from Canada and the United States address educational issues relevant to aboriginal peoples, people of color, and people of religious minorities in light of feminist and critical pedagogical theory. They are sensitive and responsive to the power relations operative in a setting, and address the multiple and contradictory subjectivities of teachers and learners on the basis of race, gender, class, religion, ethnicity, age, and ability. ... Read more

Book Description
`This book stands out for a number of reasons...the result is an authoritative, provocative and challenging collection, which will doubtless help to stimulate further debate in the field' Susan Condor, Department of Psychology, Lancaster University

`The authors are to be commended for assembling an unusually stimulating collection of chapters...the book is clearly distinguished by the breadth of its coverage and the theoretical insights it offers. It is a valuable addition to any collection on this topic' Jack Dovidio, Department of Psychology, Colgate University

`This is a comprehensive text that is extremely well written by top social psychologists, with all of the major theoretical perspectives represented. The editors should be commended for putting together this lively and engaging text' Nyla Branscombe, Department of Psychology, University of Kansas

A range of international events have recently focused attention on issues of prejudice, racism and social conflict: increasing tensions in former Eastern bloc countries, political conflict in Northern Ireland and the United States, as well as racial conflict in the Baltic States, Middle East, Africa, and Australasia. In light of these events, Understanding Prejudice, Racism and Social Conflict presents a timely and important update to the literature, and makes a fascinating textbook for all students who need to study the subject.

A variety of theoretical and conceptual approaches are necessary to fully understand the themes of prejudice and racism. This textbook successfully presents these, uniquely, by examining how these themes manifest themselves at different levels - at the individual, interpersonal, intergroup and institutional levels. It aims to integrate the different approaches to understanding racism and prejudice and to suggest new ways to study these complex issues. This integrated, international focus should make it key reading for students in many countries.

With contributions from world-leading figures, Understanding Prejudice, Racism and Social Conflict should prove to be an invaluable teaching resource, and an accessible volume for students in social psychology, as well as some neighbouring disciplines. ... Read more

Book Description
Challenging the notion that racism consists simply of prejudice in the minds of individuals, this book argues instead that racism is a set of culturally acceptable beliefs that defend the advantages whites have obtained in American society. The book is based on five chapters of interviews. The second edition is updated with a new preface, introduction, and epilogue that take into account both the recent sociological theorizing about racism and new research by Wellman. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Fred- look in the mirror
This book, along with all of Price's "teachings", is pure racist garbage. I find it funny that he only talks of white racism. If blacks are equal, then couldnt there be black racists also? Fred proves this to be true (as do many reviewers here).

The bible talks of an endtime message that people will want to hear. This book is it. Blame your problems on everyone else, look for handouts and sympathy. Live in hate and racism and pretend you know God.

I have peace of mind knowing that when its all said and done I'll be in heaven and these nuts will be in the other place

Dy-No-Mite!
These books should have been written a long time ago.Frederick KC Price is one of the best Bible expositors of this century.The fact that the chuch has been silent on this issue is an indictment.Dumb opinions like SHEREBIA's and "Truth" hold no water.No one who reads and understands this series of books is looking for a handout.We're just ripping our hand free from the oppressor so we can do what God has intended us to do all along.Save souls and prosper.Throw a brick into a pack of dogs and the one barks the loudest is the one that got hit!!This book has hit a lot of white "Christians" and they don't like the feeling.Pull the sheet off the KKK and all you have is a naked, white-supremacist, wimp.Price did what should have been done a long time ago.He's gone to the ROOT.Many white christians are still in denial. I still buy Hagin's books but what he said was classic racism. "You can be-friend blacks just don't date or marry them." Fundamentalist preachers can be racist too apparently.

Good series of books.Should be in EVERY Christian's library.

Quintessential Hypocrite
Price's rant against white racism (brought on by Kenneth Hagin, Jr.'s silly comments on "mixed marriages") has revealed his own bigotry.While watching his weekly TV program, I saw how Price lambasted the white members of his church as guilty collaborators of America's treatment of blacks.This is the same thing as blaming Japanese-Americans for the attack on Pearl Harbor. If the white members of Price's church were bigots, then why were they attending in the first place?The following week's broadcast showed Price chastising his black attendees for harassing white attenders as they left services the week prior!Price continued his tantrums for many weeks--which now constitutes this book.This whole episode demonstrates how Hagin and Price are more alike than different.Ignore the book as you should these two undisciplined, self-righteous teachers.

