Princeton professor Eddie S. Glaude, Jr., has accomplished much in his academic life. As an African-American, his life and position should attest to the progress African-Americans have made in the United States. In Democracy in Black: How Race Still Enslaves the American Soul, he argues vehemently that the grip of racism on American culture is as strong as ever, even if it looks different than it has in past generations.
The widely publicized deaths of black people at the hands of police in recent years have highlighted a larger demographic issue: the fact that black Americans are more negatively impacted by economic and social trends than other Americans. "If America catches a cold, black America suffers from the flu." His arguments are familiar and valid. Many studies have demonstrated that black Americans were more widely impacted by the recent housing crisis. Blacks are imprisoned to a greater extent and for longer periods than their white criminal peers. As he and other black activists argue, blacks are targeted by police. However, he gives a very one-sided view of this issue. Other studies have shown that blacks are actually killed by police at lower rates in proportion to the number of contacts. (Google it.) Also, responding to critics who point out the rate of black-on-black crime, Glaude dismisses them as condescending and evasive.
Even conceding the difficulties that blacks face in many spheres of life, my objection to Democracy in Black was not so much with his myopic view of the facts. I was more concerned with his constant drum beat of white supremacy. He bemoans the fact that, as he sees it, black people, if they want to make progress in America, must abandon their blackness. White America, with its pervasive white supremacist attitudes, must remain white.
Far be it from me to deny that white people with white supremacist attitudes exist. Obviously, if you want to find a white supremacist, you can. Just get online, or watch the mainstream media. They love to feature white supremacists. But what you will also find is that they are few and far between. Glaude attributes every social imbalance to white racism. I found this to be very offensive. He hates it when people point to "gang bangers" and "welfare queens" as examples of black culture. I would say that, just as you can find a white supremacist to confirm your biases, so can you find an actual gang banger or welfare queen. But for him to slap the white supremacist label on all of white America is just as offensive and--dare I say it--racist as someone labeling every black man a gang banging thug.
There is very little room in Glaude's thinking, at least as I read it in Democracy in Black, for a genuinely race-free political culture. To him, whites are naturally and pervasively racist. Further, he would assume that every black person should agree with him on every issue. If a black person is not pro-choice, is opposed to the minimum wage, calls for a free market in health care, or supports charter schools, clearly he's not a part of the true black political tradition. I would suggest that even black people can hold positions that are typically viewed as conservative or libertarian and still be genuine black Americans who hold such positions believing they offer the best answers to problems in the black community.
I know, I'm a white male, and read Democracy in Black through that lens. But I have also lived among black people in black neighborhoods, have work in public schools where I was in a tiny minority, and have read extensively about issues affecting the black community. Glaude has not convinced me that American culture is pervasively racist. He has convinced me that his perspective is racist, and that his solutions will not bring races together in America or improve life for black Americans.
Thanks to Blogging for Books and the publisher for the complimentary review copy!
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