What Black People Should Do Now: Dispatches from Near the Vanguard (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In these 23 essays--eight of which are reprinted from the Washington Post , Los Angeles Times and several journals--Wiley ( Why Black People Tend to Shout ) offers a vigorous, mordant perspective on the African American experience. A Memphis-born devotee of Malcolm X, he muses on how his son, who attends a well-integrated public "magnet" school, will learn the sad lessons of racial division. With powerful irony, the author defends black men who, he argues, are under siege in most quarters, and he takes particular note of Magic Johnson ("the HIV virus was doing what I believed it was made to do--destroy . . . especially the Black man) and Mike Tyson ("he is slowly being destroyed for the pleasure and leisure of voyeurs"). In discussing the Rodney King case, Wiley deftly contrasts the responses of the Today Show 's co-anchors: "a White woman named Katherine Couric, and a Black man named Bryant Gumbel, had different reactions, where normally they seem to get along like Siamese twins." His points are thoughtful and challenging, and this collection should disprove at least one lingering saw that Wiley decries: "Black people don't buy books. Let's call this a given among White people."
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

In this collection of essays, Wiley (Why Black People Tend To Shout, LJ 3/1/91) presents a searing overview of contemporary African American society and issues a scathing indictment of racism in America. Especially noteworthy is Wiley's racial satire "Why Black People Don't Buy Books." Throughout , the author demands that all African Americans think about where they are and what they really want, stressing that blacks must now drive a "hard bargain." They must boycott, buy within the community, avoid government cooperation, and above all else seek empowerment. Pertinent reading for all segments of American society, this book is a commendable purchase for public and academic libraries. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 6/1/93.
- Michael A. Lutes, Univ. of Notre Dame Lib., Ind.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (October 11, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345380444
• ISBN-13: 978-0345380449
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,102,641 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars UNEVEN...BUT OVERALL, A VERY PLEASANT READ..., August 6, 2004

By	Knyte "To The Stars" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

When I decided to pick up this book and read it for a second time this spring, Ralph Wiley was still alive. I felt it was my duty as a fan of his sociological books (especially "Why Black People Tend to Shout") to write a review here -- and I also felt compelled to see if I missed anything from the first time I read it way back in 1997. Today (minutes before writing this review) I learned that Mr. Wiley has passed on, and while I do believe everything happens for a reason, I still feel it is a shame that Mr. Wiley didn't have more time to share his views with people like me who loved to read and listen.

I don't think this book was as consistent as the first one, however some chapters were incredibly engaging. Of particular note was the incredible amount of foresight it must have taken for Wiley to devote an entire chapter to Cathy Hughes of Washington, D.C., who would go on launch Radio One, the largest Black-owned radio company in the nation *and* TV One, a joint venture with Comcast cable that serves as an adult-alternative to the younger-skewed BET. I read with great interest how Wiley so skillfully illustrated her story (along with her son Alfred Liggins who is the no. 2 executive at both companies). Again, I cannot stress enough how "right on" Ralph was to highlight Ms. Hughes so early on in her career. He was probably the first major writer to do so.

I also enjoyed his musings on the Clarence Thomas/Anita Hill controversy, the "Strange Fruit" chapter (which to me was a throwback to his earlier book), his whole take on the Spike Lee/Denzel Washington/Malcolm X project (probably my favorite chapter), and his essay on Magic Johnson. "What Black People Haven't Done Yet," and "Do All Black People Know Each Other" also captured the thought-provoking incisiveness that made "Tend to Shout" such a can't-miss work of literature, and his final chapter spoke to me in ways it didn't the first time around.

My three-star rating is actually a 3 and 1/2 star rating. There were some chapters that I ended up skimming through because for some reason or another, I wasn't drawn in. But the entries I mentioned were more than enough incentive for me to finish this book. Again, I can't help but feel truly dissapointed that I will now never meet Mr. Wiley, or be able to read anything new from his end in the years to come. But one thing I am happy to say is this: he inspired me to pick up a pen and attempt to write something of my own back in 1997, and now in 2004 I am even more compelled to make that vision a reality.

Like Wiley, I have a passion for entertainment - his passion was sports. My passion is music. Both sports and music can be analyzed and chronicled through a sociological lens, and I plan to excercise my right to express myself the way Mr. Wiley did so well. I highly recommend his first sociological work "Why Black People Tend to Shout" for a look into his thoughts on race relations in the '80s. I didn't even know who Willie Horton was until I read that book. I'd like to thank Mr. Wiley for writing so passionately (and so humorously at times too!), and my roommate from 1995's Washington Journalism Conference for hipping me to his first book way back when. Thanks.