Protecting Whiteness: Whitelash and the Rejection of Racial Equality – REVIEW

by Cameron D. Lippard (Editor), J. Scott Carter (Editor), David G. Embrick (Editor), Eduardo Bonilla-Silva (Foreword)

The standoff at Cliven Bundy's ranch, the rise of white identity activists on college campuses, and the viral growth of white nationalist videos on YouTube vividly illustrate the resurgence of white supremacy and overt racism in the United States. White resistance to racial equality can be subtle as well--like art museums that enforce their boundaries as elite white spaces, "right on crime" policies that impose new modes of surveillance and punishment for people of color, and environmental groups whose work reinforces settler colonial norms.

In this incisive volume, twenty-four leading sociologists assess contemporary shifts in white attitudes about racial justice in the US. Using case studies, they investigate the entrenchment of white privilege in institutions, new twists in anti-equality ideologies, and "whitelash" in the actions of social movements. Their examinations of new manifestations of racist aggression help make sense of the larger forces that underpin enduring racial inequalities and how they reinvent themselves for each new generation.

Cameron Lippard is professor of sociology at Appalachian State University. J.Scott Carter is associate professor of sociology at the University of Central Florida.  David G. Embrick is associate professor of sociology and Africana studies at the University of Connecticut.

University of Washington Press  uwapress.uw.edu
ISBN 978-0-295-74799-6
275 pages

Daily Life of African Americans in Primary Documents - REVIEW

Daily Life of African Americans in Primary Documents [2 volumes]

Herbert C. Covey and Dwight Eisnach, Editors

This two-volume set provides readers with a balanced collection of materials that captures the wide-ranging experiences of African American people over the history of America. Volume One begins with the enslavement and transportation of slaves to North America and ends with the Civil War and the beginning of Reconstruction; Volume Two continues with the end of the Civil War and Reconstruction through the election of Barack Obama to the American presidency.

Each volume provides a chronology of major events, a historic overview, and sections devoted to the domestic, material, economic, intellectual, political, leisure, and religious life of African Americans for the respective time spans. Volume One covers a wide variety of topics from a multitude of perspectives in such areas as enslavement, life during the Civil War, common foods, housing, clothing, political opinions, and similar topics. Volume Two addresses the civil rights movement, court cases, life under Jim Crow, Reconstruction, busing, housing segregation, and more.

Each volume includes 100-110 primary sources with suggested readings from government publications, court testimony, census data, interviews, newspaper accounts, period appropriate letters, Work Progress Administration interviews, sermons, laws, diaries, and reports.

Herbert C. Covey has a PhD in sociology from the University of Colorado at Boulder and is acting director of the Adams County Human Services Department.

Dwight Eisnach has a BA in journalism from the University of Colorado at Boulder and is a freelance writer.

Greenwood Publishers

ISBN: 978-1-4408-6666-1

Invisible Men: The Trailblazing Black Artists of Comic Books - REVIEW

Invisible Men: The Trailblazing Black Artists of Comic Books
by Ken Quattro

The riveting stories of groundbreaking Black artists who – mostly covertly – drew superhero, horror, and romance comics birth of the industry through the Golden Age!  These men’s life stories demonstrate how they emerged to break through barriers into a world formerly occupied only be white artists.  Invisible Men: The Trailblazing Black Artists of Comic Books is gorgeously illustrated with photos and the creators’ remarkable work, from mainstream comics to rare titles like All-Negro Comics.  Invisible Men feature’s Ken Quattro’s impeccable research detailing the social and cultural environments that formed these extraordinary, yet invisible men!

The life stories of each man's personal struggles and triumphs are represented as they broke through into a world formerly occupied only by whites. Using primary source material from World War II-era Black newspapers and magazines, this compelling book profiles pioneers like E.C. Stoner, a descendant of one of George Washington's slaves, who became a renowned fine artist of the Harlem Renaissance and the first Black artist to draw comic books. Perhaps more fascinating is Owen Middleton who was sentenced to life in Sing Sing. Middleton's imprisonment became a cause célèbre championed by Will Durant, which led to Middleton's release and subsequent comics career. Then there is Matt Baker, the most revered of the Black artists, whose exquisite art spotlights stunning women and men, and who drew the first groundbreaking Black comic book hero, Vooda!

Ken Quattro was a historical consultant on the Hollywood film Professor Marston and the Wonder Women. Quattro is the author of hundreds of books, magazines, and online articles.  He has provided source material for television programs and many other comics histories. Quattro attended Eastern Michigan University and the University of Michigan, studying Fine Art and Journalism.

ISBN: 978-1-68405-586-9

IDW Publishing Company  idwpublishing.com

248 pages.