Review of Newark: A History of Race, Rights, and Riots in America (American History and Culture) (Hardcover)

The city of Newark's story is, in a few ways, not unlike that of many post-Reconstruction, pre-Civil Rights movement Northeastern United States cities. Though not rife with bigotry as the South, such municipalities were not especially hospitable to African-Americans. What makes this New Jersey metropolis unique is the fact Black residents chose to become an electoral powerhouse in the spirit of ethnic minorities which had done the same thing before them. Though the explosive rebellions are the backdrop for this book, African-American political activism, the knotty alliances it created, and the aftermath of those efforts in a post-Civil Rights era are at the core of this book.

Mumford helps you understand the city of Newark and its tradition of African-American civic involvement by detailing the role of those most would consider militants in leading insurrectionist as well as mainstream efforts. Inevitably, the Newark clashes of old take center stage. But, more importantly, Mumford is intent on telling readers what happened before the uprisings, and after.

The author pens a colorful read, whose personalities leap off the page. Whether it's the poet turned radical messiah Amiri Baraka, white establishment types or the tangles for leadership of a burgeoning voting bloc, Mumford's book is an astute, opinionated primer on a slice on Newark's political pedigree. From the city's early days, where African-Americans fought for recognition and dignity, to their ascension to elected office in the midst of the Black Power movement, and then through countless though crucial fragments as new power brokers emerged amid old differences in vision, tactics and goals, this tome is spellbinding, and worth your attention.




Click Here to see more reviews about: Newark: A History of Race, Rights, and Riots in America (American History and Culture) (Hardcover)

Review of Black Anxiety, White Guilt, and the Politics of Status Frustration: (Hardcover)

Here is an excerpt from a review by Edward C. Smith (American University) that appeared in the February 8, 1998 edition of The Washington Times:

"Mr. O'Connell and Mr. Smith make a convincing argument that many successful and affluent blacks see themselves as permanent outsiders and doubt that the white world will ever truly accept them. Additionally, they experience tremendous guilt for 'abandoning' the black world of their nuturing.

The book raises some very sensitive issues that most authors writing on the subject of race avoid like the plague. For example, 'The civil rights era was an astounding success, but it left blacks in competition with whites as formal equals, a condition for which many were unprepared. The consequence was a loss in self-esteem and confidence, as hopes were soon dashed in the wake of inflated expectations of progress.'

The corollary to this remark is the authors' forceful challenge to the pervasive notion that white racisim remains the foremost cause of black fear, failure and frustration as opposed to the erosion of the influence of the black church, the breakdown of so many black families and the spread of the drug culture, which fosters self-indulgent escapism and is violently at odds with a spirit of deferred gratification. Far too many young black people living on society's margins no longer see middle class virtues and values as worthy of emulation....

The authors do not pretend that individual and institutional racism have disappeared. And because they recognize the probably eternal presence of racism in our diverse culture, Mr. O'Connell and Mr. Smith offer several sensible ways in which it can be confronted and reversed. Of course, as one might expect, one solution to racial strife that they vehemently oppose is affirmative action....

Today racial advancement in the workplace is commonly achieved through the use of quotas and timetables. Thus, the authors contend that the tensions between whites and blacks over the value and validity of affirmative action will linger for a long time to come. This is the finest book that I have ever read on this volatile and culturally divisive subject."



Click Here to see more reviews about: Black Anxiety, White Guilt, and the Politics of Status Frustration: (Hardcover)