Review of Derrick Bell, AND WE ARE NOT SAVED (Basic Books, 1987) Reviewed by: Laura Long Illinois State University 2/4/94 Racism is about barriers, about shutting others out. In AND WE ARE NOT SAVED Derrick Bell uses a series of myths, or chronicles, to examine these barriers, particularly the mental barriers American whites have erected against racial equality. In so doing, Bell, perhaps unwittingly, also presents some of the mental barriers blacks themselves have constructed. With the help of his mystical guide Geneva Crenshaw, Bell explores the various strategies used by civil rights activists, including litigation and black self-strengthening, and comes to an unsettling conclusion: white racism is so deeply embedded in our culture that it will obstruct any movement towards equality. In each of these chronicles, a divine act occurs, solving a social ill suffered by blacks. A private gift of economic assistance to blacks restores economic equality (Chronicle 5), a medical cure is discovered to end the "ghetto diseases" of apathy and low self-esteem (Chronicle 7), and a magic pill transforms black criminals into crime fighters (Chronicle 10). White unfailingly resist each of these measures, even when beneficial results for blacks are clear and when the measures, such as the private economic assistance, do not cost whites a cent. Whites view society as a zero sum game, in which any gain made by blacks automatically threatens whites. There is nothing blacks can do to overcome such virulent racism. But if there is nothing blacks can do, neither is there anything whites can do. Bell asserts that racism has been deeply rooted in white American institutions since at least the Constitutional convention, when the wealthy delegates legitimated slavery in order to bolster the economy and to unite whites of all classes. And in every chronicle, a supernatural act occurs which changes black behavior, not white. The white reaction is always a knee-jerk denial of any benefit for blacks. There is no conceivable (or even inconceivable) instance in which whites can stop being racists. Apparently, whites cannot even hope for a miracle to change them. Bell insists that a desire to dominate is an insurmountable barrier in whites' minds, but Bell's own refusal to believe that that barrier is surmountable also creates a barrier to racial equality. In denying that whites possess any hint of compassion or genuine interest in equality, he does to whites what he complains of being done to blacks: "Why, I wondered, do whites so readily visit on blacks the worst possible motives for actions that may have been well intended?" Bell attributes an unalterable mindset to a broad group of people, a mindset based on skin color, putting Bell in the somewhat surprising position of a racist. Bell's almost bottomless skepticism of whites has understandable origins. Even today, blacks and whites are living in the shadow of over two hundred years of racism. Bell movingly describes the uncertainty blacks face in almost every situation, the feeling "that my life and well-being lay totally at the whim of any white person I encountered." Whites can go for days without consciously thinking about racism, whereas for minorities, the question of racist motives is ever at the back of their minds. A black person can never know if poor treatment at a restaurant is due to racism. The point, however, is that sometimes the cause IS just a rude waiter and nothing more. Not all whites seek to keep their boots on the throats of minorities. True, some whites will always be consumed by selfishness, but such an enlightened self-interest may serve the cause of racial equality as more and more whites realize the interconnection between problems in black communities with problems in the country as a whole, a proposition which Bell unfortunately brushes away too quickly. While Bell is right that the United States is far from being a picture of racial justice, he ignores the progress blacks have made. Such progress has been slow and uneven, but surely more has been made than Bell would admit when he speaks of "citizens of color whose lives are little less circumscribed than were those of their slave forbears." But in Bell's view, the primary concern of whites is retention of their dominant position in society, and the only gains blacks have made have been grudgingly conceded by whites in order to keep blacks from openly rebelling. Even these concessions end up benefitting whites. In Chronicle 4, Bell points to BROWN V. BOARD OF EDUCATION as an example of his theory. The Brown decision satisfied civil rights activists by desegregating schools but resulted in the hiring of more white teachers and refurbished white schools to handle the new influx of black children. Thus, whites benefitted while the educational opportunities for blacks were not substantially improved. However, Bell's belief that whites only allow blacks victories which also benefit whites requires some contorted logic. It is hard to believe that all or even any of the whites who supported desegregation were really concerned with how many white teachers and busing companies would make more money from the deal. The Supreme Court itself expressed an interest in seeing blacks gain equal opportunity, not in insuring that whites would benefit. If whites only acted out of self-interest, desegregation would not have occurred in the first place, for surely the refurbishment of white schools and other such benefits were too small of a return for the societal turmoil desegregation caused. Further, whites could have no more foreseen the harmful effects to blacks of busing and destruction of neighborhood schools than could the blacks who were themselves pressing for desegregation. While some whites may have consciously tried to profit from the situation, ascribing such a purely selfish motive to all whites is too simplistic. If whites are always racist no matter what tactics minorities use, what then, should the future of the civil rights movement be? By denying the efficacy of all strategies for achievement of racial equality, Bell has painted himself into a corner. In his concluding chapter, we are presented with a celestial choir and impressive visual effects but little in the way of inspiration. A magical curia advises blacks to continue fighting for equality through litigation, despite the fact that Bell has spent the greater part of the book explaining how ineffective and even harmful such litigation has been for the black cause. While Bell's exhortation to "find solace and strength in the recognition that black people are neither the first nor the only group whose age-old struggle for freedom still continues and is worth engaging in even if it never results in total liberty and opportunity" reminds us that there is much that is admirable in man's willingness to struggle against impossible odds, it must remain cold comfort to those Americans, white and black, committed to ending racism. Ironically, Bell's book may work to solve the very problem he concludes is insoluble: racism. Bell claims whites cannot understand racism because they have not been oppressed by it, but in reading a book centered on assumptions of whites, assumptions based on race, whites may catch a quick glimpse of how racism feels. Greater understanding can translate into greater sensitivity and perhaps a renewed sense of interracial cooperation. The great barrier in both race's minds is lack of trust, and that barrier can be overcome when we start to view people as unique individuals rather than as part of groups whose beliefs and actions are predictable and immutable. As long as racism survives in America, none of us are "saved," white or black.!

