Countdown: Race Matters: Chapters 5 - 8

5 Sentences on the Big Picture

In these chapters, Cornel West continues to intensely express many factors that contribute to racism towards African Americans. He reiterates that affirmative action, although it has some negatives, is crucial to help steer away from this racial discrimination. West goes on to talk about the animosity between blacks and Jews and the history that led up to this black Anti-Semitism. In chapter seven, he uncovers a sticky subject about black sexuality, and the idea that blacks are more dominate and threatening creatures, who have more sexual power over whites. Finally, West dedicates the last chapter to look at Malcolm X’s life in order to express how we have to be willing to confront challenges brought up by black rage and to continue to fight against racial discrimination.

4 Key Passages

 “My thesis is that black sexuality is a taboo subject in white and black America and that a candid dialogue about black sexuality between and within these communities in requisite for healthy race relations in America” (120).

“My fundamental premise is that the black freedom struggle is the major buffer between the David Dukes of America and the hope for a future in which we can begin to take justice and freedom for all seriously” (116).

“If we are to build on the best of Malcolm X, we must preserve and expand his notion of psychic conversion that cements networks and groups in which black community, humanity, love, care, and concern can take root and grow” (149).

 “In these downbeat times, we need as much hope and courage as we do vision and analysis; we must accent the best of each other even as we point out the vicious effects of our racial divide and the pernicious consequences of our maldistribution of wealth and power” (159).

3 Key Terms

·           Anti–Semitism – prejudice or hostility toward Jews

·          Nadir – the lowest point; point of greatest adversity or despair

·          Xenophobia – unreasonable fear or hatred of foreigners/strangers

2 Connections

Chapter 7 made me a little uncomfortable, but at the same time I connected with what West said. Our media is so obsessed with sex and sexuality that it leads us to believe things about other races. I realize that black sexuality is a taboo subject as Cornel talks about, but we must confront it to stop such fears or judgments about black sexuality.

I feel as though Cornel is completely right when he expresses in the epilogue how we must “accent the best of each other even as we point out the vicious effects of our racial divide” (159). The only way we can make things right is if we realize what we are doing wrong and work together to fix racial discrimination.

1 Question

How can we fix this tangled view of black sexuality?