Who's Afraid of a Large Black Man? (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Michael Wilbon (Editor, Introduction) "It was Mother's Day of 2002..." (more)
Key Phrases: black movie, African American, Ice Cube, George Lopez (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"Racism," Charles Barkley says, "is the biggest cancer of my lifetime. And I know I can't cure the cancer, but doesn't somebody have to attack it?" Barkley's means of attack in Who's Afraid of a Large Black Man?--not surprising from one of the most outspoken athletes of our time--is to break past the taboo of race by talking about it in the open. What might be surprising is that Barkley steps aside and lets other people talk, too. While in his previous bestseller, I May Be Wrong but I Doubt It, the former NBA MVP and current TNT commentator held forth on a wide variety of subjects, for his new book he sought out a baker's dozen of leading figures in entertainment, business, and government (and yes, one athlete) and sat down with each for a frank conversation about race.

Of course race is not a simple topic, and each discussion heads in its own direction. Tiger Woods speaks both of his biracial identity and of how moving it was to see the black staff at Augusta National lined up to see him put on the green jacket as Masters champion. George Lopez talks about the pressures of creating a breakthrough Latino sitcom in an almost all-white industry. Film producer Peter Guber surprises Barkley when he says that he made The Color Purple out of economic self-interest, not idealism. Many of the discussions turn, like Guber's, not to traditional civil rights but to economics, which Rabbi Steven Leder calls the real "last taboo subject in America." It's clear that the audience Barkley most hopes to reach with this book is the young black men and women that he and many of his interview subjects are concerned about. "We're losing," activist Marian Wright Edelman tells him, "and if we don't stop this trend, we're going to be headed back to slavery." Barkley's celebrity subjects can provide some models for success for those readers, but one also hopes Barkley can continue the conversation by turning the spotlight on those struggling with the problems of race outside the sometimes protective glare of fame. --Tom Nissley

Who's Afraid of Talking to a Large Black Man?

Throughout his career, Charles Barkley has always been willing--quite willing--to call it as he sees it, making him one of the most quotable athletes of his era and, many have suggested, a future political candidate. He's as happy talking issues as talking hoops, and for his new book, Who's Afraid of a Large Black Man? he sat down for conversations across the country about the troublesome topic of race in America. We had our own conversation on the subject with Sir Charles: Read it to find why he wrote the book, what he tells his own biracial daughter about race, and why he thinks sports can be a model for race relations.

From Publishers Weekly

Don't let the cheeky title, the byline or the picture on the cover fool you: this is a serious book that's not about Charles Barkley. Instead, this work, edited by the Washington Post and ESPN's Wilbon, is a candid collection of 13 interviews by Barkley with prominent Americans like Bill Clinton, Jesse Jackson, Tiger Woods, Morgan Freeman and comedian George Lopez on the oft-avoided subject of race. Barkley, well known for outspokenness as a player and an on-air commentator, challenges his interviewees to deal with this delicate issue head on. Barkley wisely keeps his opinions brief, letting his dynamic counterparts take center stage. In doing so he gets these stars to open up on how American society fares on such topics as racism, race relations, welfare reform, economic and social discrimination and creating opportunities for minorities. Mixed in with the bigger name celebs and politicians are lesser-known folk, such as Robert Johnson (the NBA's first black owner), the Children's Defense Fund's Miriam Wright Edelman (who laments that there are "580,000 black men in prison compared to about 45,000 who graduate from college each year") and Rabbi Steven Leder. For all the different backgrounds and opinions, all the participants believe the racial divide in America can only be bridged with a combination of reforms to our educational, medical and economic practices and a strong self-evaluation by the African-American community. Everyone also agrees that a core group of strong black leaders must emerge for these changes to be enacted. Surprisingly, this eye-opening book might point to Barkley as just such a leader. (Apr. 5)
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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Press HC, The (March 31, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594200424
• ISBN-13: 978-1594200427
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #584,194 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

61 of 67 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating Interviews: Little to do with Charles Barkley, April 16, 2005

By	Jeff Ashton "National Master Jeff" (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

In this book you really do not hear from Charles Barkley so much. When he writes it is very simple and to the point, with very little humor (which is what he is known for). It is fascinating to read opinions and personal stories from Bill Clinton, Tiger Woods, Obama, and many other famous peronalities on their ideas about race and other issues in America. This book has very little to do with Charles Barkley, and if I were to read it blindly I would have never guessed that he wrote it. This book has a great compilation of contributors and it is worth reading just to learn more about them alone.

