Faces at the Bottom of the Well: The Permanence of Racism

by Bell, Derrick

• ISBN13: 9780465068142
• ISBN10: 0465068146
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1993-10-06
• Publisher: Basic Books

Summary

The noted civil rights activist uses allegory and historical example to present a radical vision of the persistence of racism in America. These essays shed light on some of the most perplexing and vexing issues of our day: affirmative action, the disparity between civil rights law and reality, the "racist outbursts" of some black leaders, the temptation toward violent retaliation, and much more.

Author Biography

Derrick Bell, a visiting professor at New York University Law School, was dismissed by Harvard University from his position as Weld Professor of Law for refusing to end his two-year leave through which he protested the absence of minority women on the law faculty. He is also the author of Faces at the Bottom of the Well, Confronting Authority, and And We Are Not Saved.

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
Introduction. Divining Our Racial Themes	1	(14)
1 Racial Symbols: A Limited Legacy	15	(17)
2 The Afrolantica Awakening	32	(15)
3 The Racial Preference Licensing Act	47	(18)
4 The Last Black Hero	65	(24)
5 Divining a Racial Realism Theory	89	(20)
6 The Rules of Racial Standing	109	(18)
7 A Law Professor's Protest	127	(20)
8 Racism's Secret Bonding	147	(11)
9 The Space Traders	158	(37)
Epilogue. Beyond Despair	195	(6)
Notes	201	(14)
Index	215