Pick of the Day: “The Price of the Ticket: Barack Obama and the Rise and Decline of Black Politics” by Fredrick Harris

Political Scientist Fredrick Harris’ new book focuses on a strangely underexplored aspect of Barack Obama: the impact of his presidency on African American politics.  According to Harris, the Obama presidency has accelerated a shift away from politics that seek to directly challenge racial inequality.  To make this argument, the book includes a broad narrative of African American electoral efforts since the civil rights movement. Writing in The Washington Post, Harris contrasts the civil rights rhetoric Obama used while seeking African American votes during the primaries with his record in office:  “Obama has pursued a racially defused electoral and governing strategy, keeping issues of specific interest to African Americans — such as disparities in the criminal justice system; the disproportionate impact of the foreclosure crisis on communities of color; black unemployment; and the persistence of HIV/AIDS — off the national agenda. ” Obama has followed a cautious agenda typical of “race neutral” African American politicians. Meanwhile, Blacks have been complicit in this shift, with the symbolic pride of an African American in the White House  being exchanged for more profound political progress. In The Daily Beast, Mansfield Frazier states: “This forthright book has a purpose: to put Obama on notice that he has a debt to pay, and that his black constituency deserves and expects payment-in-full during his second term. Fair is fair.”

Posted by Left Eye On Books on Jul 19 2012. Filed under News Blog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry