Book Description
The average ninth grader beginning school at Downtown College Prep in San Jose, California, reads at a fifth grade level. By senior year, 94% of the graduating class will be accepted into college. With a new approach to charter school education, this inner-city school has found success where so many others have failed. Our School shares not only the alternative strategies and bold new ideas that made Downtown College Prep the success that it is, but also the personal stories behind this accomplishment. Honest and engaging, Jacobs exposes the schools struggles and triumphs, from preparing students for the SATs in a community where many residents dont speak English to troubled students finding faith in themselves and the mentors around them. This gritty yet hopeful book offers sound advice and inspiration, while at the same time providing a new understanding of what makes a charter school work.
Customer Reviews:
'Inspiring' is true........2007-10-02
'Our School' is an inspiring read, especially for those teachers who are working with students in less-than-ideal environments.
Although 'Our School' talks a lot about the American school system, the ideas and discussions on pedegogy are universal.
Our School: Chasing dreams by rewriting the rules.......2007-07-05
Diminutive Selena gripped two sides of a basketball with uncertainty before finally giving in to the shouting principal/coach on the sideline, begging her to shoot.
She shot-putted the ball forward ... and watched it sail wide of the backboard by two feet.
Selena was one of the key players on the most unlikely girls basketball team ever to win a high school game -- a team that "Our School" author Joanne Jacobs hilariously describes as "the shortest basketball team in America."
"Our School" is not about sports, but this team -- eight girls hovering around five feet tall, among the few at their school who could muster the C average required to play -- is the perfect metaphor for the academically undermanned students that San Jose's Downtown College Prep charter school promises to someday send to college.
The Lady Lobos are mostly Mexican immigrants who know little about the game they've decided to play and are short of skills needed to succeed. But with enough "ganas" -- Spanish for desire -- perhaps they can somehow pull out a victory.
Likewise, "DCP students enter the school academic losers," Jacobs writes. "They don't know how to play the game. By the standards of middle-class high schools, DCP students aren't really in the game. But they keep working, they get better. If they stick with it, they'll win a college education."
Jacobs is the education reporter and former columnist for the San Jose Mercury News now nationally known for her popular education blog, [...]."Our School" is her book chronicling the years she spent observing as two idealistic teachers attempted to write their own rules and build a high expectations high school for low performing kids in an impoverished, gang-ridden inner city.
The book is both a pleasingly written, novel-like tale of kids who struggle â" and mostly win -- against tough odds and something of a guide for would-be school charter school developers, complete with a "how to start a charter school" chapter as an appendix.
For the motivated teacher, or otherwise inspired individual, who has thought of breaking out on their own to start their own charter school, Jacobs' book is really a must read. The "Lessons Learned" chapter alone is filled with telling stories and sage advice from DCP's founders.
For instance, they sorely underestimated how much catching up their entering ninth graders would need on very basic skills after years of neglect in the school system. It wasn't enough to set high expectations and seek to inspire them. The kids, plain and simple, needed to know how the speak English and multiply. As a result, DCP ended up much more structured and regimented than anyone ever expected because that's what the kids needed.
The school leaders also had to come to terms with the necessity of tossing kids out, especially for misbehavior. DCP throws out a lot of kids, a detail likely to catch the eye of charter critics, who complain that other public schools would love to have that nuclear bomb in the war to maintain discipline and order. "Our School" makes the point many times that discipline is a key. The leaders believe rules must be enforced consistently and unwaveringly, and they don't hesitate to expel even kids they like who fail to get with the program.
DCP's success is undeniable by the book's end. Just as the short kids on the girls basketball team work hard, get better, begin to compete and finally actually taste real victory, so their classmates, too, are reborn in academic success. All that stick with DCP to the end go to college and the school's test scores ultimately rank among the best around.
Still, the future of the school is far from certain. Teacher turnover is heavy. By its very nature, Jacobs tells us, the school tends to attract young dreamers to its teaching staff â" not the types to work at one school and retire 30 years later. By the book's end, one of the founders is even working on getting out.
Sustainability is a big question for charter schools, even excellent ones like DCP.
I also wonder if "Our School" won't someday be viewed as a period piece, unique to the early days of the charter movement when the romantic vision was that pioneering teachers would break free from bureaucracy and reinvent education.
In fact, the "mom-and-pop" charter schools â" truly independent and run by local folks â" may be a dying breed. An ever increasing share of charters are run by national management companies, such as Edison Schools and Heritage Academies, and more recently, non-profits and school districts themselves.
Even so, as the charter movement continues to grow, Jacobs has done a nice job encapsulating what these new public schools are supposed to be about and how they are different from traditional public schools. It's a good primer for the average parent â" those who've heard of charters but not really sure what they are exactly. And the story is an enjoyable ride right to the end.
"Pulled by my mother's dreams, I walked barefoot across the border from Mexico," Selena's begins her college essay. "I was six years old."
But with wild basketball misses behind her, on track for a diploma and a college scholarship awaiting, Selena will cross the commencement stage ready to chase her own dreams.
[...].
