"Wake Up, Mr. West": Kanye West and the Double Consciousness of Black Celebrity

Black celebrities in America have always walked a precarious line between their perceived status as spokespersons for their race and their own individual success­­--and between being "not black enough" for the black community or "too black" to appeal to a broader audience.

Few know this tightrope walk better than Kanye West, who transformed hip-hop, pop and gospel music, redefined fashion, married the world's biggest reality TV star and ran for president, all while becoming one of only a h...