Conversations in Black: On Power, Politics, and Leadership

by Ed Gordon

Overview

An award-winning journalist envisions the future of leadership, excellence, and prosperity in Black America with this "urgent and pathbreaking" work (Marc Lamont Hill).

Hard-hitting, thought-provoking, and inspiring, Conversations in Black offers sage wisdom for navigating race in a radically divisive America, and, with help from his mighty team of black intelligentsia, veteran journalist Ed Gordon creates hope and a timeless new narrative on what the future of black leadership should look like and how we can get there.

In Conversations in Black, Gordon brings together some of the most prominent voices in black America today, including Stacey Abrams, Harry Belafonte, Charlamagne tha God, Michael Eric Dyson, Alicia Garza, Jemele Hill, Iyanla VanZant, Eric Holder, Killer Mike, Angela Rye, Al Sharpton, T.I., Maxine Waters, and so many more to answer questions about vital topics affecting our nation today, such as:

• Will the black vote control the 2020 election?
• Do black lives really matter?
• After the Obama presidency, are black people better off?
• Are stereotypical images of people of color changing in Hollywood?
• How is "Black Girl Magic" changing the face of black America?

Bombarded with media, music, and social media messages that enforce stereotypes of people of color, Gordon sets out to dispel what black power and black excellence really look like today and offers a way forward in a new age of black prosperity and pride.
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316532860
Publisher:	Grand Central Publishing
Publication date:	01/14/2020
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	1,163,816
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Ed Gordon is a widely respected, award-winning journalist. Over the course of his stellar career he's worked at various television networks including BET, NBC, MSNBC, and CBS where he hosted and contributed to programs including: Conversationwith Ed Gordon, BET Tonight, BET News, 60Minutes II, NBC's Today Show, and Dateline. He is also a former host of Our World withBlack Enterprise, NPR's New and Notes.

Table of Contents

Author's Note vii

Introduction xi

1 What's Going On? 1

The State of Black America

2 Obama 15

A Reflection

3 Trump 35

Make America Hate Again

4 Stay Woke … and Stay Active 51

The New Black Voting Muscle

5 It's the General's War … but the Soldier's Blood 69

The Changing Face of Black Leadership

6 "Some Things Make Change … Other Things Just Make Noise." 95

Activism Today

7 Stand Up, Black Men, Stand Up! 125

Black Men Struggling in America-and How to Help Them

8 Black Girl Magic 141

Empowering Black Women Today

9 "A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste" 153

Correcting Our Miseducation

10 "Mo' Money, Mo' Problems?" 175

The Economics of Being Black and Buying Black

11 The Madea Dilemma 201

Black Representation in Entertainment and the Media

12 Am I Black Enough for Ya? 223

Defining Blackness

13 Conclusion: The New Narrative 237

Acknowledgments 243

About the Author 245

About the Contributors 249

Editorial Reviews

2019-12-23
A chorus of frank opinions personalize race and racism "across black America."

Since the project began in 2012, the year Trayvon Martin was killed, acclaimed journalist Gordon has been assembling virtual conversations with black influencers on the condition of—and the issues facing—the nation's black population. In each Q&A, the respondent, reflective of their unique communities, reacts to and answers queries about such topics as intracommunity violence, educational advancement, and how proactive attitudes and active engagement can bring about positive societal changes. The state of progress in black America is well articulated through the sentiments of activists and educators like Ericka Huggins, who insists the climate could shift if the "institutions and structures" changed in a nonmonolithic way, including within economic and political arenas. In one panel, which includes notable political figures and social activists like Stacey Abrams and Michael Steele, the contributors discuss the downslide of black equality amid a "drastically changed political landscape" of the Trump era and compare current conditions with that of the Obama administration, which had its own mixture of accomplishments and shortcomings. The narrative also looks at black leadership and how its efficacy can be evaluated and encouraged through outlets like social media and community outreach. Gordon wisely includes a diverse array of panelists within each discussion. These include comedians, TV producers, ministers, rappers, and academics as well as Harry Belafonte and 15-term congresswoman Maxine Waters. Their informed discussions offer both invaluable perspectives and solid motivation to counter the waves of racial injustice. Closing each chapter is a section of pertinent questions meant to inspire dialogue and create change on any level. Though the conversations are vibrant and empowering, the collective impression from the participants distressingly points to the fact that "the playing field for most Africans has not changed." Other notable contributors include Jemele Hill, DeRay Mckesson, Michael Eric Dyson, Van Jones, Eric Holder, and Iyanla Vanzant.

Refreshing, illuminating contributions sure to spark lively and hopefully constructive discussion and debate.

Kirkus Reviews

Essence, "6 Books that Celebrate Being Black and Proud"
Good Housekeeping, "20 Best Books About Antiracism"
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "15 Books to Read About Race"
TIME, "Books about Race and Antiracism"

"Ed Gordon is one the most important journalists in American history. In this powerful book, Gordon showcases his unparalleled ability to pull the freshest insights from the most unique and important voices in Black America. The conversations in this book offer the type of critical analysis, fresh insight, and unshakable hope necessary to move Black America into new levels of freedom and prosperity. Conversations in Black is urgent and pathbreaking text."—Marc Lamont Hill

"[This book] gathers a dream team of Black leaders, influencers and celebs...Together they have a series of honest, compelling conversations about the State of Black America."—BET.com

"Vibrant and empowering... refreshing, illuminating contributions sure to spark lively and constructive discussion and debate."—Kirkus

"A comprehensive and unvarnished look at the state of Black America... [this book] will almost certainly serve as one of the most important works of his career."—Rolling Out

From the Publisher