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good book to just read!, April 22, 2005

By	Teresia K. Adams "Kippie" (Madison, WI) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

OK, I understand that some look at this as some celebrity interview book, but I see it as more. Sir Charles is always himself and his opinions are well stated. I happen to agree with a lot of what this book has to say. It has a pop culture edge but that is ok. Does everything have to be academic? It is enjoyable and has a good heart.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Free-flow, June 25, 2005

By	sayock - See all my reviews

"Each discussion heads in its own direction" is absolutely right. However, that doesn't take away from this book...it maybe just makes you feel a bit deceived by what the book is about. It's still an interesting book that makes you think and also, in my opinion, underscores the fact that most blacks--no matter how different you think they are from you--think rather similarly, particularly when it comes to racial issues. I found myself agreeing with a lot of what the people involved in this book had to say while learning a few things at the same time.

If you're looking at these reviews in order to decide whether or not you want to buy/read this book...I have to say that I think a lot of these reviewers miss the point, and I even wonder if a couple of them read the book, particularly Shirlene (I think she just wanted to go off). I think this book really IS about helping. I think it really IS "about" getting kids off the streets, making them forget professional sports and getting them into college...you just can't take "about" LITERALLY. What the book does is take blacks who many in the black community would think of as successful, mixes in a white person a lot of blacks respect (Bill Clinton)...throws in a few non-blacks and other blacks who are less known by many blacks but who maybe should be of more interest to the black community or who go to show that blacks are not the only ones interested in racial issues and interracial relations...these people sit down with Barkley separately and discuss race as it relates to them (some of their own experiences), how they view race in the world and why they find it essential for young people to work harder on race relations or to get somewhere in life.

Of course they also go on to talk about their careers and other things that really don't seem like they always relate. But they somewhat do. The ways in which I found they related were that, with their careers, you have to sit there and let it hit you that, "hey, blacks weren't always allowed to do this," or "wow, blacks weren't always this successful" and "some of these blacks had to struggle to get to where they are. They are not just rich, detached blacks who don't understand what it's like. In fact, considering when some of them grew up, they probably had it WORSE than us." In that sense, and in other senses, they bring up black history and the history of this country. They are TEACHING. And I am a young twenty-something who is interested in black history, and I do think that a young person who is open to hearing what people have to say about the past and the state of this country today will walk away having learned a lot and having considered some things they never have before. Other young people, I really don't know. But it's worth a shot if it's possible that your 18-year old will read, at least, parts of this book and say, "hey, these are athletes and entertainers who had a hard time with race and accomplishing what they did, and they keep talking about education and the importance of black leaders. Because of the past, I have more opportunities. Maybe I need to take advantage of some of them. Maybe I should consider college. Maybe I should be interested in becoming a black leader. Maybe I need to find a way to help other blacks. I won't have to work as hard as they did to achieve my dreams or to help blacks, but I know I still have to work hard" or something along those lines...the same as if a 26-yr old black male whose life was going down the wrong path reads this book and he walks away with his eyes opened a little bit more.

The reason people are missing the point is this book is not PREACHY. They're not trying to tell you what to think, and that's PERFECT. The entertainers are not sitting there and saying, "these young black kids don't understand the past" in a way as to put us down or "these black kids need to forget sports and go to school." I think that's important, because young people don't like being told what to do, but they are, even subtlely, influenced by the media and people in the media so much. The book also says something really important, because a few people in this book go ahead and just say, "hey, black people today don't have it anywhere near as bad as they THINK they do," and they go on to reference the past a bit. That's key, because when they did make comments about young people and what they probably don't KNOW about the past today or what they don't realize...every time they did that, I saw that they were pretty much correct. It's another thing that makes you want to go DO something, even if it's just to get on the internet and look up some things about the past or about certain people. THAT'S the point of this book.

