The Envy of the World: On Being a Black Man in America

by Ellis Cose

Book Overview

With a compassionate eloquence reminiscent of James Baldwin's Letter to My Nephew, Ellis Cose presents a realistic examination of the challenges facing black men in modern America.

Black men have never had more opportunity for success than today--yet, as bestselling author Cose puts it, "We are watching the largest group of black males in history stumbling through life with a ball and chain." Add to that the ravages of police...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 074342817X
• ISBN13: 9780743428170
• Release Date: January 2003
• Publisher: Atria Books
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.6" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Kudos!

"The Envy of the World" is perhaps the most powerful material I've read this year. In these pages is a wealth of knowledge that validates the struggle of African-American men and describe what it is to be a Black man in America. Hard-hitting, with a soft glove, the book details factual, insightful and hopeful accounts of the challenges and triumphs of African American men. Cose provides a critical analysis of the role that racism, stereotypes and failed government and penal institutions play in the daily lives and experiences of American Black men. How the acceptance of those stereotypes has lead to self-destructive and extreme behavior in men of color in general and Black men in particular. This is a book that should be read by the masses but is certainly required for African-American men. Cose has articulated the commonalties of the Black male's (rich or poor, young or old) experience in America with language that is concise, accessible and fully loaded. Empowering in tone and spirit, "The Envy of the World" is not always an ideal position to be in; that which is envied ought to be free. In a move to liberate the mind and souls of Black men, Cose wraps up his report with twelve rules that are invaluable to our daily lives and ongoing growth. This is certainly the best purchase I've made this year and I will be distributing gift copies for some time to come.

Is the time of reckoning finally here for men of color?

Ellis Cose, a Newsweek Columnist, penned a provocative if not intrusive book on why Black men are feared, admired, shunned, and despised in a perceived racist society...and how they can overcome maladies that have allowed views of inferiority to proliferate. The Envy Of The World: On Being A Black Man In America is a superb book! Well written and full of insight, its significance should be appreciated within the style that is was written. It explains with clarity the challenges facing black men in twenty-first century America and offer ways out of the defeatist-type attitudes and despair that wreak havoc in the black community. It's my feeling, and the author concurs, that black men have never had more opportunity for success than they do today. But are the resources and said opportunities being adequately utilized to the fullest? Are the adversities, misconceptions, and stereotypical assessments that White America typically view blacks enough to warrant change? What steps need to be initiated to uplift the black man in this society?These questions not only are answered, but show progressively some of the experiences that are faced by others trying to find solutions to the aforementioned, acknowledging various systemic obstacles that tend to stifle change. Sequenced in six chapters in his classic interview style, Mr Cose offers and supports his theory with reductive reasoning why they ARE the envy of the world. This is done by garnering the experiences of a broad range of black men, which culminates with 'Twelve Things You Must Know To Survive and Thrive In America'. He concludes by offering this gem: "There is more leeway than there has ever been in history for you to become whatever you would be; for you to accomplish whatever you dread; for you to escape the prisons of stereotypes and caricatures that our forefathers could not avoid" This in itself should be the impetus and reason to want to read such a book that seem to be the perfect anecdote for the future of a race.

A SEARING PERSPECTIVE !

Ellis Cose has written a searing perspective on what it feels like to be a black man in America. His list of the twelve things you must know to survive and thrive in America is profound. Though written to alter the tide of young black men succumbing to racism, rhetoric and defeatism, the words are beneficial for anyone. For example, "Complain all you like about the raw deal you have gotten in life, but don't expect those complaints to get you anywhere," - and - "Even if you have to fake it, show some faith in yourself," - or- "Don't expect competence and hard work alone to get you the recognition or rewards you deserve.. for any organization, government, private business, educational or other, is essentially a social body that rewards those fully engaged in the game. To the extent we try to hold ourselves above that process, we end up losing."- and "Recognize that being true to yourself is not the same as being true to a stupid sterotype." Candid, insightful, loaded with wisdom gleaned from interviews with men in prison trying to save other human beings from repeating the same mistakes. "The Envy of The World" is worth reading, sharing and discussing with friends. I did. Author Cose offers one more hard truth- " Don't be too proud to ask for help, particularly from those who are wiser and older."Five stars is not enough! Is anyone out there listening?

Provocative and Necessary

The Envy of the World... On Being a Black Man in America by Ellis CoseLike It IsBy M.C. Beamon"Black men are pearls in beauteous ladies' eyes."Two Gentlemen of Verona, act v. sc. 2Shakespeare Even Shakespeare realized the unique draw and power of the black man. The black man has the ability to sway women, but moreover, in recently history, he can change the landscape of American business. And, yet Black men, on a whole, are failing to take the reigns and dominate in this society. So, I, like Ellis Cose, wondered, do black men know their power and potential? "The Envy of the World...On Being a Black Man in America" by Ellis Cose is a book that bestows both praise and criticism on black men. Reading much like an encyclopedia and then advice text, the book blends concrete examples with practical advice to remind and then guide black men towards a positive future. Quite often within the pages, Cose takes time provide a historical framework from which the modern black man has evolved: "We are freer than ever to shake off society's invisible chains and to go place our parents would not even imagine."The most startling portion of the book is when the raw statistics are introduced, which indicate that black men are not living up to this potential. Rather, they are at a devastatingly high risk of failure by both their own hands and the reaction of society to them: 52 % of black males, according to a Washington Post poll, feel they have been stopped unfairly.11% of all black American males in their 20's and 30's are in prison.Between 1980-1996, suicide rate among black males 15-19 has doubled.Quite obviously, I am not a black man, so the raw numbers indicating their demise, imprisonment (both real and imagined), impacts me indirectly. But, as a black woman, their lack of self-awareness and attainment affects me in my role as a sister, an aunt, and a future wife and mother. As a society, we reaffirm the worth of women by taking time out, even if it is for one brief month to remind them of their contribution to society. Should not the same or greater effort be put forth for African-American males who are flailing in a climate that is now more receptive to them than ever before? So, why are they faltering? According to Ellis Cose, one of the reasons is that the street quite often seduces black men. Cose notes they are also bombarded with negative images of themselves on a constant basis. "The very idea that there are black trait and white traits, that there is a black way of behaving that is different from the white way of behaving, always seems to leave us on the losing side of the divide."What makes "The Envy of the World...On Being a Black Man in America," a must have for African-American households is the list of hard truths at the end of the book, which delves further into what causes the shortcomings of black men:Complain all you like about the new deal you've gotten in life, but don't expect those complaints to get you anywhere.Expect to do

Every man and woman regardless of race

This book should be read by every man and woman living in America regarless of race. Cose, not only presents down to earth and deep counsel on "how to make it while being black and male"; but the force of this book centers in that the author provides an in-depth and thorough analysis of black-malehood in America today. No sugar coating, no hiding the facts, the author faces and confesses reality. With the use of sometimes shocking statistics and vignettes of personal interviews and observations the author effectively draws us into the reality of being black and male in America. In this book there is never an avoidance of the truth. That most black males have a hard time making it in America, that the struggle begins in their own communities and homes, that our educational system has not being successful in educating them, that society forces them to stiffle their true selves by acting the role of the "cool" rapper or superstar athlete, that it is sometimes necessary for them to play the race card but that wallowing in self-pity is not the way to do it, that standing up and speaking up for what is right is also part of the game, that despite the usual gloomy forecasts many still do make it!If deep down you have felt or repetiously heard the desciption, that black men are just too complex, too confrontational, too lazy, too argumentative, too different,too conformed, too violent, too dangerous, too unconventional, and for the most part uneducable, THIS BOOK YOU DEFINATELY MUST READ.