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Losing the Race: Self-Sabotage in Black America Paperback – July 31, 2001

by John McWhorter (Author, Afterword)

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Berkeley linguistics professor John McWhorter, born at the dawn of the post-Civil Rights era, spent years trying to make sense of this question. Now he dares to say the unsayable: racism's ugliest legacy is the disease of defeatism that has infected black America. Losing the Race explores the three main components of this cultural virus: the cults of victimology, separatism, and antiintellectualism that are making blacks their own worst enemies in the struggle for success.

More angry than Stephen Carter, more pragmatic and compassionate than Shelby Steele, more forward-looking than Stanley Crouch, McWhorter represents an original and provocative point of view. With Losing the Race, a bold new voice rises among black intellectuals.

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About the Author

John McWhorter, associate professor of linguistics at the University of California, Berkeley, is the author of The Word on the Street. He lives in Oakland, California.

Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Harper Perennial; 1 edition (July 31, 2001)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0060935936
ISBN-13: 978-0060935931
Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 0.7 x 8 inches
Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 158 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #262,809 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #378 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Social Sciences > Specific Demographics > Minority Studies
- #549 in Books > Education & Teaching > Schools & Teaching > Education Theory > Philosophy & Social Aspects
- #1294 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Sociology > Race Relations > Discrimination & Racism

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Quincy Girl

A must-read book of brilliant clarity discussing important issues, to be read by every American

November 1, 2016

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

As a caucasian, I felt privileged to read this insider view of the Black community in United States in the year 2000. John McWhorter, currently an associate professor in the Department of English and Comparative, whose academic focus lies in linguistics at Columbia University, writes with brilliant clarity in his book "Loosing the Race, Self-Sabotage in Black America". He raises issues, new to me, which challenge the Black community such as "the cult of victimology", "the cult of separatism", "the cult of anti-intellectualism", "the affirmative -action debate" and others, in a probing yet sensitive manner. Next, I'm reading his 2005 book "Winning the Race, beyond the Crisis in Black America". lI look forward to learning how the challenges outlined in this remarkable book are faced & hopefully on the way to eradication by 2005.

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Charmain R

Answers lots of questions for me... and raises others.

July 30, 2018

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I bought this book after hearing Dr. McWhorter speak briefly, on an obnoxious Penn & Teller show, hoping to find some answers. He did address several issues that I had in mind, and did so very thoroughly. Even though this book is nearly 20 years old, I do understand a little better now than I did before. I've spent over 50 years in the Deep South, trying to decipher the reasons why I was automatically the enemy when I did nothing (and neither did any of my known ancestors - we weren't here yet). When I am done studying this one, I am looking forward to the next book "Winning the Race" to see how he felt a few years later. I would really love to correspond with the Professor about the differences now, in 2018. Maybe he will write another book.

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David H. Eisenberg

Could have been written right now rather than 15 years ago.

May 21, 2015

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

McWhorter's book Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue is one of my favorite books on language. I was looking for other books on linguistics by him when I came across this one and took a chance on it. Let's face it, we tend to like a book or think an author is right when we he confirms what we think. And, not that I agree with everything he says, but most of it had occurred to me in one way or another as it has to other people. But, that's not what makes it a great book. He analyzed and encapsulated it perfectly as a mindset of victimization, separatism and anti-intellectualism. And, frankly, anyone that targets Al Sharpton, who is as bad a leader as imaginable for any group of people, is okay with me. Sure, McWhorter can be accused by those who disagree with him of using too many personal anecdotes, but that was just part of the presentation and he defended the use of them well. Some reviewers I read (I always check out those who don't like a book too) accuse him of generalization. It is probably impossible to write about culture, politics or other social issues without generalizing. That's not the real problem. The question is whether you over-generalize given the issue, and many factors go into answering that question. I have always noticed that people who complain about generalizing are perfectly comfortable with it - so long as it is their generalization. Not so much when it is someone else's.

In the whole, I thought his argument quite powerful in itself. Unfortunately, it becomes powerless when placed against those who wish to find racism as the cause for everything and engage in identity politics, as they control most of the media and academia. Being called a racist has such a devastating effect on people's careers, that most people just get out of the way. It would have been easy for him to take that approach. Nevertheless, he doesn't just blame blacks for their problems. In fact, he puts the blame for how this mindset arose squarely on racism and hardly denies that it still exists either, just that it no longer exists in the same way and to the same degree. Nor does he shy away from looking at himself clearly (see the section on affirmative action).

I saw him speaking on a panel recently concerning the recent policing issues. He asked to be the last one to speak because he felt he was better responding to others. This opened him up to a little gentle criticism from others on the panel, but, I was impressed by his request, because he doesn't just go with the flow, but in a very quiet way, is very much his own person. When it was his turn, he began speaking in the same clear and organized fashion with which he writes. Unfortunately, C-Span, on which I was watching him, suddenly cut away to cover President Obama on the same topic. I was disappointed as I feel the president is part of the problem, engaging in identity politics and providing cover for the attitude of victimization covered so well in McWhorter's book. That's my comment, not McWhorter's.

Highly recommend the book. In fact, I wish everyone would read it, no matter what hue their skin is.

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penelope hilsdon

I've read the book and found it offer explanations for ...

October 31, 2017

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I've read the book and found it offer explanations for some of the academic failure among blacks and how that failure impacts all blacks. I bought this copy for a friend (who is black) for her birthday. She probably won't agree with me on all points, but she will appreciate most of what is said in this book.

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timphxaz

I found the actual book a bit of a tedious read. In the end I came away thinking ...

May 5, 2017

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

I have been a big fan of John Mcwhorter from seeing him on talk shows on TV and I was interested to see this book by him and curious to see his take on this issue. While I find myself in agreement with the major points of his book, I found the actual book a bit of a tedious read. In the end I came away thinking the same points could have been covered more concisely, and just as thoroughly, in an essay.

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