Customer Reviews

Black Aged: Understanding Diversity and Service Needs (SAGE Focus Editions)

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Too often, books on minorities can only validate their existence by stating that minorities face disproportionate problems compared to the majority group. This book avoids that approach. It begins with the premise that the Black elderly are diverse without having to compare them to their white counterparts. It asks how do men differ from women, the newly elderly differ from the very elderly, those with little education compared to those with degrees, married elderly compared to the single or divorced. I enjoyed this fresh premise. Unfortunately, it doesn't always live up to it. Also some articles are tediously academic and for policy wonks only.

This is the first anthology I have seen, besides Maria P.P. Root's books, that showed photographs of the authors. I think the point was to show that Blacks and whites, males and females contributed to this book. Also, please note that most of the contributors looked above the age of 40 and some above the age of 60.

Yes, it is a bit dated. It was published when Bush Sr. was in office. This is before the potential bankruptcy of Social Security became a national topic. The baby boomers were in that "Big Chill" phase, now they are two seconds away from being seniors. Also, I thought this would give me good idea for assisting my elderly, black parents, but this is much more of an academic, not a practical discussion.