CRISIS IN BLACK AND WHITE

by Charles Silberman ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 18, 1964

A journalist and scholar analyzes the situation of the American Negro from the combined viewpoints of history, sociology and factual reportage, showing it to be both the white and the black man's problem. On the basis of Negro history recounted here from slavery to the present, the common theories of acculturation and urbanization as solutions are discarded in favor of the facts. Negroes are not simply another immigrant group requiring time for assimilation; the ""problem of identification"" is not so readily solved. The realities are difficult but must be contended with in all their conflicting ramifications. After a historical and contemporary cultural diagnosis, the author seeks a solution in accordance with these facts and again provides an analysis of some current methods-- from the NAACP and the Black Muslims to educational and sociological reforms like The Woodlawn Association in Chicago. Without trying to eliminate the specter of prejudice, Silberman handles the ""problem"" realistically and adjures the powers that aren't to face the facts--and face them soon. Historically acute and contemporaneously sensible, a thoughtful and thought-provoking discussion of the ""American dilemma.

Pub Date: May 18, 1964

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Random House

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1964

Categories: NONFICTION