''Race Matters'' is a

social sciences Social science is one of the branches of science, devoted to the study of societies and the relationships among individuals within those societies. The term was formerly used to refer to the field of sociology, the original "science of so ...

book by

Cornel West Cornel Ronald West (born June 2, 1953) is an American philosopher, political activist, social critic, actor, and public intellectual. The grandson of a Baptist minister, West focuses on the role of race, gender, and class in American society an ...

. The book was first published on April 1, 1993, by Beacon Press. The book analyzes

moral authority Moral authority is authority premised on principles, or fundamental truths, which are independent of written, or positive, laws. As such, moral authority necessitates the existence of and adherence to truth. Because truth does not change, the princi ...

and racial debates concerning

skin color Human skin color ranges from the darkest brown to the lightest hues. Differences in skin color among individuals is caused by variation in pigmentation, which is the result of genetics (inherited from one's biological parents and or individu ...

in the United States. The book questions matters of economics and politics, as well as ethical issues and spirituality, and also addresses the crisis in black American leadership.

Summary

The book consists of an introduction, followed by eight essays, many of which previously appeared in other publications, such as ''

The New York Times Magazine ''The New York Times Magazine'' is an American Sunday magazine supplement included with the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times''. It features articles longer than those typically in the newspaper and has attracted many notable contributors. ...

'', ''

Dissent Dissent is an opinion, philosophy or sentiment of non-agreement or opposition to a prevailing idea or policy enforced under the authority of a government, political party or other entity or individual. A dissenting person may be referred to as ...

'' and ''

Z Magazine Z Communications is a left-wing activist-oriented media group founded in 1986 by Michael Albert and Lydia Sargent.Max Elbaum''Revolution in the Air: Sixties Radicals Turn to Lenin, Mao and Che'' London, England, UK; New York, New York, US: Verso ...

''. In order, these essays are: *1. Nihilism in Black America *2. The Pitfalls of Racial Reasoning *3. The Crisis of Black Leadership *4. Demystifying the New Black Conservatism *5. Beyond Affirmative Action: Equality and Identity *6. On Black-Jewish Relations *7. Black Sexuality: The Taboo Subject *8. Malcolm X and Black Rage

Reception

Michiko Kakutani Michiko Kakutani (born January 9, 1955) is an American writer and retired literary critic, best known for reviewing books for ''The New York Times'' from 1983 to 2017. In that role, she won the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism in 1998. Early life ...

praised ''Race Matters'', writing in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' "one can only applaud the ferocious moral vision and astute intellect on display in these pages", though she criticized his proposed solutions to racial problems as 'vague and sentimentally utopian'. A positive review in ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'' said 'there are parts of this book that are as moving as any of the sermons of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., as profound as W.E.B. Du Bois's The Souls of Black Folk, as exhilarating in their offering of liberation as James Baldwin's early essays'. 'Race Matters' received a negative review in ''

Commentary Commentary or commentaries may refer to: Publications * ''Commentary'' (magazine), a U.S. public affairs journal, founded in 1945 and formerly published by the American Jewish Committee * Caesar's Commentaries (disambiguation), a number of works ...

'' which stated that 'despite the artful packaging, West's ultimate message is neither new nor courageous' and singled out the chapter on the relationship between black people and Jews as 'deeply flawed, evasive, and less than honest'. ''Race Matters'' received a positive review in ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

'', which called the book 'powerful' and said that the essays 'solidify est'sposition as one of the nation's leading public intellectuals' 'Race Matters' was positively received by '' Kirkus Reviews'', which praised West's 'clear thinking and sensible analysis' though stated that, in aiming for a broad audience 'West perhaps too much curtails his customary intellectual range'.

References

1993 non-fiction books American non-fiction books Books by Cornel West Books about race and ethnicity Beacon Press books {{sociology-book-stub