Excellent, brief overview of why race matters

books:

	• RACE MATTERS Cornel West Beacon Press, 1993 - 105 pages average customer review:based on 65 reviews view larger image
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Points of view matter

During the Clarence Thomas appointment, Thomas appealed to racial victimization to secure his place at the expense of his sister and Anita Hill. Black leaders were caught off-base. In the post-Civil Rights era there is a lack of authentic Black Anger among political leaders. There are a number of managerial leaders. Race-transcending prophetic leaders are rare. Black intellectual leadership is cynical, ironic. Black conservatism is a reaction to the crisis in liberalism. West's arguments are taut, interesting.

Race still defines America

I just read this book and it got a lot of good information about it such as the names of black scholars and leaders that I had never heard of before and teachings of Malcolm X. The analysis of black anti-semitism and black nihilism was also very interesting. I intend to read more of his works in the future.

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Excellent, brief overview of why race matters

Cornel West's early 90s book still can be read today with great profit. He discusses the problems of racial injustice in vivid, succinct detail, and illustrates the failures of both liberals and conservative in response to the problems facing the black community (most immediately). He indicates that the "Prophetic perspective" would be better, but might have made fuller description of what the perspective entails, and what solutions to real and nagging problems we might find. He justifiably exalts Malcolm X, but too much so at the expense of Martin Luther King Jr. Overall, however, a well-written and illuminating book.

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Exploring Race Relations in the USA

I didn't know Clarence Thomas was despised by many, until I read this book in 1997. I always assumed Thomas was a serious scholar of the law, until Dr. West painted a rather unflattering picture of the Supreme Court Justice. He describes Thomas as unqualified, lazy, callous, ignorant, selfish, and to sum up, Thomas is the "token Black guy" on the Supreme Court.

Dr. West goes into detail about his views on the Crown Heights Riots and why he believes the rioters were tolerated. He doesn't take sides or justify anything; rather he looks for the causes and the facts as they are. He lays bare the sad details of race relations and leaves the reader to decide. Dr. West can really tell is like it is!

But there's a sad irony.

Dr. West has become just like the people he despises. His conflict with Lawrence Summers shows that he's become a selfish, publicity-hungry showman who wants to use his color as an excuse. Calling his boss the "Ariel Sharon of higher education" doesn't bug me because I'm a Jew (I'm used to left-wing radicals using Israel as a metaphor for evil), it bugs me because instead of admitting he made a mistake, he defames his boss as being un-academic. Instead of saying "brothers and sisters, I have been neglecting my writing and giving out too many A's," he blames it on racism.

On the other hand, everyone is entitled to make at least one mistake. But I hope Dr. West will realize that while sad things have happened in the history of the USA, we are evolving for improvement. Racist laws have been overturned, careers that were once closed are now integrated, and the over-empowerment of the President in the post-9/11 age shows that liberty is something that we'll always be fighting for.

The first step in the fight for liberty and equality is the freedom to express our views. I look forward to reading more of Dr. West's work in the future.

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First published in 1993 on the one-year anniversary of the L.A. riots, Race Matters has since become an American classic. Beacon Press is proud to present this hardcover edition with a new introduction by Cornel West. The issues that it addresses are as controversial and urgent as before, and West's insights remain fresh, exciting, and timely. Now more than ever, Race Matters is a book for all Americans?one that will help us build a genuine multiracial democracy.