Faces at the Bottom of the Well : The Permanence of Racism

The groundbreaking,'eerily prophetic, almost haunting'work on American racism and the struggle for racial justice (Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow).In Faces at the Bottom of the Well, civil rights activist and legal scholar Derrick Bell uses allegory and historical example—including the classic story'The Space Traders'—to argue that racism is an integral and permanent part of American society. African American struggles for equality are doomed to fail, he writes, so long as the majority of whites do not see their own well-being threatened by the status quo. Bell calls on African Americans to face up to this unhappy truth and abandon a misplaced faith in inevitable progress. Only then will blacks, and those whites who join with them, be in a position to create viable strategies to alleviate the burdens of racism.Now with a new foreword by Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow, this classic book was a pioneering contribution to critical race theory scholarship, and it remains urgent and essential reading on the problem of racism in America. The Classic Work On American Racism And The Struggle For Racial Justice In Faces At The Bottom Of The Well, Civil Rights Activist And Legal Scholar Derrick Bell Uses Allegory And Historical Example To Argue That Racism Is An Integral And Permanent Part Of American Society. African American Struggles For Equality Are Doomed To Fail So Long As The Majority Of Whites Do Not See Their Own Well-being Threatened By The Status Quo. Bell Calls On African Americans To Face Up To This Unhappy Truth And Abandon A Misplaced Faith In Inevitable Progress. Only Then Will Blacks, And Those Whites Who Join With Them, Be In A Position To Create Viable Strategies To Alleviate The Burdens Of Racism. Freed Of The Stifling Rigidity Of Relying Unthinkingly On The Slogan 'we Shall Overcome,' He Writes, We Are Impelled Both To Live Each Day More Fully And To Examine Critically The Actual Effectiveness Of Traditional Civil Rights Remedies. Faces At The Bottom Of The Well Is Urgent And Essential Reading On The Problem Of Racism In America.

The noted civil rights activist uses allegory and historical example to present a radical vision of the persistence of racism in America. These essays shed light on some of the most perplexing and vexing issues of our day: affirmative action, the disparity between civil rights law and reality, the “racist outbursts” of some black leaders, the temptation toward violent retaliation, and much more.

This series of allegorial stories and encounters with fictional characters sheds light on some of the most perplexing and vexing issues of the day: affirmative action, disparity between civil rights law and reality, "racist outbursts" of some African American leaders, and more.

The Message Of Bell's Book Is That Racism Is An Integral, Permanent, And Indestructible Component Of This Society. He Contends That Blacks Are Doomed To Fail As Long As The Majority Of Whites Do Not See Their Own Well-being Threatened By The Status Quo.--cover. Introduction: Divining Our Racial Themes -- Racial Symbols: A Limited Legacy -- The Afrolantica Awakening -- The Racial Preference Licensing Act -- The Last Black Hero -- Divining A Racial Realism Theory -- The Rules Of Racial Standing -- A Law Professor's Protest -- Racism's Secret Bonding -- The Space Traders -- Epilogue: Beyond Despair. Derrick Bell. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [201]-214) And Index. Frontmatter Preface (page ix) Introduction. Divining Our Racial Themes (page 1) 1 Racial Symbols: A Limited Legacy (page 15) 2 The Afrolantica Awakening (page 32) 3 The Racial Preference Licensing Act (page 47) 4 The Last Black Hero (page 65) 5 Divining a Racial Realism Theory (page 89) 6 The Rules of Racial Standing (page 109) 7 A Law Professor's Protest (page 127) 8 Racism's Secret Bonding (page 147) 9 The Space Traders (page 158) Epilogue. Beyond Despair (page 195) Notes (page 201) Index (page 215) "OH, THE CONTRADICTIONS of civil rights representation," I said to no one in particular as, rushing from the site of one lecture in midtown Manhattan, I saw the car and driver waiting at the curb to drive me to a college in Westchester County, where I was to give another speech later that afternoon. Derrick Bell, controversial civil rights activist and author of "And We Are Not Saved", uses allegory and historical example to present a radical vision of the persistence of racism in America. He argues that racism is an integral part of US life, and that blacks must face up to this unhappy truth. A sobering assessment of racism in America concludes that it is such an integral part of American life that Blacks have little hope of ever succeeding