Award-winning scholars and veteran teachers Deborah Gray White; Mia Bay; and Waldo E. Martin Jr. have collaborated to create a fresh; innovative new African American history textbook that weaves together narrative and a wealth of carefully selected primary sources. The narrative focuses on the diversity of black experience; on culture; and on the impact of African Americans on the nation as a whole. Every chapter contains two themed sets of written documents and a visual source essay; guiding students through the process of analyzing sources and offering the convenience and value of a "two-in-one" textbook and reader.
#2492653 in Books 1992-10Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.50 x 5.75 x .75l; #File Name: 0312066090246 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. if you like the voice that emerges from within the stale massBy davidlyOne should be aware that this collection of essays serves; at least indirectly; to challenge popular notions of Malcolm X that exist within Black American culture. As such; it succeeds greatly; much more than it falls short. That is to say; the subject is taken head on; but there is one contribution that is a comparatively amateurish; quasi-academic puff piece; which here; perhaps ironically; plays Q.E.D. to a couple of the other essays.The main source of analysis for many of the authors is the autobiography as told to Alex Haley; but the springboard for the collection itself appears to be the release of Spike Lee's film based upon the same source material; and the film-maker does not go untouched. Indeed; if harsh treatment of Black icons bothers you; this book is not for you. On the other hand; if you like the voice that emerges from within the stale mass; you might cherish Hilton Als' reconstruction of Malcolm's mother; or Angela Davis' balanced perspective hued feminist; or Amiri Baraka just letting it rip with an examination that cannot help but toss the aforementioned film maker into a dung-heap along with biographer Bruce Perry.With "The Allure of Malcolm X and the Changing Character of Black Politics" – Adolph Reed; Jr.; stands out for being the only author to challenge the notion that something sacred was in the process of being commercialized; instead levelling his criticism at what he sees as the logical consequence of hollow iconization. In spite of this being stated relatively succinctly early on in the piece; it reverberates as a greater truth somehow. The main focus; however; is a critical view of the status quo; then 1992; and insider nature of Black politics; examining closely the history of the transformation by willing co-option of Black activist/agitator into political opportunist.Those already familiar with Adolph Reed; Jr.; will not be surprised that his piece is instructive in how it relates to the state of Black politics today in 2015. He makes the public criticism of the president by Cornell West – also a contributor here – appear like a bump in the road among his durable disapproval of accommodating for access. His essay might also at once explain the current popularity of Ta-Nehisi Coates and how his having recently been compared to James Baldwin disturbs the apple cart reserved for heroic Black figures. I'll leave any conclusions thereof to the reader.Most interesting to me was how Reed's analysis of Black politics is a by-the-numbers illustration of how the Democratic Party forestalls Black progress; and; moreover; I couldn't help think foreshadows how the current candidacy of Bernie Sanders will not force presumptive nominee Hillary Clinton to address any of the issues he brings to the table; as conventional wisdom so oft contends; rather; it allows her to concede that vote to him and then buy the electoral support from that one shepherd come convention time.Had it not been for a couple of underwhelming contributions; I'd have given this book a perfect score; but for the authors I named above alone; this book will be indispensable to anyone interested in the subject.
