America Behind the Color Line: Dialogue with African Americans.America Behind the Color Line color line n. A barrier, created by custom, law, or economic differences, separating nonwhite persons from whites. Also called color bar. Noun 1. : Dialogue with African Americans by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Warner Books, January 2004 $25.95, ISBN ISBN abbr. International Standard Book Number ISBN International Standard Book Number ISBN n abbr (= International Standard Book Number) → ISBN m 0-446-53273-8 Having made an exceptional mark in several literary genres--anthology autobiography, biography, encyclopedia, and essay--the intrepid Henry Louis Gates, Jr. steps confidently into yet another realm with this collection of interviews. Gates takes us from the White House to the projects in Chicago, with insightful forays into the southern "Black Belt" and Hollywood. Many political economists have written extensively about the increasing chasm in the black community between the haves and have-nots, but this has been done with charts, graphs and statistics. What Gates does with typical zeal and compassion is to give these two classes a human face. The interviews Gates conducted in Atlanta, Birmingham and Memphis suggest an expanding black middle class, while those at the book's end offer a grim picture of an equally large population of the dispossessed dis·pos·sessed adj. 1. Deprived of possession. 2. Spiritually impoverished or alienated. dis . To some extent, a middle ground is found in the interviews he gathered in Hollywood, where highly successful movers and shakers Shakers, popular name for members of the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing, also called the Millennial Church. Members of the movement, who received their name from the trembling produced by religious emotion, were also known as Alethians. such as actor Morgan Freeman and director John Singleton bemoan be·moan tr.v. be·moaned, be·moan·ing, be·moans 1. To express grief over; lament. 2. To express disapproval of or regret for; deplore: the lack of a black studio or their in ability to "greenlight" a project. These interviews comprise the companion book to the upcoming four-part documentary for PBS PBS in full Public Broadcasting Service Private, nonprofit U.S. corporation of public television stations. PBS provides its member stations, which are supported by public funds and private contributions rather than by commercials, with educational, cultural, . The book is not only a way to get a leg up on the televised version, it'll put readers in touch with another facet of Gates's considerable skills. --Reviewed by Herb Boyd |
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