Review of Derrick Bell, AND WE ARE NOT SAVED (Basic Books, 1987) Reviewed By: Robert Huck Illinois State University February 4, 1994 Few people like to be manipulated. However, when done well it is tempting to stand back and admire the manipulator's artistry. Derrick Bell's AND WE ARE NOT SAVED almost qualifies for admiration. My first impressions while reading this book gave me unpleasant flashbacks. I was continually reminded of the difficulties I encountered in analyzing Thomas More's UTOPIA. After reading dozens of interpretations, (which rarely if ever agreed with each other) I finally gave up on finding an authoritative consensus and just tried to come to my own conclusions. Bell's use of fictional chronicles (and here fictional is an understatement) to illustrate the problems of racism in America leads itself to misinterpretation. The chronicles run the gamut from a meeting of a retired civil rights lawyer with the authors of the Constitution to a mysterious plague that darkens the skin of wealthy white children. After each chronicle, Bell (himself a civil rights attorney) and the retired attorney, Geneva Crenshaw, discuss the finer legal points and possible legal remedies of the issue presented in the chronicle. Bell's most serious shortcomings are in the chronicles' tone. Most chronicles involve an almost 'deus ex machina' approach to racism. For example, black gangbangers find stones which, when swallowed, take away a person's capacity for violence. Eventually, all blacks swallow these stones and black-on-black violence comes to a halt. Despite the end of black violence, Bell describes a virulently negative white reaction. On the surface, this reaction is not just ludicrous (people would give anything to live free from the fear of crime), it points to Bell's intractable hopelessness. This hopelessness, ultimately, is the undoing of Bell's premises, arguments, and conclusions. I was afraid I would encounter my UTOPIA problems in reading Bell's fictional chronicles. The above-mention UTOPIA flashback became particularly vivid in Chronicle #3, "The Chronicle of the Ultimate Voting Rights Act." Throughout Chronicle #3 I found myself saying over and over again, "What does he think? Is he really advocating proportional representation for black voters in state legislatures? Or is he just sending up trial balloons?" I first believed in the trial balloons theory. Bell's protagonist, Geneva Crenshaw relates the chronicle of a racist senator who (after a near-fatal auto accident) has his own epiphany on racism. To atone for the sins of his racism the senator proposes "The Ultimate Voting Rights Act". This act would "amend the voting laws so that the minority race is guaranteed to elect representatives of their choice in numbers equal to their portion of the population eligible to vote" (87). As justification for this Act, Crenshaw (or is it Bell? I'm not really sure at this point) reaches back into pre-Revolutionary history to demonstrate how blacks have been denied the franchise. So what? This is 1994, not 1794. We do not live in the 18th or even 19th century. Today Blacks can and do vote by the millions. As a history major I certainly appreciate how history can influence the present, however, pre-Revolutionary laws proscribing black voting have as much effect on politics today as 19th-century laws which denied women the franchise. These laws were reversed and today women constitute a majority of the electorate. This chronicle further illustrates Bell's unfounded hopelessness vis-a-vis the white race. If someone from another planet were to read this story, he would get the impression that in the last 200 years there has been no progress in white attitudes towards black voting. This is patently untrue and Bell knows it. It is pointless to engage in a debate on the constitutionality of "The Ultimate Voting Rights Act". Even if one concedes constitutionality, one can still be opposed to the Act. Essentially Bell calls for a Balkanization of America's electorate. If anyone wants to gauge the effectiveness of racially-determined representation, one only need to travel to Bosnia or Abkhazia or Nagorno-Karabakh. One final criticism of the Ultimate Voting Rights Act: Will Hispanics, Asians or Native Americans be eligible for the same treatment? Some states may have more Hispanics or Asians or Native Americans than blacks. Will they be allowed legally-guaranteed proportional race-based representation? If not, why not? I earlier mentioned that AND WE ARE NOT SAVED is manipulative. I did not realize this until I had read chronicle #5, "The Chronicle of the Black Reparations Foundation". In this story, a wealthy white businessman establishes a private foundation to compensate all black Americans for slavery. Even though all money contributed to this foundation was private, white reaction to the reparations was negative. Whites even successfully sued to prevent the foundation from distributing its money. When I first read of the reparations plan, I admit I didn't favor it but I could not immediately think of arguments against it. The money was privately-donated and this businessman is free to distribute his money as he sees fit. If he wants to compensate 20th-Century black Americans for something that happened to their great-great-great grandfathers, so be it. Bell's manipulation almost saved me the trouble of trying to punch holes in the reparations plan. In describing white reaction, Bell notes that "white workers saw their black counterparts doing the same work but in effect earning more money through reparations grants." He added "One challenge would assert that the Black Reparations Foundation was practicing racial discrimination and thus was not entitled to its charitable status under the tax laws" (129) Many whites may feel that way about black reparations, but that is not the real problem with it. Bell truly believes that late-20th- century black Americans should be compensated for the inhumanities suffered by their ancestors. No they should not. If they are compensated, we must also compensate the descendants of a host of other groups who have suffered oppression and indignaties. First, the Native Americans, then the Irish, Catholics, Jews, and of course, women. In other words, we would have to compensate everyone. Admittedly, we did compensate Japanese- Americans who were interned during WWII, however, this compensation was limited to people who suffered actual injury. No one alive today can claim to have suffered from slavery in the American south. Many alive today can claim actual injury from the Japanese internment. This is a completely different situation. I'm sure Bell is smart enough to realize this, but his "all whites are out to keep blacks down" premise gets in the way. Bell obviously wants his chronicles to antagonize whites, not just make them think. This explains everything. It explains why Bell treats white racism as a given, not just for a few whites, but for virtually all. It explains white reaction to the disappearance of thousands of black school children in chronicle #4. Reaction that was at first concern was eventually replaced by "all for the best" and "good riddance". It explains the refusal of whites to share medicine that would have proved effective in combating self-loathing and lethargy among black youths (chronicle #7). And finally, it explains why whites were so upset when black Americans renounced violence, illegitimacy and welfare (chronicle #9). AND WE ARE NOT SAVED raises many important questions about the influence of historical racism in America. However, its hopelessness, exaggerations and outright falsehoods such as "only blacks have suffered the injustice of racial discrimination" (tell that to a Native American) detract from some of the valid points Bell attempts. Robert Huck |rohuck@rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu 314 Walker Hall | Normal, IL 61761-2993 |"I'm a doctor, not a bricklayer." (309) 436-9887 | Leonard "Bones" McCoy