The story of two people making a huge difference.......2006-05-17
On my blog, Why Homeschool, I posted back in December about attending Joanne Jacobs' kickoff event for her book I bought the book back in December and had Joanne sign it. But I've been distracted, partly by blogging, and only recently got around to reading Our School.
Our School is basically a biography of Downtown College Prep, DCP. This is a charter high school in San Jose. Joanne leads us through the birth of the school, founded in 2000. We are introduced to Greg Lippman and Jennifer Andaluz who started the push for DCP. We read of the struggles to get funding, to get a location, and to get students.
Most of the book is about incidents that happened at DCP, or in connection to DCP. It like reading a story. Along the way Joanne slips in information about charter schools and education in general. The book is well written, very engaging, and hard to put down.
Many charter schools are very selective about who they let into the school. Often they only want students who are motivated and doing well in school. There are two elementary charter schools in my neighborhood. There is great competition to get in, so the schools are able to pick the better students.
DCP was created with the intention to help those who were fluking to get back on track for college. Greg and Jennifer were going after those who were no longer in the game. They set themselves a daunting task. In some ways DCP trying to help their students catch up is a Don Quixote mission; it is an almost impossible task. Most of the freshman class was functioning around the fifth grade level. Most of them don't know how to take notes. Most of them don't want to be in school. Most of have trouble reading. A Don Quixote mission might even be easier.
Our School recounts the efforts of the teachers at DCP. One of the nice things about a charter school is they are not bound up with so much bureaucracy. The teachers at DCP would try something, and if it didn't work, they would change quickly. Over time they found ways to help the students dramatically improve their reading. They taught the students how to study. And over time most of the students became engaged and were on track for college. They accomplished these Herculean tasks.
This is a very inspiring and moving book. We get exposed to some of the problems with public education, and we see how a couple people were able to make a great difference. This is a good book to read.
Great Read, Great Resource.......2006-04-27
As a school psychologist, I saw many students who struggled and sometimes gave up. I enjoyed reading "Our School," which is about a charter high school that recruits freshmen who've earned D's and F's and graduates them with the skills and motivation they'll need to earn a four-year college degree. At Downtown College Prep, students and faculty experience many "glorious failures," learn from their mistakes and go on to do better the next time. As a charter school, DCP has the flexibility to try new ideas to find out what works best for its students, most of whom come from low-income, non-English-speaking families. The book is a well-told eyewitness account infused with humor. I really liked the chapter about Ride the Carrot Salad. "Our School" is a great resource for teachers and other educators, and I think anyone who cares about our schools will find this book a rewarding read.
A well-written, encouraging, and uplifting story.......2006-01-21
First, let me say, WOW! In my local area, there are several charter schools, two even run by the previous public school district Superintendent -- yep, there is a good story there. While the charter schools here are doing some good things, it seems to me that there really isn't as much difference between them and their nearby district schools when it comes to test scores. They have the same achievement gaps and high percentages of kids not making grade level proficiency as their counterparts in the local district. With this perspective, I haven't really seen charter schools as the answer to public educations' problems. Part of the answer maybe, but not the solution.
After reading Joanne's book and my recent appreciation for certain charter schools, such as American Indian Public Charter in Oakland, I think with the right leadership, charter schools offer the opportunity for educators to try new approaches. When these approaches work, the students are successful and the charter school is successful. When they don't, both fail.
In the case of Downtown College Prep, the school explored in Joanne's book, I think this is a success. While their test scores are good, not great, the fact that their students almost all failed in their previous traditional public school experiences really makes their test scores outstanding. The simple fact that they can turn around many of these students and get them to college is extraordinary.
One of my major complaints of public education is that too often, teaching practices exist simply because "we've always done it that way" or because the administrators or teachers like a specific program or strategy, without any regard to whether it really is successful. Charter schools provide opportunities to explore new school configurations and strategies without the bureaucratic inertia of a district administration or in many cases a teacher's union. I really think this is a good thing. While there are both good and bad charter schools, just like traditional public schools, I think it is important that charters exist to be the proving ground for new strategies and to help identify best practices that can be implemented by other schools.
In my job, I read a lot of really boring books. I read books on education and education policy as well as nerdy computer books. Our School satisfied my need for education policy while at the same time being a great story, which was well written.
I discovered Joanne's blog a couple years ago and since then I have become a huge fan. I don't always agree with her, but I find her articles well written and thoughful. She makes me consider my point of view on many topics. Of course, in the end I realize I'm right or that we agree, but she does make me think.
I strongly encourage everyone to buy a copy of Our School, whether you are involved in the field of education, a parent concerned about your child's schools, starting a charter school or simply are looking for a great, uplifting story. It also makes a great gift for that educator on your Christmas list.