Great book!
Dr. Fred Price has put together a well researched book on the subject of racism and the church. I highly recommend this book. If you enjoy reading this book then I encourage you to also read Racism@Work Among The LORD's People by Robert Upton.

Amazing historical insight
I have just finished reading the 2 volumes.

I am an English-born African who grew up in Nigeria.

Until December 2001, I thought I knew most things about the black race or dispersed races and slavery till I visited the Scheepvaart Museum in Amsterdam and saw the exhibition on Slavery and how much profit the traders made for a consignment of 500 slaves - over half a million dollars, in the 18th century.

That really unnerved me - I did not know it was such a profitable venture.

Reading these books put more light on the falsehoods that have been perpetrated as biblical truths and swallowed by both the white and black people alike.

I first heard of the curse of Ham almost 20 years ago, and this was corroborated by the Dake Annotated Reference Bible, a most sought after study bible in Nigeria - one wonders how many more perverted conclusions have been foisted on people by 'respected' commentators.

Two things are clear from these books, in the secular world the apparently 'superior' race have a lot of wrongs to right, there is however a better way; in the Christian world, people (all races) should move into the fulness of who they are in Christ, and leave behind the shackles and chains of physical, mental, emotional, financial and spiritual slavery.

We know where we have come from, with that knowledge, we can appreciate better what was done for us in Christ and lay hold on the future that speaks better than our past - Philipians 3:13&14 (Paraphrased) ... Read more

Book Description
This is the first book to assess in a systematic and theoretically informed way the course and status of racism in the post-civil rights era. It convincingly demonstrates that racism continues to exist in contemporary American society twenty-five years after the civil rights revolution.

Smith clarifies the concept of racism through a historical analysis of the doctrine and practice of white supremacy. Then, drawing on a variety of data--surveys, court cases, the academic literature, government and privately collected statistical reports and studies, and personal experiences--Smith traces the present-day manifestations of racism ideologically, attitudinally, behaviorally, and institutionally. The final chapter presents a detailed critique of the literature on the black underclass and of William Julius Wilson's thesis on the declining significance of racism in explaining the underclass. In the process, it presents a persuasive argument that the persistence and growth of the underclass is itself major evidence of the prevalence of racism today. ... Read more

Book Description

View the Table of Contents. Read Chapter 1.

Julian Steward Award 2006 Runner-Up!

”In this highly readable account . . . Checker has written a fine book. Assigned to students interested in urbanism, science and technology studies, race relations in the United States, environment, or social movements, the book is sure to spark thoughtful conversation.”
—American Anthropologist

"Melissa Checker's absorbing story is a portrait of America. Polluted Promises showcases the complex links between toxic waste and race, and the hope-filled journeys of environmental activists who are wise, strong, and spiritual in their fight against toxic waste--and for their lives.Checker is doing public anthropology for social justice."
—Carol Stack, author of All Our Kin

"I hope that (this book) doesn't get pidgeonholed as a dry, academic treatise, because it is anything but that. It is a wonderfully written account of the struggles by the residents of Hyde Park, a neighborhood in Augusta, Georgia, to undo decades of...environmental racism."
—In Brief

"A very rich, organized, and theoretically interesting ethnographic case study of environmental activism. Checker beautifully recounts how the issues of race emerged and were manipulated in social organizing against environmental poisoning."
—George E. Marcus, author of Ethnography through Thick and Thin

"Polluted Promises is a substantial accomplishment. It grounds the notion of environmental justice wonderfully in practical terms, in the theoretically sophisticated and empathetic examination of Hyde Park."
—Adolph Reed, Jr., author of Class Notes: Posing As Politics and Other Thoughts on the American Scene

"A sweeping and brilliant account of a struggle for environmental justice.With clarity and honesty, Checker adroitly exploits the interconnection of race, environment, and civil rights. This is an authoritative and courageous book that should be essential reading for everyone interested in environmental justice."
—Bunyan Bryant, editor of Environmental Justice: Issues, Policies, and Solutions

Over the past two decades, environmental racism has become the rallying cry for many communities as they discover the contaminations of toxic chemicals and industrial waste in their own backyards.

Living next door to factories and industrial sites for years, the people in these communities often have record health problems and debilitating medical conditions. Melissa Checker tells the story of one such neighborhood, Hyde Park, in Augusta, Georgia, and the tenacious activism of its two hundred African American families. This community, at one time surrounded by nine polluting industries, is struggling to make their voices heard and their community safe again.

