Amazing how many folks fail to see the obvious.
For the last 40 years now, the "problem profiteers" (to use Booker T. Washington's term) have built their kingdoms at the cost of the future of millions of their so-called "brothers and sisters".
It's long past time for it to be fixed.
The reviewer comes quickly to the crux of the book.
However, the general theme, despite the shared solution topics, seems to be almost always weighted towards heavy governmental intervention. In short, a "fix it with finance" solution to the problems. Critics of this book, both black and white, point out that the Government does not solve problems, it funds them.
I don't think anyone's going to remember this book in 20 years.
"There is another class of colored people who make a business of keeping the troubles, the wrongs, and the hardships of the Negro race before the public. Having learned that they are able to make a living out of their troubles, they have grown into the settled habit of advertising their wrongs -- partly because they want sympathy and partly because it pays. Some of these people do not want the Negro to lose his grievances, because they do not want to lose their jobs."
-- Booker T. Washington, (1856 - 1915)
"....said John McWhorter, a linguist and conservative social critic."
From what I have read of McWhorter's works I don't believe that he thinks of himself as a conservative. He is, however,critical of current,liberal, black leaders.
His message to young blacks: Follow a few rules and "there's almost no chance of being poor." Stay in school. Stay in the work force. Don't have a baby out of wedlock. Don't get married until your 20s.
Just curious, does Juan also fault the white liberals like Ted Kennedy and the Clintons, along with Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, for using Blacks for their own ends? Also, it is nice to see that Juan is using Walter Williams' prescription for achieving success.
TRANSLATION - "Juan broke the rules, he aired our dirty laundry in the presence of white people".
Though this guy doesn't know it, there are a LOT of white people who just want to consider blacks as "our fellow Americans", and who want them to find their way out of the perpetual bottom rung of society.
And Lord knows, we've tried, at least since the 60s, with one social program after another. And there has been progress, with the majority of American blacks moving into the great middle class, but there have been significant failures as well.
In the inner city, we still have an epidemic of unwed mothers, addiction, criminal violence, social dependency and perpetual poverty.
My fellow (black) Americans, PLEASE, take what Juan Williams take seriously. The LAST thing America needs is another generation with a permanent underclass. Your children deserve a better future than that, and you have to be the ones to make it happen.
I just wanted to highlight that part.
bttt