Analysis of Debating Race by Dyson Michael Eric - Book Report/Review Example

 Debating Race An avalanche of books on the subject on racial issues in America challenges the students of history and sociology. Arguments and counterarguments on this subject hurt the sensibilities of those who sincerely desire to get at the truth related to racial relations. Michael Eric Dyson puts the objectives of his book Debating Race in a forthright manner in the Preface to the book. He writes “The big issue that unites the conversations, dialogues, and debates presented in these pages is race: how it is conceived; how it is expressed; how it is lived; how it confers power; how it undermines social stability; how it ruins and revives lives; how it is embraced and discarded”(xii).The struggled rise of the author in his personal life, is pointer to the fight of the black race to secure and establish its identity in every segment of life in American society. Dyson’s rise in life is meteoric. From the curse of poverty he rose to become an ordained minister and now he is the University Professor of Sociology at Georgetown University and is credited with the authorship of a number of books, primarily on complexity of race issues. Debating Race The contents of the book are divided into 7 parts, apart from a brilliant Preface by the author and the studied Introduction by Imani Perry. The book contains recorded conversations/interviews by renowned thinkers and authorities on the subject of race. The subjects covered are (I) Civil Rights (II) Ethnicity (III) Conflicting Loves( IV) Youth and Violence (V) Black Masculinity (VI) Catastrophes) and (VII) Anatomy of a Conflict: Why Bill Cosby is still wrong. The author and other thinkers deal with practically every aspect of legacy of race relations in America. Summing up the contents of the book the author writes “The book is also in a sense a cultural history of the past decade and a half, and is thus a record of the many social challenges we have faced and continue to struggle with” (xiv).Dyson, though a religious man, is a hard-core realist and is aware of the ground realities faced by different sections of the black race. He is not uncharitable in his remarks on the disposition of the white race, but is not willing to concede grounds as for their professed generosity and goodwill. Time and again, he warns the black race to be on the guard and continue with their struggle to secure social, cultural, economic and political justice in the real sense of the terms. Mere constitutional provisions and passing legislations will not go to improve the lot of the blacks and bring them on par with the whites. As such the contents of this book have a special place to inspire the black community to carry on with their movement without intermission, and without giving concessions to the white community. About the structure and goal of this book he writes “The great variety of the chapters reminds us of the real point of debate. It is not sensationalism or aggression; it is a way of sharing and arguing many points of view and many aspects of an idea. Debating Race is just such a rhetorical and expository delivery of thought” (xvii). The author is willing to forgive but not forget the past relating to the heinous acts committed by the ruling hierarchy and the white race, including the church administration, and their scheming efforts to browbeat the black community on all counts. Memory and Identity The interviews contained in the book cover important issues like legacy of civil rights movement, restructuring immigration procedures, positive action, rural and urban poverty, and challenging terrorism. The author is comfortable in dealing with his ideological adversaries like Dennis Miller, Ann Coulter and the like. He proves that he is the authority on the subject of prevailing state of race in American society. His observations are cryptic and straightforward. He writes “I think that one of the defining issues has to be the tension between memory and identity” (1). This proves that the past suffering of the black race has deep impact on his mind and the impression is so strong that it is inerasable. His latent urge to secure total, not partial, justice to the black race is evident. Dyson could have converted the chronicled detailed in the book in the form of essays. But the debating style, the arguments and the rebuttals suit his intended style to present the issue. The dialogues as such become highly interesting and do not lose the direction. The questions are pointed and the answers are piercing, supported with current and historical examples. Though he has regards for Dr. Martin Luther King, he resolutely disagrees with his approach to solve the issues of black race and whether the peaceful approach will be able to give total justice to the black people and bring them on par with whites. He writes “…it is a sad thing to admit, but America’s still a racist country, and white people have to come to grips with that…Let us deal with the reality that white people don’t want to change and, therefore, let’s look for the ways we have to force them to change”(26) Dyson expresses his views without mincing words. As such controversies follow him. Dyson calls for resolute action by the black race. His method to deal with the class conflict is not to rouse the black people with fiery writings and speeches. His approach is balanced but firm and his intellectual combat make the black race think seriously about their future course of action. His arguments are poignant and are capable of galvanizing the black people and what he preaches is dynamism without destruction. He writes But philosophically speaking, if race has functioned as a demerit for such a long time, it seems to me only just and fair that it functions as a merit during a certain period. Not forever. But long enough for us to balance the imbalance introduced as a result of the governmental exclusion of opportunity for African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and others (67-68). As such his ideas are important and demand action. He urges the black people in every segment of the society to be rebels wherever the system holds up their progress. He articulates “We’ve got to deal with the structured reality of how this government has handicapped us, and now must rehabilitate us to make us walk powerfully into the future. That’s all I am asking for” (87). In my opinion, it is prudent for the government to give what he is asking for on behalf of the black people, before they are forced to take it by methods other than the democratic ones. This book of debates, and the ideas contained it, are like fresh water gushing forth to wash away the sins that shaped the race relations in America. Work Cited Dyson, Michael Eric. Debating Race: Basic Civitas Books: New York: 2007; Print Read More