Bill Clinton and Black America

by Dewayne Wickham

Book Overview

While white Americans were evenly divided about Bill Clinton's impeachment ninety percent of African-Americans opposed it. Now from a founding member of the National Association of Black Journalists... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0345450329
• ISBN13: 9780345450326
• Release Date: January 2002
• Publisher: One World
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.5" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

My Opinion

The first time I knew I'd made a wise choice by voting for Bill Clinton was while viewing news footage taken of him the first few days he took office for his first term. He was walking with some aides around the White House and two elderly African American women waved and smiled to him. He walked over to them and began talking. Just then an aide stepped between Clinton and the two women with his back to the two elderly women. Clinton became furious and part of what he said to the aide had to be bleeped out to be shown on television. The footage was meant to show the temper of a new president. What I saw was a president rightfully ticked at a staff member for disrespecting two elderly African Americans. I remember thinking "d**n, Clinton gets it". To better understand why black america loves Clinton (besides hiring more blacks in his cabinet than any other president, balancing the budget and starting and supporting job and education programs), I would recommend that you read "Invisible Man". With Clinton, for a change, we weren't invisible, we mattered and weren't taken for granted. He didn't say dumb things like "It is a terrible thing to lose one's mind" at a United Negro College Fund function or assume that welfare benefit increases was an important issue to African Americans (we work!). He had a respect for the history and the people that had never been seen before or perhaps since ( I once saw him unexpectedly be asked to recite the Negro National Anthem. He recited the first two verses without struggle and then sang the THIRD!). For the first time, I had a feeling of safety. So, in a sense, he was "more black" than Clarence Thomas who climbed up the ladder of opportunity built by many black heroes and continues to block the climbing of it to young African Americans today by tearing down Affirmative Action laws. To the reviewer who had the nerve to make suggestions on what African Americans I should admire ("Thomas and Rice"), I'd thank you to mind your own business. How dare you? Do you have a clue about the black experience in America? I think not. I love this book because it's a reminder that even if I don't see another great president like Bill Clinton in my lifetime, I at least got to see one. And for that I am truly thankful.

Thought-provoking Book

While I began this book believing that African Americans are too inclined to support any white leader who isn't blatantly racist, I ended by at least acknowledging that President Clinton went further than previous presidents in adressing the complexities of race. It's a credit to the author that he presented a balanced view of a complex subject and represented a broad and diverse group of thoughtful individuals. This book makes you think. I highly recommend it.

"A Race Man In the White House

Before reading interviews of various folk who comment on te love affair between former President Bill Clinton and black America, I suggest first reading the two chapters near the end of the book, "A Race Man in the White House" and "A Drum Major for Change." In these two chapters, Wickham puts his finger on a simple but important fact about Clinton when he writes that rather then distance himself from the black community he made an effort to bring the races together and "he tried harder than any other president to make race less of a factor in our lives.Moreover, Wickham writes: "What impresses me about Bill Clinton is that he does not view black skin as a 'disagreeable mirror.' More to the point, he has shown a greater willingness than any other president to look African Amercans in the eye not with condescension, as Lew Payne points out, but with an uncommon sense of fairness." In his 310-page book, Wickham makes it clear that Clinton did not use magic to woe black America. He appointed an unprecedented number of African Americans to top jobs in his administration and he tackled America's racial problems head on. And while the Republicans attacked affirmative action, Clinton promoted a "One America" initiative to help build a bridge of understanding between whites and blacks.The book is loaded with interviews with a cross-section of black America. Over and over again, the same theme is sounded: Bill Clinton was well liked because he made the connection that other presidents ignored. Clinton made the connection that past president did not make because of racism or ignorance. Wickham has weaved together a number of interesting interviews of African Americans of different walks of life in a way that make this book easy reading. I recommend this book to all students of history and those who want racial progress.

In Time He Will Be Recognized As A Great Leader of People

In reading Mr. Wickham's book, I felt he captured the true strength of William Jefferson Clinton ... An Understanding of Race Relations in America. Through the eyes of those who work with him and for him, Wickham found the chronicled the uniqueness of this man who saw all people as equals. Unfortunately, this very personal belief created a level of discomfort for those who wish to imped racial progress for ideological and/or political reasons. I applaud Clinton for never wavering on the question of race relations and DeWayne L. Wickham for telling the story of Bill Clinton through the eyes of Black Americans. Bill Clinton will eventually be recognized as a great President with an extraordinary understanding of people.