The Good Black A True Story of Race in America

by Barrett, Paul

• ISBN13: 9780452278592
• ISBN10: 0452278597
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-01-01
• Publisher: Plume

Summary

Larry Mungin spent his life preparing to succeed in the white world. He looked away from racial inequality and hostility, believing he'd make it if he worked hard and played by the rules. He rose from a Queens housing project to Harvard Law School, and went on to practice law at major corporate firms. But just at the point when he thought he'd make it, when he should have been considered for partnership, he sued his employer for racial discrimination. The firm claimed it went our of its way to help Larry because of his race, while Larry thought he'd been treated unfairly. Was Larry a victim of racial discrimination, or just another victim of the typical dog-eat-dog corporate law culture? A thought-provoking courtroom drama with the fast pace of a commercial novel, The Good Black asks readers to rethink their ideas about race and is a fascinating look at the inner workings of the legal profession.

Author Biography

Paul M. Barrett is the Deputy Legal Editor at The Wall Street Journal. He was nominated by The Wall Street Journal for the 1997 Pulitzer Prize for beat reporting.

Table of Contents

``Don't Be Afraid; I'm One of the Good Blacks''	1	(6)
``Eat What You Kill''	7	(7)
``You Don't Want to Mess with This Guy''	14	(8)
``Play by the Rules and the System Will Treat You Right''	22	(13)
``You'll Get Screwed the Way I Got Screwed''	35	(11)
``A Balls-Out Firm''	46	(17)
``What Are You Doing with That Nigger Friend?''	63	(10)
``A Cocky Guy in for a Fall''	73	(20)
``Saving Mungin''	93	(20)
``You Fell Between the Cracks''	113	(10)
``As Long as You Get a Paycheck, You Do as You're Told''	123	(12)
``They Promised You the World; They Gave You the Street Corner''	135	(16)
``I Am a Whistle-Blower''	151	(15)
``There Will Be a Trial''	166	(8)
``Racism: When It's There, You Can See It''	174	(11)
``It's My Party; I'll Cry If I Want To''	185	(15)
``Afraid We Would Lose Him''	200	(15)
``Shucking and Jiving''	215	(14)
``Teach the Firm a Lesson''	229	(14)
``We Were Pushing for Him''	243	(8)
``God Has a Plan for Everybody''	251	(8)
``No Reasonable Juror...''	259	(18)
Conclusion:Integration's Paradox	277	(8)
Epilogue	285	(4)
Afterword	289	(4)
Index	293