Review of Derek Bell, AND WE ARE NOT SAVED Reviewed by: Laura Field,llfield@ilstu.edu Illinois State University 2/2/95 It seems that no issue has endured with such strength throughout American history than that of racism. In AND WE ARE NOT SAVED, Derek Bell distinguishes this fact by providing a historical perspective of racism in America that he rightly proclaims continues to persist in contemporary society. Bell creatively combines his legal expertise with fantasy in an attempt to explore questions that have often been raised concerning the status of African-Americans. In his book he has created the character Geneva Crenshaw, a black ghost who has returned to earth after meeting a group of extraordinary forces in heaven. These forces expose Geneva to a number of chronicles, which are short parables filled with questions about racism in America. Upon her return she attempts to make sense of these chronicles, and calls upon the expertise of an old friend and legal colleague for help. The story unfolds as Geneva and the narrator reminisce about their past experiences in the 1960's as legal advocates for civil rights, while simultaneously examining the chronicles and the prevalent questions that surround racism in America. Bell does not simply review the same questions that have already been discussed concerning racial inequality but creates hypothetical situations in an attempt to further explore the phenomena of racism. Some of the chronicles include situations like: a black woman who returns to the original Constitutional Convention in order to argue the injustices of slavery; a wealthy white man who gives billions of dollars to African-Americans in an attempt to fight economic inequality and;the transformation of black gang members into crime fighters and super achievers after they swallow a handful of magic stones. Yet, these chronicles all end in failure for Bell asserts that white dominance in American society will not allow those that are black to succeed. Bell is correct and thorough in his analysis of the fact that inequalities continue to exist in America. Filled with statistics and facts his book makes it difficult for even the worst critic to refute the argument that racism remains a predominant problem in American society. He further provides evidence that since the passage of civil rights, African-Americans have progressed very little economically. He asserts that millions of black Americans are no better off today than they were before the civil rights movemen. Bell supports this argument by revealing that nearly 36% of all African-Americans continue to live below the poverty level (p47). However, his thesis begins to weaken when he argues that African-American poverty is primarily caused by white Americans. Bell argues that those who work to "deliberately" prevent black Americans from experiencing any upward mobility. Bell states that the reason white Americans intentionally try to prevent black Americans from economically succeeding is because "black subordination helps to ensure the situation of even the poorest whites"(p232). He further asserts that "equality will not come through social programs which serve to provide minimum relief for the needy while providing the upper classes with stability, regularity, and the poor's acceptance of the status quo"(p55). But do racial inequalities truly exist because white society is "deliberately" perpetuating black subordination? Evidence suggests no. Research and opinion polls have shown that white Americans appear to be less prejudices than ever before. Although it is true that opinion polls can be misleading, it is extremely difficult to refute the fact that overt discrimination is no longer largely acceptable or legally permitted in American culture. Bell is correct in asserting that certain aspects of our culture continues to perpetuate racial inequality. But where his argument weakens is when he suggests that the inequalities which exist are "deliberate" attempts by those that are white to ensure that those who are black will not succeed. Many of the racial inequalities that exist in contemporary society are not deliberate nor are they blatant attempts from those that makeup the majority of the white population. Often racial discrimination can occur unconsciously for like for instance:when factories relocate or small businesses move from the cities to the suburbs displace jobs and place minorities at a disadvantage or; intelligence tests that contain questions more geared towards white middle-class children than children of other racial or ethnic backgrounds. Although theses examples carry the same consequences as blatant discrimination, they are not "deliberate" attempts by white society to benefit at the expense of black society. However, as James Kluegel revealed with a study conducted in 1990, "One of the biggest problems with unintentional discrimination is that the majority of white Americans continue to believe that African- Americans enjoy the same opportunities that white Americans do". This predominant belief system has led many white Americans to oppose any additional government spending to assist minorities. Thus, although our society has been able to overcome overt prejudice, our belief systems continue to perpetuate racial inequalities. Bell further argues that racial discrimination hinders opportunities for minorities in America. Yet, he fails to include in his analysis that denying opportunities for any large proportion of our society has the capability of negatively effecting all Americans. Denying opportunities to any large proportion of our society has historically had negative effects. Currently the United States is faced with the problem of poor educational performance of many children who are forced to attend inner-city schools that are housed in lower-income districts. This situation has the capability of negatively effecting not only those that live in poor districts, but potentially all Americans if economic growth and productivity are affected by this problem. Undoubtedly such issues will become more prevalent as America expands further into the global market and as more minorities enter into the work force. Derek Bell's AND WE ARE NOT SAVED offers the reader a unique look at both the past and future consequences of racism. Unfortunately, the author fails to explore any sound solutions for the prevalent problem of racism in America.

