From Exclusion to Inclusion: The Long Struggle for African American Political Power

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This text is designed to explore the historical and current level of African-American political participation, to assess the fruits of participation, and to provide recommendations for improving the efficacy of African-American political participation in the future. Part 1 focuses on the historic struggle for securing and expanding African-American voting rights; part two focuses on the economic, legal, philosophic and cultural context of African-American politics; part three focuses on prospects for African-American politics in the future - particularly the opportunities to develop successful electoral coalitions; and part four provides specific recommendations to produce fuller inclusion of African-Americans in the American polity. By providing a balanced account from the national perspective, this volume assesses the historical and current positions of African-Americans in politics throughout the nation. It assesses the impact of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and clarifies the significance of the struggle for voting rights - and how extensively equitable voting rights have been achieved. By focusing on the economic, legal and cultural contexts of African-American politics, it evaluates both the potential for success and the built-in limitations for American society in improving black status and everyday life-chances through the political arena. The possibilities for coalition politics are carefully analyzed - providing useful insights into the pitfalls and opportunities of coalition building among minorities and between minorities and various sectors of whites. The book also makes recommendations for increasing African-American political participation and provides strategies for the future.

Reviews

A significant collection about the role of the vote in African-American history and politics. Written by 12 scholars and activists, the papers come from a 1989 conference at Howard University. Three essays on the development of black suffrage are followed by others about where this suffrage has led. The final section of the book looks to the future of nonwhite electoral power. From a third of US voters at the end of the present decade, nonwhite ethnic groups will constitute a majority of voters by the middle of the next century. This thoughtful, even collection puts this potential power into past, present, and future perspective. The pieces contain valuable data, and are heavily documented. Excellent bibliography and useful index. Highly recommended for public, college, and university libraries.-Choice
The controversy over whether or not African Americans have achieved political progress is confronted in this well-written and clearly organized anthology.-Contemporary Sociology
"The controversy over whether or not African Americans have achieved political progress is confronted in this well-written and clearly organized anthology."-Contemporary Sociology
"A significant collection about the role of the vote in African-American history and politics. Written by 12 scholars and activists, the papers come from a 1989 conference at Howard University. Three essays on the development of black suffrage are followed by others about where this suffrage has led. The final section of the book looks to the future of nonwhite electoral power. From a third of US voters at the end of the present decade, nonwhite ethnic groups will constitute a majority of voters by the middle of the next century. This thoughtful, even collection puts this potential power into past, present, and future perspective. The pieces contain valuable data, and are heavily documented. Excellent bibliography and useful index. Highly recommended for public, college, and university libraries."-Choice

Author Bio

RALPH C. GOMES is Associate Professor of Sociology at Howard University. He is the author of numerous scholarly articles. LINDA FAYE WILLIAMS is currently a Weiner Research fellow at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. She is the co-editor of Race, Class and the New Urban Politics as well as scholarly articles and monographs.