Book Description
In the heartland of 19th-century America, amid a roaring sea of racism and hatred, a mixed-race community existed where blacks lived as equal citizens. Schools and churches were completely integrated, blacks and whites married, and power and wealth were shared between the races. Starting in the 1860s, the people of Covert, Michigan, broke laws and barriers to attempt what then seemed impossible: to love ones neighbor as oneself. Far from serving as a beacon, amidst Americas turmoil the story of Covert was forgotten, swept aside by those who found its presence threatening, wiped away by the passage of time. Now, in A STRONGER KINSHIP, Anna-Lisa Cox gives us an astonishing account of the residents of Covert, told through six leading families who lived out this grand experiment in peaceable justice. It presents an America that miraculously once was, and a vision of what our nation might be. Anna-Lisa Coxs amazing history of Covert is a revelation.
Customer Reviews:
Southwest Michigan has even more similar history.......2006-12-27
I want to thank Anna-Lisa for her efforts in researching and writing this book. It brings to light an area of the country that is probably like none other in America's history. I am a product of those people as well, being that my mother is a Pompey and a descendent of those free African Americans who came to Southwest Michigan from North Carolina and Virginia.
I too have been working on a book for many years and hope to have it published one day. It is about Cassopolis, Michigan, only 40 miles from Covert. It was probably even a greater example of a free African American utopia in the 1800's. There were black county commissioners, teachers, wealthy farmers (my great, great, great, great grandfather in 1902 was the largest taxpayer in Calvin Township in Cassopolis, having a net worth of over $50,000 and owning 500 acres... he was a former slave from Nottoway, VA) and business owners.
If anyone is interested in learning more about this area of the country where I was born and raised, I would suggest actually visiting Covert and the Cassopolis area. Covert has an awesome historical museum (albeit small) with great period photos and information.
[...]
Thanks again, Anna-Lisa.
A Stronger Kinship review.......2006-11-04
The book is well researched and well written. I live in Covert (the town depicted in the book) and my husband was raised there. I am involved in the community and have spoken to several of the residents interviewed for the book. They felt it was an accurate depiction of life in
Covert, and my husband's recollections of the stories told to him as a child cofirm this. I met Ms. Anna-Lisa Cox this summer and was impressed with her dedication to telling Covert's story accurately and her continueing interest in the community. I was personally interested to read about an otherwise obscure village that was a beacon of hope to African -Americans looking for a place to be treated with dignity and respect in the 1800 and early 1900s.
An excellent Story.......2006-11-03
Ms. Cox has provided a window though which all of us can view the promise of America and what could have been. It is my hope that this well written and solidly researched "little" book can be widely distributed and read. I would recommend that it be sent to Oprah. Her book club would really have something to talk about.
Dr. James O. Jackson, Principal Emeritus
A Stronger Kinship.......2006-08-23
I was drawn to this book because I was born and raised in the Toledo Ohio area...I was amazed at the history and facts as they were presented by Ms Cox..I had seen her interview on C-Span. I enjoyed the way she tired together the families and the communtiy. She also brought alive the struggles of the era. Like walking form North Carolina to Michigan!! The strength and fortitude of these people; the losses and the rewards for risk...I thought it was an amazing book and a very insightful look at the times
A wonderful book!.......2006-02-25
Defined as "concealment and shelter," Covert, Michigan is an aptly named place. American history lessons taught in the 1960s never mentioned the fact that this town existed as a fully integrated community in the 1860s. Now nearly 150 years later, as we strive for racial equality, it is enlightening to know that it is part of our American heritage.
Anna-Lisa Cox has completed exhaustive research of the people and events that converged in a time that racism was so prevalent, three million Americans went to war to defend their beliefs.
A Stronger Kinship is filled with the names and histories of the people who created this concealed community founded on acceptance. In a time when education was not readily available to many whites in the unsettled frontiers of the Midwest, black and white children learned side-by-side in Covert. Interracial marriages and an equal distribution of wealth and property were normal.
At times it is a struggle to keep track of the names and dates, particularly when more than one person has the same name. Ample footnotes help guide the reader. More than a novel, this book is a historical depiction of important and relevant events.
Armchair Interviews says: Seeming too good to be true, it's hard to believe that such a wonderful legacy has not been widely honored and celebrated by history and all Americans.
Book Description
When the church began, an amazing diversity of people from different geographic, cultural and linguistic backgrounds gathered together to confess a common faith in Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul cast a vision of one body where Jew and Gentile would worship together in unity. The Revelation to John likewise foreshadows an eternal future where all nations will join together at the throne of the Lamb.Sadly, Christianity has not often lived up to this ideal. The history of the church has been marked by continued segregation, ethnic strife and racial division. But at the dawn of a new millennium, hopeful signs of change are emerging. As society diversifies, local churches find themselves interacting with people from every tribe and tongue. But not every church is equipped to handle the realities of ethnic and racial diversity in their congregational life. Sociologist George Yancey's groundbreaking research on multiracial churches offers key principles for church leaders who want to minister to people from a variety of racial and cultural backgrounds. Insights from real-life congregations provide concrete examples of how churches can welcome those who have been marginalized, giving people of all heritages a sense of ownership and partnership in the life of the church.Based on data from a landmark Lilly Endowment study of multiracial churches across America, this volume offers insights and implications for church leadership, worship styles, conflict resolution and much more. Here is an essential resource for pastors and church leaders committed to cultural, ethnic and racial reconciliation in their congregations.
