Black and Right [Hardcover]

Stan Faryna (Editor), Brad Stetson (Editor), Joseph G. Conti (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0275953424 | ISBN-13: 978-0275953423 | Publication Date: April 30, 1997 | Edition: Ex-library

Black conservatism is no oxymoron. Recent polls have indicated that an increasing number of black Americans identified themselves as conservatives, favoring smaller government, lower taxes, tougher crime laws, welfare reform, and personal initiative. While applauding the moral and legal victories of the Civil Rights Movement, the conservative spokespeople in this dynamic new collection reject the claims of inequities and what they consider to be the self-serving agenda of the present civil rights establishment. National leaders such as Justice Clarence Thomas and former Representative Gary Franks and writers such as Shelby Steele and Glenn Loury appear either as contributors or as subjects in this volume. They emphasize the grassroots aspects of black conservatism with a reliance on common sense and common humanity. The strength of the black conservative voice lies in the growth of its numbers and social influence. As more African-Americans shift to the right and embrace conservative ideology, they are signalling what may be one of the most politically significant trends in American public life as the 20th century draws to a close. This provocative collection of essays shatters the myth that black Americans are uniformly left of center and that conservatism is an ideology with a white face. Unique in its personal and political portrait of black conservatives in America, this book shows the remarkable diversity of ideas from one of the most talked-about political movements to emerge in recent years.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“This useful collection contains 25 short pieces by 26 conservative African Americans, including Justice Clarence Thomas, Shelby Steele, and Gary Franks. The contributors include journalists and writers, lawyers, economists, a community organizer, philosophers, a social worker, a teacher, and others.... A major focus is the political centrality of individualism. The pieces are clearly written and maintain a tone that is reasoned and positive.... Highly recommmended for public, college, and university libraries.”–Choice

“The essays in Black and Right contain a power and depth which, frankly, are sometimes missing in the writings of white conservatives....Brimming with uncommon common sense, piercing insight, and hard-won experience, Black and Right is a testament, a testimony, and a road map.”–New Oxford Review

“If one deliberately set out to sabotage black socio-economic progress, he could not have found a more effective means than many of the government policies started in the sixties and seventies. [This book] is a long overdue antidote to the harmful conventional wisdom that formed the justification for those policies.”–Walter E. Williams John M. Olin Distinguished Professor of Economics George Mason University author of The State Against Blacks and Do The Right Thing

“'Speaking as a black male....' 'Speaking as an African-American woman....' No, no, say the authors in this book. Speak as yourself and for yourself. Race conditions but it does not define. Here are bold, indeed daring, voices that compel us to clear our minds of racial cant and join, black and white together, in a renascence of personal responsibility for what we think and who we are.”– Richard John Neuhaus Editor in Chief of First Things

“The old racism said that all blacks look alike. The new racism says all blacks are supposed to think alike. The first myth was dealt with in the civil rights movement. The second is exploded by this marvelous book which allows other voices to be heard; voices that are too often censored by the Black Establishment.”– Cal Thomas nationally syndicated columnist

“[This book] is a valuable compendium of essays by articulate black conservatives, not all of whom are household names. These writers forcefully embrace the central value of the culture, which is individual responsibility.”– Lawrence M. Mead Professor of Politics New York University author of Beyond Entitlement and The New Politics of Poverty

“Sometime in the next few years, black America will shift sharply to the right and politics will be rocked to its foundations. For an early tremor of the coming earthquake, read Black and Right: The Bold New Voice of Black Conservatives in America.”– Adam Meyerson Editor, Policy Review: The Journal of American Citizenship

“This is a monumentally important book, edited and written by brave, knowledgeable people, black and white. They know, as all of us who have followed the pace of history do, that patronizing blacks with entitlements, welfare and victimhood status will not only place the various governments in deeper debt, but will further enslave black people....”– Rev. John H. Miller C. S. C., Editor, Social Justice Review

About the Author

STAN FARYNA is Director of Research of the New Coalition for Economic and Social Change, a Chicago-based think tank, and a research associate of The David Institute, a social research group in California.

BRAD STETSON is Director of Studies at The David Institute and lecturer in Religious Studies at California State University, Long Beach.

JOSEPH G. CONTI is a Research Associate at The David Institute and a Lecturer in philosophy at Kansas Community College.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 216 pages
• Publisher: Praeger Trade; Ex-library edition (April 30, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0275953424
• ISBN-13: 978-0275953423
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,295,214 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Right Book at the Right Time!, July 6, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Black and Right (Hardcover)

As I once heard Jesse Jackson say, "The rising tide lifts all theboats." I see Stan Faryna in the role that Walter Mosely played in the case of Paul Coates and Black Classic Press. Few people outside of a small circle of blacks knew anything about Paul Coates and Black Classic Press... Coates' book towed other black books out of the back waters and into the main headwaters. I suspect that "Black and Right" will do this too.

This is an important book showcasing some of the new voices from the black right. It is so important, "Dunbar on Black Books" is giving this book a great deal of attention. We published an interview with Stan Faryna in the May issue of "Dunbar On Black Books." We also plan to have annotations of selected chapters of this courageous new book in four or more forthcoming issues.

This kind of attention to a single book is unprecendented in our pages. Since the first issue of "Dunbar On Black Books," we have cited some 428 books, but we have not given such attention to any other book. That is how important "Black And Right" is, and at a time when Americans may be ready to seriously discuss race relations!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Every Black Person Should Have This Book!, January 20, 2004

By 

D. A. Martin "Avid Reader" (Morocco) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Black and Right (Hardcover)

This is an excellent collection of essays from black conservative scholars, activists, public servants, writers and students who refuse to be sucked into modern-day black groupthink. Upon reading this book I felt encouraged and invigorated in my own newfound conservative beliefs as a black man in America. What is particularly refreshing about this book is its non-conformist tone: the essayists are strong-willed people who do not need the "acceptance" of their liberal black peers - or the black community as a whole for that matter! - and who are not afraid to openly challenge today's black so-called "leadership." Furthermore, they have logic, objectivity, erudtion and empirical facts on their side, something most black liberals are sorely lacking.

This is a great piece of work, and I highly recommend it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Better than home-made sweet potato pie!, May 9, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Black and Right (Hardcover)

Better than home-made sweet potato pie is a book that you're proud to own and glad you read. Black and Right is that kind of book.

A book about the real issues important to our progress has been wanted for a long time. I'm impressed by the talent in Black and Right.

I enjoyed Justice Clarence Thomas' essay, "No Room at the Inn." The interview with Ezola Foster was fascinating. She is a wise woman.

The other essays were also of high quality. Thank you all for this special gift, and congratulations!