Black Americans

by Pinkney, Alphonso

• ISBN13: 9780130825773
• ISBN10: 0130825778
• Edition: 5th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-07-08
• Publisher: Pearson

Summary

This comprehensive and contemporary book presents a brief yet complete assessment of the lives of African Americans in the United States.Covers many areas, including anthropology, history, economics, political science and other pertinent areas relevant to what might be called "the Black Experience in America" . Sections in this reader-friendly book include homelessness, homicide as a public health problem, the prevalence of police brutality, and capital punishment.For anyone interested in learning more about race relations, black studies, black history, and black culture.

Table of Contents

Preface	xi
Historical Background	1	(32)
Slavery	1	(12)
The Civil War	13	(4)
Reconstruction	17	(3)
Institutionalized White Supremacy	20	(7)
Selected Bibliography	27	(2)
Notes	29	(4)
The Persistence of Jim Crow and the Black Revolt	33	(28)
Beginnings of the Revolt: Black Persistence and White Resistance	33	(3)
The Civil Rights Movement	36	(5)
Despair in the Slums	41	(2)
Black Power	43	(5)
The Consequences	48	(9)
Selected Bibliography	57	(2)
Notes	59	(2)
Characteristics of the Population	61	(17)
Size and Growth	61	(1)
Fertility	62	(3)
Mortality	65	(3)
Age and Sex Composition	68	(3)
Distribution	71	(5)
Selected Bibliography	76	(1)
Notes	76	(2)
Socioeconomic Status	78	(27)
Education	78	(6)
Occupational Status	84	(13)
Income	97	(6)
Selected Bibliography	103	(1)
Notes	103	(2)
Social Institutions	105	(26)
The Family	105	(7)
Politics	112	(7)
Religion	119	(8)
Selected Bibliography	127	(1)
Notes	128	(3)
The Health of Black People	131	(28)
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)	133	(9)
Major Chronic Diseases: Morbidity and Mortality	142	(5)
Black Medical Students and Physicians	147	(5)
Homicide: A Public Health Problem	152	(3)
Selected Bibliography	155	(1)
Notes	155	(4)
Chronic Social Problems	159	(27)
Homelessness	159	(8)
Adolescent Pregnancy and Childbearing	167	(6)
Substance Abuse	173	(8)
Selected Bibliography	181	(1)
Notes	182	(4)
Crime and Justice	186	(19)
Adult Crime	186	(1)
Juvenile Crime	187	(6)
Police Brutality and Other Acts of Cruelty against Minorities	193	(4)
Capital Punishment	197	(5)
Selected Bibliography	202	(1)
Notes	202	(3)
Assimilation into American Society	205	(20)
Cultural Assimilation	206	(2)
Structural Assimilation	208	(1)
Marital Assimilation	209	(2)
Identificational Assimilation	211	(2)
Attitude Receptional Assimilation	213	(2)
Behavior Receptional Assimilation	215	(4)
Civic Assimilation	219	(3)
Selected Bibliography	222	(1)
Notes	223	(2)
The Demise of Affirmative Action	225	(24)
The Case of Allan Bakke	227	(2)
The Case of Brian Weber	229	(1)
Black Conservatives and Affirmative Action	230	(2)
Opposition to Affirmative Action Gathers Steam	232	(4)
Cases in Texas and California	236	(5)
Rethinking Affirmative Action	241	(1)
The Last Word on Affirmative Action	242	(4)
Selected Bibliography	246	(1)
Notes	247	(2)
Race Relations at the Crossroads	249	(12)
Advisory Board of the President's Initiative on Race	252	(2)
The Role of Black Conservatives: The Case of Clarence Thomas	254	(2)
Continuing Violence against Blacks	256	(2)
Distorted Notions on the Status of Blacks	258	(1)
Selected Bibliography	259	(1)
Notes	260	(1)
Name Index	261	(5)
Subject Index	266

Excerpts

PrefaceWhen this book was first published in 1969, African-Americans faced a serious crisis arising from the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. Angered by this act, blacks took to the streets in cities around the country, demonstrating their outrage by massive acts of property destruction. In general, white individuals and institutions responded to the tragedy of the assassination by attempting to make some amends for past injustices. Colleges and universities recruited black students in greater numbers than ever before, and programs of African-American and African studies were organized on a wide scale. It appeared that equality for blacks had finally become an issue of critical importance.However, by the time the second edition appeared in 1975, little change in the status of African-American people relative to that of white people had come about, but many changes in the mind and mood of African-American people had occurred, mainly in the ascendancy of nationalist sentiment in the black community. Black nationalist organizations thrived until the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other government agencies commenced a systematic campaign to destroy this movement. Because of this campaign and the inevitable internal dissension within these organizations, the movement virtually collapsed. Nevertheless, with the advent of affirmative action, some progress was made in the status of African-Americans in the United States. For a brief time there was an official commitment to racial equality.With the third edition in 1987, the mood of the country had changed, and conservatism had become the dominant ethos of American politics and of the country as a whole. The right-wing administration of Ronald Reagan and the egocentricity of the American people combined to mount a serious attack on compensatory justice. They were joined in this effort by black conservatives who opposed affirmative action and other measures to improve the lot of African-Americans, insisting that blacks must rely on individual initiative and self-help rather than government assistance. These forces succeeded in reversing some of the gains that African-Americans and others had made through intensive struggle.The fourth edition in 1993 found African-Americans facing additional challenges of major proportions: acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), adolescent pregnancy and childbearing, crack cocaine and other substance abuse, homelessness, and widespread homicide, among others. By promoting and condoning racial oppression through the years, the government must bear major responsibility for the impact of these problems on African-Americans.In this, the fifth edition of the book, it should be noted that there has been little, if any, change in the problems enumerated in the fourth edition. In addition, there has been an intensified effort to end affirmative action, thereby impeding an important avenue to black progress. Because of this, a chapter on the subject has been added, along with some other changes, including a chapter on crime and justice.Although this book is a sociological study of African-Americans, it addresses the general reader as well as the professional student of society. It is hoped that sociological perspective and analysis have not been sacrificed.I would like to thank the following reviewers for their helpful suggestions: Darnell F. Hawkins, University of Illinois at Chicago; and Robert L. Carter, Hunter College, CUNY.Several people assisted in preparing this edition, including my editor, Sharon Chambliss, and my production editor, Rob DeGeorge, at Prentice Hall; and Mark Schwartz and Denise Garland of the U.S. Department of Education. I am grateful to them for their contributions to whatever virtues this edition may have, but its shortcomings are mine alone. Alphonso Pinkney