Avg. Customer Rating:(based on 65 reviews) Sales Rank: 21851 Category: Book
Author:Cornel West Publisher:Beacon Press Studio:Beacon Press Manufacturer:Beacon Press Label:Beacon Press Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published) Media: Hardcover Edition: 1 Number Of Items: 1 Pages: 108 Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4 Dimensions (in): 8.5 x 6.3 x 0.7
Product Description 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.
Points of view matter November 8, 2008 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.
Excellent, brief overview of why race matters October 28, 2008 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.
Exploring Race Relations in the USA February 27, 2008 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
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.
Race still defines America November 12, 2007 1 out of 2 found this review helpful
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.
Ivy League Charlatan November 10, 2007 5 out of 14 found this review helpful
Cornell West is a charlatan and this book, like all the rest of his work, is little more than a collection of biased opinions unsupported by logic or information. While most blacks have achieved middle class status in the past 30 years, West sees only those who are mired in poverty and crime. And those, he thinks, are pure victims of "racism". It does not occur to West that a person with a criminal record, a bad attitude, and a poor education - is unlikely to succeed regardless of his color. If America were really as racist as West imagines, how does he explain his own amazing success - for surely his success is amazing. How many men get paid the money that Cornell West is paid - and that for "mouthing off" about his favorite hobby-horses? Larry Summers chided West for his total lack of scholarship. This book proves that Summers was absolutely right.
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