Customer Reviews:
Real World Issues.......2007-06-20
Although almost intuitive, Dr. Yancey's study of multiracial churches confirms the nature of racially (and culturally) inclusive congregations. I have taken his 7 Principles and used a slightly modified version to describe multicultural churches in the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, as well as to set goals for churches aspiring to be be multicultural. Dr. Yancey is also a good presenter. Very practical, very concrete, highly readable.
Book Description
God created us with diverse cultural and individual backgrounds. He intended those differences for our corporate delight and blessing. But too often we let differences separate us from each other.In
One New People Manuel Ortiz persuades us of the benefits in fellowship and outreach that we can experience by crossing racial, ethnic and cultural lines. He urges us not just to put aside our differences but to celebrate them and to embrace them--to
use them in a way that draws us closer to each other and closer to God.To that end, he offers a variety of models for creating and sustaining a multiethnic church. You'll explore new possibilities by reading stories of those who have already reaped the benefits of multiethnic approaches to community and ministry. And you'll sort out which options are best for your situation by working through the questions for thought and discussion that are included throughout the book. Finally, you'll find here ideas and principles to guide you through the process of change and growth: improving communication, managing conflict, encouraging and training new leaders, and much more.Here is inspiration, guidance and time-tested models for broadening the ministry of your church to reflect the power of God not only to overcome our differences, but also to transform them into a source of strength and joy.
Customer Reviews:
Great Place to Start.......2007-08-27
If the demographics of your church do not look anything like the ethnic diversity of your neighborhood, Manuel Ortiz's book is a great place to start your educational research. I found this book especially helpful in describing different church models of approaching multi-ethnic outreach.
Trans-Cultural Principles for Multicultural Ministry.......2007-07-31
Manuel Ortiz has written a very practical "why and how to" book on developing multicultural congregations. He provides transcultural and time-tested models for moving a church (change management) culture from monolithic to multicultural. Though dated (and thus the demographics tend to be outdated), the principles and practices are timeless.
Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction, Soul Physicians, and Spiritual Friends.
A new generation.......2005-06-09
One important goal for people who are ministering among churches should be the developing of a multiethnic Church. In order to understand what is happening in society, we should understand the context in which there is a national trend of immigration. In addition, we have to know more about people who are coming from other countries. Who are they? What kinds of values do they have? The most important question is who is our neighbor because this will allow us to know these people much better. According to Ortiz 32 million people speak a language other than English. He mentions the necessity of thinking more holistically when we are thinking about mission work in the United States. Ortiz considers that the purpose of multiethnic ministry is reconciliation. However Wagner pointed out two more purposes, evangelism and church growth. Perhaps the first one makes more sense. In fact, many churches have becoming multiethnic because of the desire of reconciliation. For example, there is a model whose purpose is a missiological imperative.
This type of church maintains a traditional organization. Another ministry is a multi-congregation. The author refers to this term when he explains how several different groups fellowship in the same building. According to Ortiz, there are many aspects that have to be considered in order to accomplish the goal of a multiethnic-church. Analyzing a church that has successfully collected these aspects we can identify several characteristics: commitment to relationship, intentionally, sincerity, sensitivity,
interdependence, sacrifice, call, and empowerment. Ortiz reflects on the necessity of a leadership in order to build up multiethnic churches. The pastor should be a visionary man with a profound conviction to moving toward establishing a format that would bring diverse people groups together. There are several steps that are necessary to build up a new humanity. For example, declare in written form the biblical position of the church in this matter of unity in diversity, develop a mission statement, develop a philosophy of ministry, involve multiethnic leaders in the process, and the church must be deliberate in determining how to solve conflict. Finally, ministers should evaluate their ministries in order to see the Lord build up a new humanity. The multiethnic global reality inevitably will overtake Christian organizations; thus, ministers should do their homework by reflection, meditation and prayer.
The author's weaknesses.
Ortiz does not discuss how the Church had to handle multiethnicity in the first century. For example, one case is mentioned in Acts 6. The Greek widows were neglected in the daily administration of food. The church had to struggle with different issues because many multiethnic groups belonged to the church.
The author's strengths.
The author provides an excellent panorama of current churches that are already practicing multiethnic churches and ministry in multi congregations.
He describes a holistic approach of ministering for diverse people in order to fulfill the Scriptures.
He encourages leadership how to keep alive this type of ministry in a pluralistic society.
The way that God wants us to be.......2005-06-03
Living in a changing world, in the United States, becoming increasingly more diverse culturally, and ethnically, we need to be prepared as the church body to be on the frontlines of this phenomenon.
In One New People Ortiz reminds us of the diversity that existed in the church of the first century, and Jesus Christ's' purpose to reconcile us in Him. "The Community has a kingdom testimony of people from diverse backgrounds being loved and being accepted and then sharing their possessions for the purpose of advancing God's Kingdom. This testimony is uncommon in a society where racial strife is more evident than brotherly love. While it often leads to evangelism and growth in the church, it also provides for healing in the community" (Ortiz 1996:93)
Ortiz presents in a very practical way throughout the text, examples of various congregations that have taken the steps to change from a homogeneous church to what he describes to be a multicongregational church or a multiethnical church.