Polluted Promises shows that even in the post-civil rights era, race and class are still key factors in determining the politics of pollution.

Customer Reviews (1)

A Polluted Promise
"Polluted Promises" is exactly what Hyde Park residents received. The first inhabitants of the neighborhood saw this as a place to live the "America Dream". Sadly, that dream turned into a nightmare when the industrial neighbors moved in. As Arthur Smith stated, "Hyde Park's tracks aren't going to stop toxic chemicals. They're going to sneak up and bite you too."(189) "Polluted Promises" serves as an example of what happens when a community struggles against discrimination and oppression. Checkers was able to volunteer and work in the Hyde Park community for fourteen months. She was able to gain their trust and provide extensive knowledge of their struggles and success as an organization and community. The residents of Hyde Park had valid reasons to suspect that the contamination in their community was based on their race.
Checker's main purpose of writing this book was to explore the concept of environmental racism. Was this the cause for the contamination in Hyde Park? In the 1950's when the first residents moved into Hyde Park, it was beautiful. They viewed Hyde Park as their gateway to the all American dream. They were able to live out this dream for many years even as their unsightly neighbors moved in. To them, it was all apart of city life. However when the reports of contamination came out, people were shocked and outraged. What caused this, and why their community? This is what led them to assume that environmental racism was the cause.
It could be said that this was a class issue. That may also have been a factor but it is not the main factor. The residents of Virginia subdivision, a majority white neighborhood, filed and won a lawsuit against SWP in the 1970's. Not one Hyde Park resident was asked to join even though they were only a few miles away. Environmental racism has not only occurred in Hyde Park. R.I.S.E vs. Kay is a court case in which African Americans fought to prevent another landfill from being placed in their community. Three landfills had been placed in this community and they were fighting to prevent a fourth one from opening. However, they lost their case because the court said that they could not prove discrimination, although only fifty percent of the resident in this county were black and no landfills were elsewhere in the county.
Hyde Park had no say in what industries that they would allow in the community. There were never any public meeting held for them to agree or disagree with the choices the county made. When blacks were allowed in the commission, there was no one to represent Hyde Park. Checkers went on to say that although residents knew their issue was based on race, they were able to collaborate with other communities who were interested in environmental justice in order to bring attention to their own plight.
Over the past two decades, environmental racism has become the concern for many communities as they discover the contaminations of toxic chemicals and industrial waste in their own neighborhoods. Living next door to factories and industrial sites for years, the people in these districts often have a record health problems and devastating medical conditions. Melissa Checker's work in Hyde Park has provided us with a clear understanding of how environmental racism hinders a community.
An under lying message in the book would be that grassroots movements can organize and become successful. Although Hyde Park has not won the sought after prize of relocation, the HAPIC has been a very successful organization. This organization was started in the 1960's because they wanted infrastructure like other neighborhoods and has continued to work actively to enhance their neighborhood. Checkers mentions that even when they received infrastructure the group did not disintegrate. The group continued to work towards a better quality of life. HAPIC wanted to apply for the Brownfeilds Project but the city did not think Hyde Park would receive it. They did. Government tends to have little faith that these organization will succeed. Religion tends to be the backbone of these organizations, thus giving them strength and unity. On the other hand, their religion can be their downfall. Religion is not accepted in the professional world as it is in the communities these organizations stem from. Whether struggling to understand "technospeak" or fighting for justice, HAPIC and organizations like it are vital to our country's continued fight for justice.
... Read more

Book Description
Caricatures of Black sexuality saturate American popular culture in bootylicious rap videos and paternity tests on the Jerry Springer show.Blacks have been cast as hypersexual animals in Western culture since a scantily clad "Hottentot Venus" was displayed in a cage in Paris in the 1800s.

In Black Sexual Politics, one of America's most influential writers on race and gender explores how images of Black sexuality have been used to maintain the color line and how they threaten to spread a new brand of racism around the world today.

The ideal of pure white womanhood, Collins argues, required the invention of hot-blooded Latinas, exotic Suzy Wongs, and wanton jezebels--images that persist in the media today in everything from animal-skin bikinis to the creation of the "welfare mom." Men confront a similar bias in a society that defines African American males as drug dealers, brutish athletes, irresponsible fathers, and rapists.Collins dissects the widespread impact of these distorted messages as she explores African American love relationships, sex in youth culture, interracial romance, sexual violence, and HIV/AIDS.