Review of Derrick Bell, FACES AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WELL (Basic Books, 1992) Reviewed By: David G. Lewis Illinois State University February 4, 1994 Derrick Bell demonstrates an interesting writing style which incorporates fact with fiction, which often leaves the reader wondering if the events that he describes actually took place in history or are another one of his clever aberrations. Upon reading the book I was both surprised and at times disappointed with the way in which Bell ended some of the chronicles. He asserts that racism is a permanent reality in America and that nothing that civil rights groups or white liberals do will change that fact. Bell does acknowledge that blacks have made some strides in this country over the past two hundred years, however he states that whites only allow those minute advances to pacify the masses, and even then there are alternative motives for doing so. Bell states his thesis in the introduction of his book and uses several fictional chronicles to support his statement that racism is a permanent state in America. The flaw in this statement, that blacks will never be able to overcome racism regardless of their achievement, is twofold in that: 1) it doesn't explain the success of Bell himself, and 2) it basically says that any attempt by blacks to improve their lot in life is an attempt in futility. Bell begins his introduction by addressing the first shortcoming that I pointed out. He mentions that his thesis stating that racism is a permanent state in America was challenged by a well-dressed, articulate woman following a reading from his book in a downtown Washington, D.C., bookstore. He points out that he simply chronicled what society had done and was likely to do. This answer is both true and untrue. It is true in the fact that Bell does use historically accurate information in his chronicles. These facts are both true and have been duly recorded in the history of our country. However when Bell uses these historical facts to predict the future he begins to walk the line in that he takes the role of a prophet, a role that he clearly states that he is in no position to take. Bell's alter ego in these chronicles goes by the name of Geneva Crenshaw (he reincarnates her from his first book AND WE ARE NOT SAVED 1987). She too is a civil rights attorney. She appears out of nowhere from time to time and reaffirms his belief that racism is permanent. Throughout the various chronicles she appears at different times and places as if to say "I told you so!" Bell's assertion to the permanence of racism is clearly brought to life in the Afrolantica Awakening chronicle. In this chronicle Bell begins by describing an unusual occurrence which takes place in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, some nine hundred miles due east of South Carolina. A body of land appears out of the ocean. Immediately the United States and several other countries send out expedition forces to lay claim to this body of land. The first American explorers experience some life threatening atmospheric conditions which force them to retreat, barely with their lives. The same thing happens to explorers from other countries. Subsequent efforts by the United States and other major nations, by air all fail. The United States Navy then sends in a group of divers to reach the new land under water. Upon swimming within a few hundred feet of the land, three of the four divers begin experiencing difficulty in breathing and are rendered unconscious. The fourth diver then saves the lives of the other three and is hailed as a hero. The diver who saved the lives of the other three happens to be black. When questioned about his ability to save the other three he states that he was not affected by the symptoms that the other three white divers complained of. This leads to the discovery that blacks are immune to the strange atmospheric conditions that enables whites from occupying the land. When this news is made public to Americans it touches off controversy both within the black and white community. Blacks in America begin to view this Afrolantic land as their promised land and form an Afrolantica emigration movement. Pro-emigration legislation is introduced in Congress that would provide twenty thousand dollars to each African-American citizen wishing to emigrate to Afrolantica. Bell explains that this "Reparations Subsidy" would finance the move and was to be repaid if a recipient sought return in less than ten years. Bell points out how deeply entrenched racism is in white America by giving historical examples of what happened to blacks in the past who have tried to or have organized large groups of blacks with the intentions to emigrate to Africa. He points out Marcus Garvey, who in the early 1920's managed to raise ten million dollars and attracted at least a half million members in his back to Africa movement. He was convicted of mail fraud in a highly controversial case, and subsequently deported as an undesirable alien back to his homeland of Jamaica. The Afrolantica emigration movement leads to heightened racial tensions between whites and blacks. Televised reports showing blacks able to function normally on the rich new land sparks racial clashes and several attacks by whites on black communities. A man arrested at the scene of a race riot spoke for all hostile whites: "Damn! It ain't right! The n___s got sports and pop music all tied up. Now this! It's more than this God-fearing, American-loving white man can take!" Bell goes on to show more sophisticated attempts by the government to discourage blacks from going to this new land. He doesn't however quite explain why the government is opposed to blacks leaving this country, only that the government makes several legal and illegal attempts to thwart the plans of the emigration movement. While this is an interesting theory as to how racist whites would react to this scenario, Bell is simply speculating as to the reaction of whites. One could argue that the real racists would be more than happy to see blacks leave the country if that was the case, and would do anything to expedite the process. This chronicle ends on somewhat of an anticlimactic note. As suddenly as Afrolantica had appeared it began to slip beneath the waves as several hundred thousand black settlers were on their way to inhabit the land. The interesting part of this chronicle is the reaction or lack thereof of the black men and women who are now forced to return to America. Bell states that neither grief nor despair was felt as the men and women on board the armada watched the last tip of the great land mass slip beneath the waves. He says this as if to say that blacks were complacent with the current situation. This may have been an implication as to the complacency of some blacks toward racism today! Overall the book raises some thought provoking issues that warrant discussion. I agree with Bell on many of the issues that he raises, however I do not agree with the basic premise of the book that racism is permanent. Racism will exist as long as people continue to perpetuate the very thought of it never going away! David G. Lewis Illinois State University dglewis@rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu

Derrick Bell, AND WE ARE NOT SAVED(Basic Books, 1987). Reviewed by: Nicole Besse Illinois State University February 6, 1995 Growing up in a rural, farm community composed of totally white people, gave me no chance to fully understand "racism". I am not exaggerating when I say all white; there were no black people and I do not think there ever had been. Don't get me wrong, I had knowledge of what racism was and I learned all about slaves, the emancipation proclamation, and civil rights in history classes, but I had never been exposed to the type of racism that people face everyday in the real world. All of my views on racism were developed during class discussions with other white students about blacks. Although I felt strongly about the views I had taken, nothing was based on actual experience or feelings, but on what I thought I felt. When I came to school at Illinois State, my small town views of the world were completely destroyed, and I began to understand the conflict that goes on every day in communities with more than one race. I can not say that I am even close to understanding everything that makes racism as ugly as it is, but I do not think that any one is. As I read Derrick Bell's book, AND WE ARE NOT SAVED, I realized that I am quite a bit farther from shedding those small town values than I previously thought. Bell's book made me stop and think about a lot of things that I had never thought about before; things that I never would have imagined were a part of the racism issue. Throughout the whole book, it is obvious to me that not all blacks agree on a solution for ending racism. This was something that I never thought about, but now it seems like common sense. Most people do not agree on things; solutions to problems are agreed on even less. Bell's chronicle of the Celestial Curia pointed this out explicitly. Even these angelic-like women could not agree on a solution, how can an entire country agree? This chronicle also struck me as strange because one of the Curia actually suggests that the entire black population emigrate to an entirely new place. This seems to defeat the point of conquering and eliminating racism. Blacks should not have to leave a country that they are as much a part as whites. The entire make-up of the United States is one of diversity and mixing little bits of other cultures to make one that is unique in itself. It seems to me that the answer to eliminating racism is within