A multicongregational church is a church that houses various ethnic groups from the community in one building with different meeting times during the week. A Multiethnic church is a church that includes culturally diverse people who meet together as one congregation, utilizing one language, usually English." He presents the case of the International Bible Church, located in Los Angeles and is composed of "Anglos, American Indians, Asian Indians, Blacks, Chinese, Guatemalans, Filipinos, Koreans, Mexicans, Salvadorians, Russians, Taiwanese, Thais, and Ukrainians." The purpose of this church is to glorify God (Eph 1:5-6, 12,14). The key of this ministry is to focus on Jesus Christ who makes us one and not in our differences.
Ortiz encourages us to take serious the plan of God of reconciling people. "This new pattern can be summarized in terms of process, change, evaluation and the body of Christ." (Ortiz 1996:140). He uses as a model 1 Corinthians 2:1-12 and mentions some principles that will help us in the cross cultural process of change: Humility, Centrality of Christ, Honesty, Dependence on God, Confidence in God.
"I believe that we limit the greatness of our Lord when we know God only as a local God who speaks our language and understands our condition alone. The multiethnic church provides us with a more comprehensive understanding of the Scriptures. It takes away our haughtiness-our belief that we are more important and more knowledgeable than anyone else. It teaches us to learn the world in more depth because the insight of others helps us to see things that our blinders shut out before. It tells us that we need each other (1 Cor 12:12-27) and another part cannot tell another, I have no need of you." (Ortiz 1996:12)
We can learn about some steps and models from a Biblical perspective towards a reconciled Church the way Christ intended it to be.
What a Wonderful World This Would Be..........2005-05-25
Manuel Ortiz's, One New People: Models for Developing a Multiethnic Church, is a well-timed book for a day of great segregation in our churches. The segregation problem in our churches mirrors quite directly the continued segregation of races, social classes and any other means by which people differentiate themselves found in out society. Sadly, we follow in the footsteps of a fallen people as opposed to leading the way and standing out in holiness as Christ intended his people to do. Yet, despite the state of our society and our churches within them Ortiz offers hope and looks positively into a future where these distinguishing factors are replaced by a view of people in and out of the church that sees them as a new nation, a Christian nation. Several of the principles and specific examples he provide model convincingly the potential of intentionally setting out on a quest of reconciliation, not only unto God but in practice now as we seek to break down the walls built around the many elements that hinder us from seeing the inner self and intentions of God's diverse people.
The strength of Ortiz's book lay in his use of church models seen in specific churches throughout the United States. They are helpful in seeing the pros and cons of both multiethnic churches and multi-congregational models, a distinction he clearly analyzes. If there is a downside to the book it is not contextually rather, in the organization and often-random points inserted and left unexplained. Sadly, these points nail an idea on the head but don't fully nail it down for the reader. This can be frustrating. In the end, he leaves the reader excited and more fully ready for the task of multiethnic or congregational models of church. However, it is only excitement and leaves some room for further study and compilation of a more resourceful implementation of his concepts. That would be to answer the question, of what this looks like and how, practically speaking, do you do it?
Anyone interested in pursuing integration, or as many are calling it reconciliation over ethnic lines, this is a must read. It is extremely insightful and opens up a challenging world of great hope and opportunity. It provides a very realistic understanding of what multiethnic ministry could be. From this book, the reader will easily be able to know whether or not a ministry such as these is something they wish to pursue more seriously. However, a word of caution, those not really wanting to be convinced of this great form of ministry ought not read Ortiz's book. Otherwise, you may find yourself caught up in the beautiful possibilities of a diverse world more perfectly in the image of God.
Amazon.com
Written by a pair of social scientists--Stephan Thernstrom is a professor of history at Harvard; his wife, Abigail, is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute--America in Black and White is a comprehensive look at how much life has changed (and remained the same) for black Americans. The authors conclude that, while much remains to be done, life has gotten measurably better for blacks since the civil rights movement. For example, only a quarter of black families live below the poverty line, as compared with more than three-quarters of black families in 1940; similarly, where 60 percent of working black women were domestics in 1940, today a majority are white-collar workers. In what will likely prove to be the most controversial of their conclusions, the authors argue that, while many problems remain, traditional civil rights remedies, such as affirmative action and racial preferences, will not solve those problems.
Book Description
In a book destined to become a classic, Stephan and Abigail Thernstrom present important new information about the positive changes that have been achieved and the measurable improvement in the lives of the majority of African-Americans. Supporting their conclusions with statistics on education, earnings, and housing, they argue that the perception of serious racial divisions in this country is outdated -- and dangerous.
