Description
Book SynopsisMichael L. Ondaatje examines the ideas and arguments of prominent black conservative thinkers during the past three decades, charting the evolution of black conservative thought in relation to key debates on affirmative action, welfare, and education.
Trade Review"A splendid narrative of the rise of black conservative intellectuals who emerged into the public sphere with the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980. . . . A first-rate, evenhanded account of black conservatism that will likely be a pivotal work on the topic for years to come." *
Journal of American History *
"Thoughtful, well written. . . . Ondaatje has written a useful assessment of the late twentieth century iteration of an important but understudied historical and contemporary intellectual tradition." *
Rhetoric and Public Affairs *
"Michael Ondaatje has taken on a subject that few have written about so thoroughly and extensively, and his book makes a notable contribution to modern American intellectual history and race relations. He probes deeply into the thought of black conservative intellectuals, exploring their positions on such key racial issues as affirmative action, welfare policy, and public education. Applying rigorous critical analysis, he also documents their logical failures, intellectual inconsistencies, and suspect arguments." * Raymond A. Mohl, coeditor of
The New African American Urban History *
"A well-written and important piece of scholarship that aids considerably in historical understanding of black conservatism in particular and modern American conservatism in general." * Edward J. Blum, author of
W. E. B. Du Bois, American Prophet *
Table of ContentsIntroduction
Chapter One: Profiles of an Intellectual Vanguard
Chapter Two: Affirmative Action Dilemmas
Chapter Three: Partisans of the Poor?
Chapter Four: Visions of School Reform
Conclusion
Notes
Index
Acknowledgments