the U.S. and although it may be difficult to come by, the answer will come eventually. I found problems reading Bell when he started blaming white people for every bad thing that has ever happened to the black race. I realize that blacks have disadvantages and that some whites have treated some blacks unfairly, but I do not think that blaming all the problems of an entire race on another race is a solution to the problem of racism. Again and again Bell blames slavery for the state that blacks are in today and this may be a large cause of "blacks being the exploited, the excluded and...the exterminated in society", but I do not think that I should be blamed today for something that happened two hundred years ago. Whites who enslaved blacks had their reasons, and whether they be racial or economic, I do not agree with them and do not feel obligated to take the blame for what the founders of this nation did to black slaves two hundred years ago. At times I feel that the slavery issue of racism is, simply put, a way to evoke guilt in whites. If blacks would stop placing blame for everything on whites, the solution to the problem of racism could be closer than it is. Another issue that Bell addresses is a "separate but equal" school system for black children so that the quality of education for blacks is improved. In my all white school of 250, there was always the problem of some children not getting the same quality of education as others. This was due to teachers teaching down to some students and teaching up to other students. A few kids at my school were poor and some teachers taught to them like they were completely ignorant when the only thing different about them was the amount of money their parents made. When children, black or white, are taught that they are no good, even if they are brilliant, they will act no good. Teach up to all children, they will feel better about themselves and they will learn more. If it turns out that a segregated school system is what is best for the children, then that is fine. But if all black schools are okay, then so are all white schools. No white should be labelled as racist if, in turn, they want all white schools. No one should ever be prohibited from going to school anywhere they want though, it should never be all or nothing. Bell's book brought out a lot of issues about racism that I never noticed before. Although I do not agree with all of his arguments and conclusions, the issues he explores are very important. I really have no experience with racism so some of my views may not even be fully developed. What I do know is that no one should be treated differently on the basis of the color of their skin and that I wish there was an instant solution to racism. If we want equality, then everyone should be treated equally no matter what color, sex or ethnicity. ---- Nicole L. Besse nlbesse Illinois State University

Review of Derrick Bell, AND WE ARE NOT SAVED (Basic Books,1987) Reviewed By: Melanie Rosiak Illinois State University February 5, 1995 And We Are Not Saved is creatively written, has superb style, and provides interesting stories. From the Prologue to the Appendix, Derrick Bell arouses emotions, and raises thought provoking questions. The underlying question however, is who is to blame for the racial injustices in America. This question arises in each section of the novel. Each chapter contains a chronicle, a made up story to demonstrate injustices blacks have incurred due to a white oppressive land. Following the chronicle, two characters, the narrator-a former civil rights lawyer, now law professor, and Geneva Crenshaw-an old lawyer friend from the civil rights movement, debate what really took place in the chronicle and how society would have actually reacted. The fault of this novel is the overwhelming emphasis Bell places on white racism and oppression. Although he raises many good points through his stories, the discussions between the narrator and Geneva generally focus on bashing whites. Instead, he should focus on where the chronicle went wrong, or try to discover how the situation could actually be changed. Bell continually charges that whites only help blacks in order to further their own self-interested gain, and he even puts down the accomplishments of his own race to further use white racism as a crutch. The chronicle of the slave scrolls, (chapter 9), exemplifies the self-pity Bell poses on all blacks. This story tells of the discovery of a small ship, similar in construction of the old slave ships. And inside this vessel lies three documents in which the slaves had written describing how the slaves endured the terrible burdens of their lives. The words were seen as the secrets of survival. As the story continues, it tells how the pastor who had found the scrolls began to preach its message, and black power was beginning to form based on the idea that we will show the white people and we will overcome. In the end of this chronicle, it says that the white people felt threatened by this "black success," and then were going to try and keep the black race down. They passed racial tolerance laws, and eventually forced the blacks to give over the scrolls, and forced blacks back into their lowly state. Bell uses the above chronicle to show how no matter what blacks do, the whites will destroy it to keep the blacks down. The only logical question then would be, by what name should we call all of these white Gods? Grange Copeland, the character in Alice Walker's novel said, "Nobody's as powerful as we make them (whites) out to be. We got our own souls, don't we?" If the white race is so great that it can pull down even the strongest movement and convince blacks to doubt themselves and their race, why should they even try to get ahead? There is no doubt that racism does exist in America, but is it really so great that it could hold back intelligent, hard working members of the black community. The answer is that the blacks are strong, but continually feel less deserving than whites. Whether this is brought on solely by racism that has been embedded in their minds still needs to be proven. Why else would a group get so far ahead, and prove so much to themselves and even to whites, and then just merely give up? This chronicle did not portray the oppression by whites as much as it portrayed the power blacks give to whites. As Derrick Bell stated, oppression was built into the Constitution. However, over the years, the law has changed in an effort to revamp the white dominated environment. Laws have been passed banning segregation and providing equal rights, programs set up in order to ensure fair hiring practices, and additional aid has been provided to help those of the lowest class. And, although these programs and laws are not perfect, they are working to correct the wrongs of the past. A quotation from the novel illustrates my point, "litigation may be a leaky boat whose engine has run out of gas, but one can still paddle through treacherous waters. It's prudent to be aware of all of the boat's defects, making adjustments for them, even trying to fix a few of them as time permits. But it is not prudent to abandon the boat, particularly if you can't swim to shore." On p.14, Bell criticizes those that feel blacks need to help better their own situation. He says, "Today, as policy makers again seek to abandon civil rights enforcement, certain experts assert that the plight of blacks is the fault of blacks or of the social programs on which the poor rely. When such claims are expounded by blacks, they obtain a deceptive authenticity. Such blacks, knowingly or not, dispense a product that fills the present national need for outrageous anti-black comment." Bell does not present a solution to end his 'oppression,' yet he criticizes those blacks that are trying to improve the situation for the race. If no black people take action in some form to ensure their equality to the white race, then would anything ever be done, or would the black race be harmed even more. Derrick Bell claims that whites are to blame for all of the problems of the black race. He states that there is no way to get around racism, yet he does not have a solution to fix it either. On p. 204, the narrator says, "I certainly don't want to condone wife cheating, wife beating, and all the other forms of abuse--even though one needn't be a psychologist to recognize that much of this conduct is the manifestation of frustration with racism." How much can you blame on the white race? Do white men not abuse? The answer is obviously yes. It is time for everyone to stand up and take responsibility for their actions. "America's continuing commitment to white domination looms especially large for those citizens of color whose lives are little less circumscribed than were those of their slave forebears." (p.4) This statement is simply untrue. Unlike slaves, blacks are able to vote, and their vote counts as a citizen of the United Sates of America. They are permitted to have independent families, and own property. They are also paid employees, are able to employ whites as workers for them, and are permitted to hold even the highest of elected offices. Bell's view on racial injustice is extremely biased and gives little regard to all of the advancements made by the black community. If he feels that the injustices against blacks are so gross, then he should at least offer some solution to remedy the situation. It is easy to sit back and complain about the faults, but it takes a true desire to want to better one's situation to actually stand up and do something about it. Racial injustices do occur, but is that really the only reasons blacks have not advanced as far as they had hoped?