Customer Reviews:
The Most Comprehensive Study of U.S. Race Relations.......2007-07-14
It's clear the Thernstroms set out to create a definitive work. Despite the claim that Americans struggle with discussions about race, they argue the opposite is true and it seems we can't stop talking about it. Race is the focus of our media, entertainment, political discussions, economic policy, education policy, etc. What they believe is missing is the `lack of analytical rigor' applied towards these issues. They believe the discussion has gotten muddled with dogma, clever rhetoric, and unproven assumptions, which has led to tremendous confusion and frustration. Exceptionally well researched and written with `analytical rigor', passion and sensitivity, the Thernstroms have produced a work that has cleared the fog on many racial issues ranging from housing, civil rights legislation, education, job discrimination, voting, crime, the black middle class, etc. This work is also highly qualified to stand the test of time.
Some may be put off by the authors right of center analysis. They question the merits of affirmative action, proportional representation, and the degree to which racism continues to hinder blacks. This work is less incendiary than Dinesh D'Souza's `The End of Racism' (which is still very good), however, this work is highly concentrated with statistics and hard data that are difficult to dismiss. They dispel many ideological shibboleths, which can be painful, but is also very encouraging. America has gone through extraordinary steps to move beyond the sins of its past. There is little doubt that the Thernstroms have a sincere interest in helping America move towards becoming a genuinely color-blind nation.
Good but not as good as "No Excuses".......2005-06-04
Because I had enjoyed "No Excuses: Closing the Racial Gap in Learning" I read the Thernstrom's previous book. "America in Black and White" provides a well-researched historical, contemporary, albeit conservative perspective on black-white race relations in America. In "No Excuses" they held back their strong opinions at least while presenting the information. However, in this one I thought that the Thernstroms allowed their opinions to interfere with the presentation of the prodigious factual information at their disposal. However, I still recommend the book because the data presented is worth having.
Slightly to the right of center look at race relations.......2003-12-09
Stephan and Abigail Thernstrom's "America in Black and White: One Nation, Indivisible" charts a different course from many of the scholarly books written about racial relations in the United States today. The authors agree that the civil rights movements of the 1950s and 1960s was a resounding success, opening many doors to African-Americans as a result of the systematic dismantling of Jim Crow laws in the South. This book is necessary, claim the authors, because the ideas that originally drove the civil rights movement have since drifted into dangerous terrain. According to this book, Martin Luther King's message of one nation where all people will be judged by their individual merits and not skin color has become a land where blacks and whites are once again moving into separate camps based on race. The introduction of affirmative action programs and other racial social policies does not solve divisive problems but instead creates new racial barriers. Moreover, media and civil rights proponents today discuss black problems as though that segment of the population has made little progress. The authors insist that there are still nagging difficulties to overcome, but that a "lack of analytic rigor" leads to false perceptions about how far blacks have actually risen in society. Therefore, the authors rely heavily on statistical tables, charts, and polls to prove their arguments.
The first section of "America in Black and White" outlines the history of the odious conditions blacks faced in the American South and the resulting rise of the civil rights movement. The Thernstroms describe southern society in all of its squalor: the crushing poverty faced by both whites and blacks, the lackluster drive towards industrialization that kept many members of the population toiling in fields and small towns, pathetic levels of state spending on education for blacks, and the biases of the criminal justice system. Relying heavily on Gunnar Myrdal's groundbreaking study of race in America, the authors correctly detail the host of social structures aligned against the African-American population. For example, blacks rarely received decent treatment in the legal system because police departments run by whites often failed to protect the black citizenry from criminals. Moreover, the legal system in the South considered crimes committed against blacks secondary to outrages perpetrated against white members of society. Subsequent sections of the book take an in depth look at black progress in various social arenas from the 1970s onward, arenas such as education, politics, law, crime, and many others.
The absence of job opportunities, poor education, lack of protections in the courts, and segregation policies in the South led African-Americans to increasingly move north. The first migration came during World War I. A second, even larger migration occurred in the 1940s and 1950s. Blacks in the North did not have to deal with segregation, but did experience racism in housing and certain sectors of the job market. Better conditions in the northern states led to an increasing drive for an end to Jim Crow in the South. The authors argue that federal legislation destroying segregation in the 1960s also contained the seeds of future divisions. The Thernstroms see a sinister change of direction with the release of Daniel Patrick Moynihan's report on the black family in 1965. Moynihan's remedy for the problems faced by black citizens, echoed by Lyndon Johnson in a speech at Howard University the same year, moved beyond providing for equal opportunity to call for "equal results" as well. This argument indirectly endorsed the idea of affirmative action and social entitlement programs based specifically on race. For the authors, the problems inherent in this approach are clear: to formulate policy giving special treatment to one race is just as racist as passing laws subjugating specific races.
