Race Matters

It's a good read that is well thought out. It should be used in secondary schools. It's worth every second.

I read this book from a non-American prespective. As I don't live in America but in Israel, I can't help but read a book such as this while constantly comparing West's analysis to my own environment.At the beginning of the book, the immediate comparison was to the oppression of the Palestinians. But as I progressed, there was a shift to the situation of the Ethiopian immigrants in Israel. I was amazed at how easily West's words can be applied to the situation of the Ethiopians in Israel. I quoted a few insights from the book to Ethiopian friends, and there was a common feeling as if West wrote the book about them - and not about the American race matters. Of course the difficult chapter dealing with black Antisemitism was interesting as an American phenomena, without direct implications to the Ethiopian situation (here I could go back to the Palestinian issue).In the end, West's book proved to be a bold attack on racism and racist institutions, and did provide some interesting directions for change. I must disagree with those that were disappointed by West's "failure" to bring up coherent solutions. A book such as this should not be expected to provide a detailed solution layout, but instead give food for thought, and point at the directions which have not been taken yet.This the book does. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the issue of race and politics.

Great condition. Amazon has honestly never failed me with books. They are always in great condition unless otherwise noted. As a college student - I love notes in books, so I actually look for books that have been used versus buying new. It is as if I get to read the thought transformation of another student/reader! I love it. Anyways, this book had some notes in it, nothing too significant but I appreciated it. No bent corners and the pages were all in tact. The binding was secure as well.There are always a couple things I check right away when I receive a book: binding, pagination, edition/copyright, and overall condition. I have never been disappointed with a book I've bought of Amazon.I plan to buy every book I can off of Amazon for the rest of my undergraduate career and all throughout law school.

My interest in this book came from a sociology class and a literature course I had in college around the time the book was published. I graduated years ago and cherish my memory of discussions and lectures in both.One of my favorite lecturers at that time was an ambassador to South Africa and I hope to someday attend a lecture by Cornel West. I hope to be prepared by reading this and his wonderful memoir. I enjoyed his memoir more as it is celebration and far less clinical.

I'm a white European immigrant and, believe it or not, we get told to go back to our country too by other "whites" while been in the country longer. It's always perplexed me how whites who come to the US to escape persecution in Europe can become racists and identify with white nationalists within just a generation or two. This book answers that question. It explains how racism and white nationalism keeps marginalized groups separated and fighting one another.

Dr. West book inspired me back in 2005 and it still does. A book that has shape and reshape my ideology on race, culture, and current events.

A very interesting look at race relations and race issues from the perspective of the black person. This is certainly not the only book I have read on this topic, but West really goes into a lot of detail in a short piece. Excellent work.

West is one of the most insightful writers about race of our time. His first premise, that the liberal understanding of racism does not go far enough, is the best contribution from this book. Subsequent chapters appear to be somewhat dated--not surprising since this was published in 1993. The missing element from the liberal analysis is the psychological damage inflicted on generation after generation of African American children, who still grow up feeling inferior. Internalized racism leads to self-destructive behavior, which in turn feeds the conservative explanation for poverty. The right wing blames poverty on the poor--they don't work hard enough. Welfare dependancy can become a problem, but the myth that the poor do not work should not still be so widely believed. Most poor do work--at Walmart, MacDonald's and other places that don't pay enough to buy groceries. How do we correct the self-image of black children? Integration hasn't helped. Black students score consistently below grade level on standardized tests when they come from white classrooms. "Race Matters" needs to be updated to address current politics and beliefs. Media literacy would help, as would better schools that teach critical thinking.

all the arguments were well thought out, the presentation is excellent, Mr. West's perspective is a true mentor from whom everyone can benefit

Great book, but there's one flaw: p. 94: “GI benefits to particular courageous Americans.”For comments, go to http://lovefreedomorquestionwhoyouare.blogspot.se/

This book is a must read for an informative discussion on race relations that is still relevant today in both the US and the UK.

Excellent

good, but the cover was teared at the corner.