Sorry for the lengthy posting. I hope the importance of the issues raised make it worth the read (5 paragraphs). Normally, I am a simple lurker on this list. I enjoy reading the reviews and considering the thoughtful, provocative commentary. This time I simply couldn't resist commenting on the two most recent reviews of Bell's _AND WE ARE NOT SAVED_. The reviews by Nicolle Besse and Melanie Rosicek seem naive and epitomize white denial of racism. I am used to hearing the argument that persons of color had better quit their whining, roll up their sleeves, quit blaming whites and get down to business in this promised land of opportunity. These victim-blaming arguments are the stock-in-trade of white, suburbanites such as Pate Phillip, leader of the suburban, "white flight" Republican majority in the Illinois Senate who consistently claims blacks are poor because they lack a work ethic. But to hear the same arguments from social science students in a book review symposium frightens me. Sometimes I think that white people "just don't get it." Why do I assume these reviews were written by whites? First off, I teach a graduate course at Concordia University in River Forest, IL on race relations. About one-half of my students in that course are persons of color, primarily Chicago city school teachers working on master's degrees. In that course, we engage in anti-racism "training," as well as the usual cognitive engagement with the subject. An anti-racist approach assumes that there are three, distinct layers of racism: personal forms such as prejudice, institutional forms which can be both formal and informal such as slavery or real estate block busting, and cultural racism which roughly refers to collective preferences according to color. Most whites in my experience have a failure to think beyond the individualistic default in our culture, so if they admit racism exists at all, it is a matter of one person being prejudiced or discriminating against another. Those in oppressed groups such as communities of color usually perceive racism as systemic. The default reaction of the oppressed to this systemic, unescapable racism is internalization, such as "passing" for white, accepting white standards of beauty, oppressing other persons of color through verbal, emotional, and physical violence, and other forms of acceptance of this system. Black people often claim that whites are out to get them; conspiratorial thinking is the cultural mechanism most prevalent within communities of African descent in this society. Can't imagine why Blacks think whites are out to get them? Perhaps the brutal oppression and exclusion from white-dominated institutions over four hundred years has something to do with it. But Besse and Rosicek join the cacophony of white America telling them to quit whining -- after all, it's a beautiful world out there... White racism refers not to personal forms of bigotry, but to a social and cultural system designed to benefit whites. Besse and Rosicek, along with most of white America, jerk into denial: "Well, those were other white people, not me! Even if it was my Grandpa, that was his fault. Surely you aren't gonna tax me for the sins of Grandma and Grandpa!". One important _SYSTEMIC_ dimension of this _COLLECTIVE_ denial is white flight to the suburbs. Inner city communities populated by persons of color comprise "internal" reservations created by four hundred years of _SYSTEMIC_ domination and brutalization of persons of color. White flight represents a kind of collective "black out," or selective remembering. The conditions in ghetto communities are unspeakable in a democracy: inner city school districts spend less than one-half per pupil what is spent in wealthier, suburban communities. Why? A system of taxation in which local taxes pay for local schools. Perhaps Besse and Rosicek didn't create this _STRUCTURAL_, _INSTITUTIONALIZED_ reality personally, but their white forbears did establish a system of race privilege for whites. Europeans came to North America and built this society through the enslavement of one people and the near genocide of another. That whites continue to live in the bizarre myth of individual initiative and blame is an aspect of white denial that their privilege in our society is due to some unspeakable things done _IN OUR NAME_, and _WITHOUT OUR PERMISSION_. Why don't white people, even white social science students, understand racism in systemic terms? Why do whites continue to blame the victims of white racism (Bell simply means institutionalized privilege favoring whites by the term "white racism.") Because, as Bell assumes, as long as whites are "drunk" on the benefits of a racist system, the individualistic world view, especially as applied to racism, provides a collective justification for accepting the status quo and pointing the finger back at the victims. This is why Bell assumes that white racism is a permanent, structural reality in American society and culture. Personally, I agree with Professor Cornell West, Rev. Joseph Barndt (_DISMANTLING RACISM_, Augsburg Press), and others who think the way out of this mess is a cultural transformation of identity among whites. This transformation can only occur when whites get as angry about what racism has done to them as Blacks and other persons of color are about what it has done to them. On a spiritual level (part of culture), racism has deeply implicated whites and damaged them by forcing them into the oppressor role automatically, because the benefits of institutional racism accrue automatically for whites (do white people get followed around when they enter stores?; will white people with a Ph.D. ever be told they are a "credit to their race?"). This degrades the humanity of whites and violates deeply held cultural and religious values of equality of all people in western culture (try reading the Hebrew story of EXODUS from a political, instead of a spiritual angle). Until whites quit denying that they benefit from racism and are spiritually damaged by accepting the status quo, they fulfill Bell's argument that whites assume "with racism I gain; with the end of racism, I lose." By realizing how denial and white skin privilege (albeit put in place by Grandpa, not by me) force whites to live an enormous LIE about how they gained their status in this society, white people can begin to break out of their cultural and spiritual bondage and heal the damage racism has done to them. When whites begin to say "With the end of racism, I gain," then Bell's prediction of the permanence of racism will go unfulfilled. If that ever happens, white people can be honest with themselves and with their brothers and sisters of color. Perhaps then white people can take their seats at the multicultural table on an authentic basis. Until then, along with Besse and Rosicek, those of us of European descent must go on living in our fantasy world of denial and the spiritual wound of the denial of racism will continue to fester like a cancer. Wayne Luther Thompson Dept. of Sociology Concordia University River Forest IL CRFTHOMPSWL@CUIS.CRF.EDU

