Who's afraid of post-blackness? : what it means to be Black now

 by Touré Toure, journalist and commentator and a member of the post-civil rights era generation, addresses the complexities of the contemporary meaning of black identity. The term postblack is often but not intended to be confused with postracial, meaning beyond race or racism. But postblack asserts the continuation of black identity in a broader, more inclusive format. Toure interviewed more than 100 successful blacks in arts, politics, business, and other arenas to gain a broader perspective on racial identity. Among his subjects: Reverend Jesse Jackson, Cornel West, Michael Eric Dyson, Kara Walker, Melissa Harris-Perry, Harold Ford Jr., Questlove, and Chuck D. The result is a cross section of perspectives, interweaving Toure's own perception that the narrow expectations of blackness and black identity from whites, as well as blacks, is no longer appropriate. Toure examines how blacks, in their aspirational quest, use black identity as a filter, not as a definition. For example, being identifiably black affects a person's experience or perspective on life but does not dictate his or her opinion or position. A compelling book in the age of Obama and struggles with the notion of a postracial society. --Booklist (Check Catalog)