Customer Reviews

One Nation Under a Groove: Motown and American Culture

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I found this book a thoroughly enjoyable reading experience, particularly when it mentioned the exploitation Berry Gordy put his own artists through, and the hit-factory system he created. If one wants to talk about 'exploitation' then one should look no further than Gordy himself.

I don't know what the boneheaded reader below was supposed to think this book was, but I found it too be fairly balanced and not subject to the all the racist hyperbole that he seems to be looking for.

I'm afraid Mr. Early does not wish to expand to any depth the problems which Black musical artists continue to face from this thorougly racist culture. To discover more pertinent investigations of this ongoing white male-centered racism, one needs to go to the astonishingly brave and insightful bell hooks, and other writers. I would also recommend a book by a white writer, Russell Potter, called 'Spectacular Vernaculars', where he writes about white racism perpetrated against Black musical artists.