Perhaps the most interesting section of "America in Black and White," and probably the most controversial, concerns the authors' claims that African-American social advancement was greatest immediately before the rise of the civil rights movement. During the 1940s and 1950s, the authors write, blacks surged forward in nearly all areas of American society. This growth was far from perfect, but in the arenas of education, economics, politics, and sports blacks saw remarkable gains. Almost half of the African-Americans who lived in poverty moved out of that classification during this period. Education levels for blacks, while lagging behind whites, still grew significantly compared to earlier eras in American history. This period also saw the integration of professional baseball and basketball, opening up an entirely new aspect of society to black advancement. African-Americans showed signs of vigor at the polls, as a court case outlawing white southern primaries and greater movement to the North allowed more blacks to vote than ever before. Obviously, there were still many problems to overcome: black wages still lagged behind white levels, education was still a problem, and the South still practiced vigorous discrimination against its black population. But African-Americans did make progress, and this chapter effectively illustrates that modern day claims about the complete lack of black improvement before the civil rights movements of the 1960s are patently false.
The greatest problem with this analysis of black gains during the 1940s and 1950s is that it undercuts the need and influence of activism as a force for change. If African-Americans were achieving so much, why did the civil rights movement appear on the scene? It may well be a case of a segment of the population finding some success and quickly wanting more, thereby accelerating the growth and scope of that change. But the Thernstroms spend more time discussing the overarching factors-political, economic, and social-that contributed to two decades of growth instead of focusing on what everyday people were doing on a local level to bring about advancement. Following this argument to its logical conclusion makes a reader suspect that twenty years of gradual progress would have toppled Jim Crow laws without the assistance of any sort of social activism.
The moralists of the Right.......2003-09-09
This book renders a thoughtful and persuasive treatment of the facts of racial divisions in the United States. The problems encountered by the Thernstroms in propounding on this subject can be summed up in what one anti-reveiwer on this page has written in order to smear another reveiwer with whose opinion he apparently disagrees. To wit, the anti-reveiwer does nothing more than cite a case brought by the CFTC against the son of the targeted reveiwer whom he's attempting to marginalize, much as those who don't agree with the Thernstroms' attempt to marginalize them; and with the same type of faulty facts and sloppy research, just as in the instant case I cite.
It's unfortunate that the debate of such momentous and substantive issues, such as the racial problems addressed by the Thernstroms, cannot take place in more temperate tones. It would also be more helpful if reveiwers would focus on and respond to the facts presented in this book, on the merits, rather than opposing them because they affront the complainants belief system.
This book reflects some sobering and instructive work. Let's hope the more emotionally balanced among us can use it to further the goal of racial harmony rather than to continue being divisive.
A Comprehensive Analysis of American Race Relations..........2003-07-25
Stephan and Abigail Thernstrom's book is the most comprehensive survey of American race relations that I have ever read. The authors present important new information about the positive changes and improvements in the lives of African-Americans as a whole. They go on to argue, with tons of statistics to back them up, that the perception of serious racial divisions in our country are outdated, exaggerated, and dangerous. The reason for this, they show, is political: "it nurtures the mix of black anger and white shame and guilt that sustains the race-based social policies implemented since the late 1960s." Proponents of this status quo are afraid that calling attention, for example, to the rapidly-growing black middle class, "... would invite public complacency and undercut support for the affirmative action regime."
I was especially enthralled by the authors' analysis of the "War on Poverty" programs of the 1960's, particularly the expansion of welfare, and their horrifically negative effects on generations of black families since. Not only did the "War on Poverty" make things worse for the poor, but the expansion of welfare to include unwed women and children fostered a lifestyle of dependency and irresponsible behavior, and precipitated the downward trend in two-parent black families, that has left three generations of black Americans in dire straits ever since.
Liberals, especially black liberals, are terrified of books like this, and rightfully so. This book undercuts the blacks-as-perennial-victims/American-society-as-forever-racist rhetoric that keeps the Jesse Jacksons and Al Sharptons, with support from the liberal media, in business. Along with the works of John McWhorter, Shelby Steele and Thomas Sowell, this books serves as a much-needed wake-up call on the issue of race; a cold dose of reality that no doubt makes most liberals cringe.
Book Description
Minority underperformance is an unfortunate reality of American society, as indicated by various statistical and social indicators. However, when it comes to discussing the problem, we have no common vocabulary, and the explanation often turns to racism and discrimination. In this insightful and provocative essay, former Colorado governor Richard Lamm examines the reality of minority underperformance as an issue having its roots in the communities and mores where the problem is most prevalent. In the process, he discusses the dangers of too much diversity in a democracy and examines the social, economic, and demographic ramifications of the issue on our society.
Customer Reviews:
Right on Target.......2006-08-12
Former Governor of Colorado, Richard Lamm confirms in "Two Wands, One Nation," what most journalists, educators and politicians are afraid to convey about a nation in crisis. This great writing should be read by every American citizen, for they have every right to be concerned about culture, education and the impact of a "do nothing" government in denial of this nation's problems concerning race and community. This is interesting, provocative reading. Lamm is refreshingly honest, blunt and captures the problem with clarity and scholarly perception. It's obvious we cannot continue to rely on our dysunctional politicians and educators to resolve this severe crisis. Another good read co-authored by Richard Lamm is "The Immigration Time Bomb," written years ago and his predictions were right on target and still apply today.
