Who's afraid of a large black man? : speaking my mind on race, celebrity, sports, and American life

Who's afraid to talk on the record about the way things really are in this country where race is concerned? Not Charles Barkley, and now, thanks to him, not a host of other important people who carry a wealth of wisdom with them, from Bill Clinton and Barack Obama to Samuel L. Jackson, Tiger Woods and Ice Cube. This is the most personal and important book Charles Barkley has written. He lays himself open here, and because he does, he brings the same straight talk out of everyone with whom he engages in his journey around America to talk about the things that matter most that are the hardest to say - things having to do with race, and money, and identity. Why is it that we can all talk about all sorts of big issues, but when the subject of race is raised, we all freeze up? Who but Charles Barkley can put us into the passenger seat next to him for one of the most fantastic American road trips in recent memory? Who's Afraid of a Large Black Man is so surprising, challenging, and entertaining, so compelling to read, that its importance sneaks up on you and knocks you clean into another state of mind. Bold, honest, funny, moving, occasionally shocking-everything we feel we can't say but it really is time we did. Only Charles Barkley could make this conversation happen, and for that alone he is a national treasure. Citing The Obstacles To Harmonious Race Relations In The United States, An Analysis Of The Nation's Growing Racial Segregation Describes The Author's Experiences Of Talking About Race With Interviewees Ranging From Students To Kkk Members. Looking Back At The Balcony (tiger Woods) -- Political Race/s (barack Obama) -- Acting Black (samuel L. Jackson) -- Building A Culture Of Dignity (president Bill Clinton) -- Color Television (george Lopez) -- Go Down, Moses (rabbi Steven Leder) -- The Next Level (ice Cube) -- The Best Of Times, The Worst Of Times (marita Golden) -- The Color Of Power (peter Guber) -- Carrying It Forward (jesse Jackson) -- Step On That Field (robert Johnson) -- Kicking It Around (a Conversation With Morgan Freeman) -- On Our Watch (marian Wright Edelman). Charles Barkley ; Edited And With An Introduction By Michael Wilbon. CONTENTS......Page 5 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS......Page 7 AUTHOR'S NOTE......Page 9 INTRODUCTION BY MICHAEL WILBON......Page 11 LOOKING BACK AT THE BALCONY: TIGER WOODS......Page 21 POLITICAL RACE/S: BARACK OBAMA......Page 36 ACTING BLACK: SAMUEL L. JACKSON......Page 59 BUILDING A CULTURE OF DIGNITY: PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON......Page 84 COLOR TELEVISION: GEORGE LOPEZ......Page 98 GO DOWN, MOSES: RABBI STEVEN LEDER......Page 123 THE NEXT LEVEL: ICE CUBE......Page 146 THE BEST OF TIMES, THE WORST OF TIMES: MARITA GOLDEN......Page 160 THE COLOR OF POWER: PETER GUBER......Page 172 CARRYING IT FORWARD: JESSE JACKSON......Page 190 STEP ON THAT FIELD: ROBERT JOHNSON......Page 207 KICKING IT AROUND: A CONVERSATIO WITH MORGAN FREEMAN N......Page 220 ON OUR WATCH: MARIAN WRIGHT EDELMAN......Page 239 AFTERWORD......Page 255 In this controversial national bestseller, former NBA star and author of I May Be Wrong But I Doubt It Charles Barkley takes on the major issue of our time. Who's Afraid of a Large Black Man is a series of charged, in-your-face conversations about race with some of America's most prominent figures, including Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Jesse Jackson, Samuel L. Jackson, Morgan Freeman, Ice Cube, Marian Wright Edelman, Tiger Woods, Peter Guber, and Robert Johnson.