Acting White - The Curious History of a Racial Slur (Electronic book text)

In the tradition of Randall Kennedy's "Nigger "and Shelby Steele's "The Content of Our Character, Acting White "demonstrates how the charge that any African-American who is successful, well mannered, or well educated is "acting white," is a slur that continues to haunt blacks. Ron Christie traces the complex history of the phrase, from "Uncle Tom's Cabin "to the tensions between Martin Luther King, Jr., and Malcolm X to Bill Cosby's controversial NAACP speech in 2004. The author also writes candidly of being challenged by black students for his "acting white," and also of being labeled a race traitor in Congress by daring to be Republican. This lucid chronicle reveals how this prevalent put-down sets back much of the hard-earned progress for all blacks in American society. Deftly argued and determinedly controversial, this book is certain to spur thoughtful discussion for years to come.