Saviors or Sellouts: The Promise and Peril of Black Conservatism, from Booker T. Washington to Condol eezza Rice

(Paperback)

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What is a black conservative, and why would anyone choose to be one wonders Professor Christopher Bracey, an African American liberal Democrat. In 1972, fewer than 10 percent of African Americans identified as conservative; today nearly 30 percent do. Bracey traces black conservatism's long tradition in this original book, bringing us to the present by examining black neoconservatives like Shelby Steele and John McWhorter and political conservatives Clarence Thomas and Condoleezza Rice. With a revealing analysis of the infotainment effect of Bill Cosby, Chris Rock, and others, Bracey analyzes the tradeoffs made by conservatives-many of which raise serious questions about whether today's conservatives are effectively protecting blacks' interests.

Reviews

This marvelous book is required reading to understand the phenomenon of conservatism in the most progressive group of Americans-Black people. Cornel West

"A must read-not only to identify black conservatives but, indeed, to understand them." Mary Frances Berry, author of My Face Is Black Is True and professor of history, University of Pennsylvania

"This book powerfully traces the intellectual character and practical appeal of this growing movement, offering a realistic and empathetic, yet sharply critical, appraisal." Ira Katznelson, author of When Affirmative Action Was White and professor of political science and history, Columbia University