Book Description
Drawn from intimate interviews with 14 modern-day "steel rail nomads," ONE MORE TRAIN TO RIDE provides a revealing picture of today's American hobo. Interspersed with their stories are original poems and songs echoing the ancient lyricism and loneliness of life on the road. Their connections with the past make the experiences of these hoboes even more striking, as they ride freight trains and jungle up in hobo camps, light years away from the 21st-century cyberworld--yet touching the very core of American freedom and individualism.
Cliff Williams skillfully elicits details of family background, motives, and clear insights into the daily life and philosophy of the modern hobo. With its evocative link to the past, ONE MORE TRAIN TO RIDE continues a long tradition of books on hobo oral history, including Nels Anderson's THE HOBO (1923) and Thomas Minehan's BOY AND GIRL TRAMPS OF AMERICA (1934).
Customer Reviews:
An absolute gem.......2004-02-13
For anyone interested in this fascinating area of Americana, Cliff "Oats" Williams book is a must-read. The testimonials of real-life hoboes and train-tramps are poignant and illuminating. "Oats" is an insider to this engaging subculture -- and an insider with a finely-tuned ear and well-earned sensitivity. It is the best compilation of its sort currently in print.
Book Description
This groundbreaking work weaves together the personal and professional perspectives of racially diverse Christian leaders as they confront this emotionally charged issue. This pioneering multidisciplinary Christian handbook serves a twofold purpose: (1) to affirm healthy interracial dating, mating, and parenting for family members, and (2) to create a reference textbook to equip professionals with biblical insights and practical tools for ministering to multiracial families.
Customer Reviews:
Personal and Professional.......2007-07-31
"Just Don't Marry One" is a courageous book. It combines professional insight with personal testimony to affirm interracial relationships and to create a reference work to equip professionals. It can serve as a primer for couples and for pastors, counselors, and spiritual friends.
Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction, Soul Physicians, Spiritual Friends.
OK Book.......2005-10-13
Very good book for interracial dating advice by the way if your looking for an interracial relationship your may want to try Matchinterracial or some of the other sites that cater to interracial dating
Not a full account.......2004-04-26
This book is not a full account of inter-racial love. Rather this book is only for white women who love black men, which makes it a very slanted account. Probably it is a good resource for this specific circumstance. Unfortunately this book does not examine all the white men who date black women or Mexican women. In these circumstances the children are not as affected by stigma and do not have the same issues of children of white women and black men. Thus this book didn't help answer my questions and probably wont help any men with their issues surrounding inter-racial dating.
Seth J. Frantzman
Helpful.......2003-09-11
This is a very helpful book for anyone involved in or considering interracial dating from a Christian perspective. There are several essays from different points of view.
Who read my mail?.......2003-03-30
This should be a required read for counselors, pastors, and persons considering interracial marriage, as well as their families. It will serve to explode myths, help both biological and adoptive parents, and heal racial divisions.
I liked this book because reading it was like seeing my life on paper. Although having your "mail read" can be an uncomfortable experience--the book raised issues I'd rather forget, or not deal with at all--the confrontation was necessary. Never have I had my frustrations more clearly articulated, my wounds so carefully bound, or my prejudices so carefully confronted and corrected. I laughed out loud while being given excellent advice on how to respond to the curious, and I wept with a Native American brother as his layers of anger were peeled away...I appreciated the authors just calling prejudice what it is so that we all can DEAL with it, and move on to live more meaningful lives.
I have "my" copy and my "loan" copy because this book will serve as an important resource to help me answer my children's questions as well as the questions of those in our circle of influence. I consider it to be one of the most useful additions to my personal library.
Average customer rating:
- Loved it!
- another drunkin breed
- Wonderful, Wonderful, Wonderful!
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Funny, You Don't Look Like One (Revised Edition)
Drew Hayden Taylor
Manufacturer: Theytus Books
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Me Funny
ASIN: 0919441084 |
Customer Reviews:
Loved it!.......2000-08-31
This book was great! Loved it. It was witty and full of humor laced with truth. I can't wait for the second volume.
another drunkin breed.......2000-05-21
This in no way represents the true life of anyone but another lost breed cashing in on his C-31 mom he grew up in toronto and occasionally came to CURVE LAKE
HEY DREW have another glass of stereotype pal
Wonderful, Wonderful, Wonderful!.......1999-02-22
This book was so interesting and funny, I didn't even stop at the typo! I just 'flew' over it! Give me 10 stars please. Or just 'give' me the missing star of Heather Zenone and make it an 11. I enjoyed this book from the beginning to the end. And wanted some more. I'll tell the whole world to buy this book, so he HAS to write some more!!
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- Politics Lost: How American Democracy Was Trivialized By People Who Think You're Stupid
- Pontius Pilate: A Novel
- Radical Forgiveness, Making Room for the Miracle, 2nd Edition
- Richard Nixon and the Quest for a New Majority
- RN: The Memoirs of Richard Nixon
- Road to the Code: A Phonological Awareness Program for Young Children
- Rpg IV by Example
- Serenity - The Future is Worth Fighting For (Pocket Star Books Media Tie-In)
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