Black Talk, Blue Thoughts, and Walking the Color Line

by Kaplan, Erin Aubry; Dyson, Michael Eric

• ISBN13: 9781555537548
• ISBN10: 1555537545
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-10-11
• Publisher: Northeastern Univ Pr

Summary

The minimization of blackness has long been touted as the logical and ideal end to a long history of racial struggle in America that peaked in the 1960s, plateaued for several decades, and culminated in 2009 when a black man was elected to the White House. But is this well-intentioned goal a true measure of racial achievement? This collection of essays features thirty-three wide-ranging pieces of literary, cultural, political, and personal journalism on the black experience during this time, from the pages of the Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly, salon.com, and elsewhere--plus major new articles on such topics as President Obama, black and Hispanic conflicts, and depression, appearing here for the first time. In each, Kaplan argues with meticulous observation, razor-sharp intelligence, and sparkling prose against the trend of black erasure, and for the expansion of horizons of the black American story.

Author Biography

Erin Aubry Kaplan has covered black issues as a journalist for twenty years, including nine years as a staff writer for LA Weekly, and two years as a weekly op-ed columnist for the Los Angeles Times.