A revolutionary work that touches the intimate and public lives of all African Americans, Black Sexual Politics brilliantly illuminates the subtle interplay of race, sex, and politics in American culture today. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

OMG i love this book! She has hit the pinhead with a jackhammer
I am so confounded by the author and her views and studies. It is simply the greatest, I repeat greatest book on the Black American psyche. Although a little tough to digest and understand at times, she will re-emphasize her point so that we the reader don't miss out on the facts. I understand our workings more and how I view sexuality and other races. GET THIS BOOK since you are reading this review and you know this is the type of topics that interest you!

Another Brilliant Book by Patricia Hill Collins
This is another breakout of brilliance from Patricia Hill Collins. Collins has broken to a new level of analysis of the intersections of race, class, sexuality and gender, and offers transformative interpretations of black popular culture.BRAVO, Ms. Collins! This book is a must-read for any black individual that cares about the lives of the black diaspora, especially in the new millenium.

There's A LOT More To Say
I am not afraid to look the reality of colorism in the eye and acknowledge that it does exist within the black community. It is my greatest hope and dream that someday the dark skinned black and the light skinned black will be seen as the one family in the future. I want so much to love the lightskinned sister and brother as my own reflection and not be divided from them or made to feel that one is treated better than the other, but sadly, that day is not here and this book bravely and powerfully illustrates that point to the fullest.

I am a medium brown colored woman, my mother was very dark skinned and I have witnessed the evils of skin color prejudice all my life. In most situations, it was Black Men who were prejudiced against myself and the women around me beccause of our coloring. These men felt no shame or limit in their racist intra-family prejudice and measured their entire lives by how many light skinned or white women they could attain and how light brite their children could come out. It's everywhere and anyone who denies it is both a fool and a liar.

That is why I highly recommend THE BLACKER THE BERRY by Wallace Thurman. There is no truer portrait of the self-hatred among our people than the one extolled in this book, and what makes it even sadder is that this book was written in the 1920's. So that only shows how deep this kind of evil runs.

Lately, I have become very interested in this subject and I have searched for other books that explore this subject with intelligence, honest, beauty and wisdom and I have found several that I consider to be classics on the subject of Colorism.

(1) MARITA GOLDEN'S book "Don't Play In the Sun" is definitely the most modern up to date book of the bunch. It expertly weaves the story of her life experiences in the 1960's Black Power movement with the current struggles of women like Serena Williams and India Arie to find their way in the world, even in the midst of being shunned and ignored by the black community itself. The book's analysis of the Hollywood casting system and the "Mulatto Follies" of BET and MTV is priceless.

(2) "The Bluest Eye" by TONI MORRISON is by far the most riveting and painful book that I have read on this subject of colorism. I believe that her book, more than any mother, gets to the psychological and historical root cause of the problem and exposes the mode in which we pass the problem on generation to generation. The destruction of an innocent black girl named Pecola Breedlove will leave you heartbroken and shocked as you see the bold naked truth unfold right before your eyes. You can't ignore this book, because the story being told is the one that you are all too familiar with no matter what color you are.

(3) "Flesh and the Devil" by African novelist KOLA BOOF is another deeply powerful book that examines colorism, but not out in the open. This book is unique in that it focuses on a very enchanting love story between a Black Prince and Princess and follows their reincarnations through history as they struggle to find their way back to each other. Through detailed moments in black history, both in Africa and the United States, the provocative author highlights the way that black people originally viewed their beauty and humanity and then juxtuposes it against the way they see themselves now in the modern world. The result is nothing less than devastating. I love this book so much, because the storytelling is so rich and the depth is so sweeping and grand. Anyone who loves good writing and is proud to be descended from the Black race will find themselves literally changed forever by the powerful images depicted in this very poetically moving story.

(4) "The Color Complex"--VARIOUS AUTHORS, is a very simple, straight forward analysis from a sociological point of view. Much research and statistical facts are used to illustrate that our communities are infested with these issues.

(5) "The Darkest Child" by Dolores Philips is another great novel that shows us the poor blacks who live under the poverty line ingesting these complex social hierarchies based on color and how they not only expose their children to them, but force the entire community to live by the "color code". Everybody is used to it from slavery and the system goes on and on unchallenged. In this book, Tangy Mae, the darkest of 10 children by the white-looking mother Rozelle, struggles to find her dignity and confidence in the midst of her evil light skinned mother inflicting one horrid abuse on top of the other. One thing I will say for the evil white-looking mother, Rozelle, is that she treated all of her children hiddeously and with contempt, from the whitest to