Faces At The Bottom Of The Well: The Permanence Of Racism [Paperback]

Derrick Bell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 6, 1993

The noted civil rights activist uses allegory and historical example to present a radical vision of the persistence of racism in America. These essays shed light on some of the most perplexing and vexing issues of our day: affirmative action, the disparity between civil rights law and reality, the “racist outbursts” of some black leaders, the temptation toward violent retaliation, and much more.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In nine grim metaphorical sketches, Bell, the black former Harvard law professor who made headlines recently for his one-man protest against the school's hiring policies, hammers home his controversial theme that white racism is a permanent, indestructible component of our society. Bell's fantasies are often dire and apocalyptic: a new Atlantis rises from the ocean depths, sparking a mass emigration of blacks; white resistance to affirmative action softens following an explosion that kills Harvard's president and all of the school's black professors; intergalactic space invaders promise the U.S. President that they will clean up the environment and deliver tons of gold, but in exchange, the bartering aliens take all African Americans back to their planet. Other pieces deal with black-white romance, a taxi ride through Harlem and job discrimination. Civil rights lawyer Geneva Crenshaw, the heroine of Bell's And We Are Not Saved (1987), is back in some of these ominous allegories, which speak from the depths of anger and despair. Bell now teaches at New York University Law School.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Bell, in the news because he is on leave from Harvard Law School to protest its never having hired a tenured black woman, has written a provocative and creative book that nicely follows his And We Are Not Saved ( LJ 8/87). His "interweaving of fact and fiction" and an "unorthodox form" make for stimulating reading and clarify for white readers the obstacles continually faced by black Americans and the miseries they endlessly endure. No other book features, as does this one, a Racial Preference Licensing Act, Racial Data Storms, Afroatlantica Emigration, Space Traders (guess who they are coming to take away?), the Anne Frank Committee, and White Citizens for Black Survival. Bell's thoughts about Minister Louis Farrakhan and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas are a contribution to the public dialog on those figures. An especially important and relevant publication for public and academic libraries.
- Katherine Dahl, Western Illinois Univ., Macomb
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books (October 6, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0465068146
• ISBN-13: 978-0465068142
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #12,367 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #38 in Books > History > Africa

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bell makes it known, racism will always exist. Sad isn't it, February 1, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Faces At The Bottom Of The Well: The Permanence Of Racism (Paperback)

After reading this book, Professor Bell became one of the main reasons I chose to attend NYU School of Law. Bell poignantly tells the story of an oppressed race through allegory that at once is entertaining and educational. Two stories in particular made such an impact that I still feel it a full 5 years after reading the book. The first, Afrolantica, focused on the accomplishments that African Americans can make when working toward a common goal. The ending points out that if African Americans focus and produce we can achieve anything, even the seemingly impossible by using cooperation and productivity. The last story literally reduced me to tears. Though the premise was a little far-fetched it brought home to me the realization of African Americans' importance (or lack their of) as people with hearts, minds and souls to those that form the majority in this country. At first it left me feeling hopeless, but then it made me want to fight harder. And after having met the Professor Bell and sat in his classroom I am certain that my later reaction is what he was after. The other stories are definately worthwhile also, but I point to these two because of the profound emotional effect they had on me. A must read for the believers and non-believers of the theory that racism is so ingrained in American society that it can never be eradicated.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars wanna play "What if?", September 7, 2008

By 

Edgar Powe "Dark Opus" (Oakland, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Faces At The Bottom Of The Well: The Permanence Of Racism (Paperback)

This is a very interesting and engaging book. The book is a collection of fictionalized, race themed, stories that challenge common beliefs about race. For instance, what if there were an Atlantis style utopia that only African Americans could live? What would be the reactions of whites? Would whites be glad to be rid of the 'black problem'? Would blacks want to leave the US to populate the utopian society? Bell takes an interesting and unexpected approach to this idea. Overall a good read that stimulates fresh approaches to race relations.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Faces at the Bottom of the Well, September 28, 2011

By 

J.R. Godoy - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Faces at the Bottom of the Well: The Permanence of Racism (Paperback)

This was a required reading for one of my graduate courses. This is a must have for any serious critical thinker. I loved the narrative style of the book. Could not put it down.