Betrayal: How Black Intellectuals Have Abandoned the Ideals of the Civil Rights Era: How Black Intellectuals Have Abandoned the Ideals of the Civil Rights Era

Houston A. Baker Jr. condemns black intellectuals who, he believes, have turned their backs on the tradition of racial activism in America. In their literature, speeches, and academic and public behavior, Baker identifies a "hungry generation" eager for power, respect, and money. Critiquing his own impoverished childhood in the "Little Africa" section of Louisville, Kentucky, Baker seeks to understand the shaping of this new public figure. He also revisits classical sites of African American literary and historical criticism and critique, and devotes chapters to the writing and thought of such black academic superstars as Cornel West, Michael Eric Dyson, and Henry Louis Gates Jr.; Hoover Institution senior fellow Shelby Steele; Yale law professor Stephen Carter; and Manhattan Institute fellow John McWhorter. Baker's provocative investigation into the disingenuous posturing of these and other individuals exposes what he deems to be a tragic betrayal of the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. He urges black intellectuals to reestablish both sacred and secular connections with local communities and rediscover the value of social responsibility. As Baker sees it, the mission of the black intellectual today is not to do great things but to do specific, racially based work that is in the interest of the black majority. Houston A. Baker Jr. condemns those black intellectuals who, he believes, have turned their backs on the tradition of racial activism in America. These individuals choose personal gain over the interests of the black majority, whether they are espousing neoconservative positions that distort the contours of contemporary social and political dynamics or abandoning race as an important issue in the study of American literature and culture. Most important, they do a disservice to the legacy of W. E. B. Du Bois, Martin Luther King Jr., and others who have fought for black rights. In the literature, speeches, and academic and public behavior of some black intellectuals in the past quarter century, Baker identifies a "hungry generation" eager for power, respect, and money. Baker critiques his own impoverished childhood in the "Little Africa" section of Louisville, Kentucky, to understand the shaping of this new public figure. He also revisits classical sites of African American literary and historical criticism and critique. Baker devotes chapters to the writing and thought of such black academic superstars as Cornel West, Michael Eric Dyson, and Henry Louis Gates Jr.; Hoover Institution senior fellow Shelby Steele; Yale law professor Stephen Carter; and Manhattan Institute fellow John McWhorter. His provocative investigation into their disingenuous posturing exposes what Baker deems a tragic betrayal of King's legacy. Baker concludes with a discussion of American myth and the role of the U.S. prison-industrial complex in the "disappearing" of blacks. Baker claims King would have criticized these black intellectuals for not persistently raising their voices against a private prison system that incarcerates so many men and women of color. To remedy this situation, Baker urges black intellectuals to forge both sacred and secular connections with local communities and rededicate themselves to social responsibility. As he sees it, the mission of the black intellectual today is not to do great things but to do specific, racially based work that is in the interest of the black majority.

houston A. Baker Jr. Condemns Black Intellectuals Who, He Believes, Have Turned Their Backs On The Tradition Of Racial Activism In America. In Their Literature, Speeches, And Academic And Public Behavior, Baker Identifies A “hungry Generation” Eager For Power, Respect, And Money.

baker Seeks To Understand The Shaping Of These New Public Figures. He Also Revisits Classical Sites Of African American Literary And Historical Criticism And Devotes Chapters To The Writing And Thought Of Such Black Academic Superstars As Cornel West, Michael Eric Dyson, And Henry Louis Gates Jr.; Hoover Institution Senior Fellow Shelby Steele; Yale Law Professor Stephen Carter; And Manhattan Institute Fellow John Mcwhorter. Baker's Provocative Investigation Exposes What He Deems To Be A Tragic Betrayal Of The Legacy Of Martin Luther King Jr. He Urges Black Intellectuals To Reestablish Sacred And Secular Connections With Local Communities And Rediscover The Value Of Social Responsibility.

Introduction: Little Africa Jail : Southern detention to global liberation Friends like these : race and neoconservatism After civil rights : the rise of Black public intellectuals Have mask, will travel : centrists from the Ivy League A capital fellow from Hoover : Shelby Steele Reflections of a first amendment trickster : Stephen Carter Man without connection : John McWhorter American myth : illusions of liberty and justice for all Prison : colored bodies, private profit Conclusion: What then must we do? Condemns the black intellectuals who, the author believes, have turned their backs on the tradition of racial activism in America. Urges black intellectuals to forge sacred and secular connections with local communities and rededicate themselves to social responsibility. From publisher description In the spring of 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. joined city sanitation workers locked in a heated struggle for equal rights. Dr. King found a familiar geography in Memphis; he was on the ground, in the South, in fierce contest with forces of injustice. Contents Preface Introduction Jail Friends Like These After Civil Rights Have Mask, Will Travel A Capital Fellow From Hoover Reflections of a First Amendment Trickster Man Without Connection American Myth Prison Conclusion Notes References Index