I was intrigued by Wayne Thompson's response to the recent Derrick Bell reviews. I would like to address a few of Thompson's points. I do not think that either Ms. Besse or Ms. Rosicek were attempting to place blame. I just re-read both of their reviews and nowhere did I see any statements to the effect that black Americans should quit whining and just pull themselves up by their bootstraps. What I read was a criticism of Bell's inability to offer solutions to the problem of racism. This is not to say that Mr. Thompson had no valid points. Of course there are many forms of racism other than personal prejudice. But in focusing on systemic racism, Thompson falls into the same trap that engulfed Bell. Thompson spoke only of a "cultural transformation of identity among whites". Just what does this mean? I hate to sound patronizing, but how is this change supposed to take place? What should we do to bring it about. Thompson speaks of getting angry, but anger alone solves nothing. I am also disturbed by white flight, but it is about 20 years too late to protest this. White flight is a fait accompli. We might as well try to prevent World War II. We can't force whites to move back to the cities their parents and grandparents abandoned in the '60s and '70s. Again, how do you reverse a historical fact? As a history student, I have yet to see any successful attempt to revive the past. Finally, Thompson was completely wrong about the problems of inner-city schools. Yes, they are horrible places, but spending more money will do nothing. Thompson points out correctly that Chicago schools spend less-then half of what suburban schools spend, but he fails to mention that they spend more than the state average. Catholic schools spend less than suburban schools, but no one would call their education programs inferior. The problem with schools like the ones in Chicago's poorest neighborhoods is that they do not exist in a vacuum. I had a friend who taught at a school in a very poor neighborhood in Chicago (Dvorak Elementary School for those familiar with Chicago schools). He once had to prevent a 2nd-grader from hitting a girl with a broken beer bottle. He had the windows of his classroom shot out. He was threatened with bodily harm on several occasions, including his first day at school. He was assaulted by a parent because he demanded that her child do her homework. I fail to see how more money would change any of that. Robert Huck rhuck@templar.fgi.net "German ought to be gently and reverently set aside among the dead languages, for only the dead have time to learn it." Mark Twain

Review of Derrick Bell, FACES AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WELL Reviewed by Johnna Jackson, jmjacks@acadcomp.cmp.ilstu.edu Illinois State University 2-7-96 Derrick Bell scratches the surface of the angst and woes of every variety of African-American and then delves into their dreams of the past and hopes for the present and future. There are two themes throughout this book. One is that racism is a permanent and indestructible part of our society; the other, that white people won't help out African-Americans unless it benefits them in some way. Each chapter weaves a fictitious story with true situations in the present time. Bell's stories may be fictitious, but he refers to true court rulings of the past, such as Brown vs. Board of Education, to prove his points and to point out ironies in our society. Bell uses irony himself by expressing ideas on increasing equality in one chapter and then in the next chapter he writes about how hopeless our society is and that racism is here to stay. The story of "The Afrolantica Awakening", (Chapter Two) entwines hope, confusion and conflict. The idea that only African-Americans could live on an island that pops up off the coast of the United States gives some African-Americans in the story a sense of great pride and hope. While on the other hand some African-Americans thought leaving America for this island would be a mistake because the United States is their home as much as the whites. The whites in the story began to fear the African-Americans new found confidence and race riots broke out. The pro-emigration groups overcame many obstacles, such as the government, to make their journey. When the time comes the island sinks before their eyes and they are forced to turn back. Amazingly though they turn back with a sense of pride and liberation. The point of the story is that these people worked as a community and at least had the strength to look for something better and they no longer had to see themselves as victims. That even though African-Americans may never get out from under the oppressiveness of America, by keeping the struggle for equality and freedom alive they achieve a kind of redemption. All through the book Bell argues different views and ideas with a woman named Geneva Crenshaw, who is a civil rights lawyer, the same as bell. Geneva seems to just appear out of thin air and seems to be a part of Bell himself. It's as if she is his alter ego because she plays devil's advocate every time she appears. Her place in the book is to make Bell question himself, which is where all of the contradiction between hope and hopelessness comes to a head. Bell does a good job of giving African-Americans a sense of pride and purpose and maybe just a little bit of hope. He shows what a nasty scab racism is on America. This book was easy to read and easy to associate with. Bell gets his point across and, in some cases, keeps the reader wanting more. -- Johnna Jackson JMJACKS@acadcomp.cmp.ilstu.edu

Review of Derrick Bell Faces at the Bottom of the Well (Basic Books, 1992) Reviewed By: Heather M. Sauber Illinois State University February 8, 1996 In the chilling work of fiction, Derrick Bell seeks to convince the reader of the persistence and prevalence of racism. Racism has become the backbone of our society and will continue for many years to come. In Faces at the Bottom of the Well, Bell uses fantasies as well as the help of his "imaginary" friend Geneva to help the reader gain more insight into the topic at hand. Geneva Crenshaw is a fictional character created in Bell's mind. Even though she does not really exist, Bell seems as if he truly loves her. Geneva IS Bell. She is the part of him that questions social institutions, feelings of lost and disparity and even asks him what he believes. An example of Geneva's power within Bell is noticed in chapter six, entitled Rules of Racial Standing. These rules include black's statements are deemed as special pleading and thus not entitled to serious consideration. Another is black victims of racism are less effective witnesses than are whites. Geneva acts as though the "answers received on the mount" are her argument bringing Bell around to her way of seeing. She as well as Bell believes that the message on the computer screen is a rule all blacks must follow, "Speak Up, Ike, an 'spress yo'se'f". Bell's stories include a conversation between Bell, a black law professor on his way to a convention and a simple limousine driver who helps show Bell the light of racism in this divided country. Another includes the beginning of an exodus, to move African-Americans to their own island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, and an alien spaceship that travels to ask the American people to give up its population of African-Americans in exchange for the resources they need to continue their lifestyles and society. Bell is pessimistic. He truly believes through the voice of Geneva, that African-Americans have no hope of racial equality in this country because whites insist on holding them down. The reason Bell gives for the white race's constantly beating is because whites feel as though they need to be superior to any type of people. He does not give much information on other ethnic groups or minorities that also call this country their home. Because Bell says so little about other minorities, I have the feeling that he feels that the only race being discriminated against in this country are blacks. In my opinion as well as the opinion of many others, that this is not necessarily the case, as well as racism there is also sexism, classism and ethnic inequality. This country is full of hypocritical people who will shake your hand and stab you in the back if you are Puerto Rican, female, on welfare or black. Bell tells blacks that they must rely on their history and pride to show them where they have been and where they are going. He states that, "Now there is more here than confrontation with our oppressors. Continued struggle can bring about unexpected benefits and gains that in themselves justify continued endeavor" (199). I did find one comparison Bell made in this book as very interesting and easily misunderstood. Bell gave the example of this Nation of Islam Minister Louis Farrakhan. He states that he is often prejudged by others because he tells it like it is and the white people can not accept this because they are afraid of his boldness, and even stated that "fear is not rational" (121). Black people are expected to denounce Rev. Farrakhan, because he makes inflammatory remarks that are aimed at other races and religions. Black's who are quick to condemn him are seen as "all right" in the eyes of the white man, while those who are not are considered to be just as "hateful". Geneva makes the