Books reviews, current events, and other musings

During my vacation last week, I completed Studs Terkel's Race: How Blacks and Whites Think and Feel About the American Obsession. After being underwhelmed with Walt Harrington's Crossings: A White Man's Journey into Black America, I was curious how a master oral historian like Terkel handled the subject.

In Race, many people, most living in Chicago, presented their views on race relations and attitudes. Terkel spoke with individuals with a variety of races, genders, and economic classes, though they tended to have more liberal political views more often than not. The wide selection of differing viewpoints provides a nuanced perspective on racial issues. Most of the book consists of first-hand accounts, with Terkel just adding some brief introductions.

One fundamental concern, raised by most of the speakers one way or another, was money. Poverty, welfare, affirmative action, housing prices, and other economic issues provoked the most racial tensions. People mentioned interracial dating and other interactions, but less often than financial concerns. Many were concerned about drugs and street crime, which are obviously closely related to the existence of an underclass with a limited economic future.

Overall, it's an excellent book for anyone interested in race relations in America.