Another thing I think that is important about this book is the way there are people in it that when you first note their participation, it makes you go, "why the hell did Charles include THESE people?" I'll tell you what makes some, or all, of us do that--you look at these people and think, "what the hell do they know about blacks?" or "what do they care about us?" The first person you might do this with is Tiger Woods. I'm glad he was included in this book. I think it's essential, particularly for blacks, that they hear from biracial people, because blacks are always wanting to pre-judge or alienate biracial blacks. Tiger has some interesting things to say about himself, his racial views and racial experiences. I think a lot of blacks would read it and still WANT to be against Tiger, but I think a lot of blacks need to read it just because if they approach his passage with an open mind it will help them to see, "hey, maybe Tiger isn't just a sell-out who doesn't want to be black." All blacks think about being black and what that means, and his inclusion is this book is one of the reasons why I say this book underscores that. For that reason, I really think it would have been interesting to see a passage with Mariah Carey, for example.

George Lopez--why is he in this book? Well, admittedly, he DOES talk a little too much about Latinos. But that shows something that Rabbi Leder, another person you would go, "why are they in this book," says, if I remember correctly--that every "minority" group has their time where they are mainly interested in their group of people and their issues. It shows blacks are not the only ones with problems in this country because of who they are, we're not the only ones a little overly-consumed with thoughts of our racial identity and "our people," and this book takes the bent of, "hey, minority groups need to work TOGETHER rather than blacks work towards something for blacks, Latinos work towards something for Latinos and Jewish people working for Jewish people." Many of these people believe that if minority groups come together and work for the betterment of each minority group, as well as for understanding of minority groups among minority groups (ex. blacks understanding Jewish people and Latinos understanding blacks), we can create so much power for ourselves in America. And this book shows you that there are people from other groups that really are interested in blacks and seeing blacks do better in America. I think that's a powerful message that can lead to less suspicion of people from other groups, which is something this country needs.

The one thing I did have a problem with is this book focuses too much on men. There are too many men interviewed, and they talk about men more than women in the racial struggle in this country, past and present. To me, that makes the book a bit uneven, particularly in terms of representing what diverse groups of people in this country think about race. If Barkley wanted to throw in a black person who made some strides in the movie portion of the entertainment industry, he could have easily tried to get Halle Berry (or another prominent black female actress). I don't know, maybe he did try, and I do know Morgan Freeman was at it longer than she was. And, like I said, Mariah Carey would have been a good female counterpart or replacement for Tiger Woods. And it wasn't as if an extra 30, 50 or so pages in this book would really hurt. The book is actually a really quick read, because it's interesting when you get started on what a person has to say. I could have done without so many details about the person's experience in the entertainment industry and more talk about race, as well. But, as I said, it underscores, "hey, blacks weren't even always allowed to do all these different roles, win awards or play good, non-stereotypical characters" or whatnot and "hmm, working in entertainment is maybe not as easy or as glamorous as I think." I actually feel there were too many entertainment-oriented people in the book--Samuel L. Jackson, Ice Cube, Morgan Freeman, etc, but I get the point. People know these guys better than, say, Lani Guinier, with whom an interview would have interested me. This book is also not necessarily a "good read if you're interested in sports"--it talks about sports a bit but doesn't have that much to do with it. There are maybe more mentions of education than sports, which is EXCELLENT.

All that said, it IS a good book. You just need to approach it with an open mind. No, the book is not necessarily structured, but there's nothing wrong with that, especially since it's just a bunch of dialogue with different people. All I did was look at the table of contents and just went to the dialogues with the people who most interested me first--I didn't read them straight through. I like when books offer that option. Yes, these people are mainly entertainers with fame and/or money, but it's interesting to know what those people think and to realize they share some of the same thoughts you have. Anyone interested in talking about or reading about race, people's experiences with it, what people think about it, etc, should have no problem enjoying this book.