comment that it is not hate that fuels Rev. Farrakhan, instead it is his perceptions of the problems of racism in American Society. Bell's fictional account of the "run in" with the limousine driver is the perfect opening chapter. The driver acts as an awakening for Bell, he accurately states the troubles that the black men who have not "sold out" to the white man really feel. "From the Emancipation Proclamation on, the Man been handing us a bunch of bogus freedom checks he never intends to honor (19). Dr. King's holiday was not so much an answer to a racial problem but more of a sacrifice white government had to enact. Bell's final statement-one that rings true through the book, is that a black person does not need an education to understand where he is and where he has been, he only needs to look at the racism around him (I use he in the most generic of terms). In my opinion chapter four, "The Last Black Hero" accurately describes the fear of black women, and more importantly the fear that blacks in general face. The black women as well as anti-racist black feel as though they are losing all their saviors and men to white women, white causes, and a fear of being left behind in the white world. Many of the things that Bell says in this book leave me with a grave sense of guilt. Bell implies that the white man has only helped the black man so that he could once again be shown as the superior race. Just when I had thought that as a person, and more importantly a representative of my race, have tried to face the problem of racism with an open mind. I feel as though I am compelled to do either one of two things, either fight for equality with more of a vengeance or close my eyes and say that I as one person can not solve the persistence of racism. Sincerely Heather Sauber

Erik S. Weidner Political Science Department Illinois State University esweidn@rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu Derrick Bell Faces at the Bottom of the Well: The Permanence of Racism HarperCollins Publishers ISBN: 0-465-06817-0 Cloth Publication Date: 1992

The book "Faces at the Bottom of the Well" by Derrick Bell is a very interesting way to put across your view points. Tell shorts stories with a meaning instead of preaching at people. I enjoyed the short story part of the book. 20 The Preface and Introduction are to me a restating of the obvious an I found this part of the book rather boring. The following are some examples of either this restatement of commonly known facts or questions that, I feel insult our intelligence:20 20 In the very beginning of the book Bell says that the poorest whites "deliverance depends on letting down their ropes" in order to help both themselves and the poor blacks. Why would poor whites; who probably live in the south and hate black people, or "niggers", as they would cal them; have any desire to help the poor blacks? Other than for the authors own satisfaction, why would he write, pled and argue for equality if he believed that, "racism is an integral, permanent, and20 indestructible component of this society?" So far it appears that Bell is stating something that any semi-intelligent person already knows - that racial discrimination is a very elaborate, well concealed part of our every day social workings. The "us v. them" mentality, mentioned in the introduction, is often applied during economic hard times is a scapegoat often used to keep the blacks down and the poor whites happy that they are not black. I did like the Epilogue though because it asked new questions and brought new insight to an issue that needs a new way of looking at old, bad ideas. Not bad in the sense that what blacks want, true freedom, (that is not bad), but bad in the sense that the approaches taken to ensure that "freedom" are not working and something else needs to be tried. I will give a brief overview of each chapter because I feel that this will be helpful in discussing Bell and his ideas. In "Racial Symbols: A limited Legacy," it is said that many times the blacks are given symbolic victories in order to pacify them into obedience. Such "victories" would include, but not limited to, a national holiday for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., desegregation of our schools, the civil rights movement and even something so trivial as BET (Black Entertainment Television) or Miss Black America. Throw em92 a little scrape so they92l l keep quite. In "The Afrolantica Awakening" was an attempt at showing how society would not let Black America have anything of value unless they profited ten fold from their fortune. It also showed that trying to improve your condition and failing is better than not trying at all. The "Racial Licensing Act" keeps referring to 91morals-policing92 laws as a justification for licensing discrimination. Citing that other such laws as: alcohol prohibition, antigambling, etc. as failures an that this is the only solution. Making people pay for money in advance for the right to be able to discriminate. Again the argument that ALL "civil rights laws or constitutional provisions" only benefit the whites. The black community may benefit a little but only if the white community benefits a lot. White self-interest lawmaking. Nepotism - giving preferential treatment to family members. Advantages to RLA: 1.) Allows the right of non-association, if someone does not want to be around a certain group of people then they don92t have to. 2.) Public admission of racial discriminatory actions along with the high payments for that "right," not only do they have to admit publicly that they are racists, but they have to pay big bucks for that privilege. 3.) Blacks will know up front if they will be discriminated against and won92t have to waste their time in that establishment. In "The Last Black Hero" the dilemma that Jason is facing is that of interracial marriage and how both side of the fence see his decision, a black man, marrying a white women. The whites see it as, other than unthinkable and disgusting, a relief, that the teeth have been taken out of the black militant attitude. For now he is with a white so surely he can not be as radical. The blacks, especially black women, felt betrayed and as if Jason were a sell out. In "Divining a Racial Realism Theory" the author meets up with Erika Wechsler a white female who is a member of WCBS (White Citizens for Black Survival). This group, sometimes known as John Browns92 Brigade, is a type of 20th century underground railroad. Erika describes her groups two "pronged" mission. The first, is to create a racial realism. That is to get blacks to understand that other than just being "historical scapegoats," blacks are on the verge of being exterminated by whites. After this is realized then the WBCS goes into phase two, "to build a nation wide network of secret shelters to house and feed black people in the event of a black holocaust." During the story the professor (who never introduces himself to Erika, and we see why in the end) and Erika have many deep discussions about racial problems in our country. These discussions are but justification that the WBCS should be taken seriously. But in the end we see that this was also a ploy on Geneva92s part to see if the author, unlike Jason, could maintain a proper relationship with a white women." In "The Rules of Racial Standing" Bell describes for us the five rules of racial standing and uses examples from the not so distant past the show how these rules are truly rules of our society. Rule #1 - "No matter what their expertise black statements are deemed as 91special pleading92 and thus not entitled to serious consideration." The example used is that of Ralph Ellison92s book Invisible Man. Rule #2 - "Not only are black complaints discounted, but black victims of racism less effective witnesses than are whites, who are members of the oppressor class." The example was that of Brown v. Board of Education. Rule #3 - Similar to rule #1 except that a black person can have credibility when speaking out against another black person that is doing something that upsets white people. The example used is Clarence Thomas92 appointment to the Supreme Court (he opposed affirmative action). Rule #4 - When blacks get uppity whites find other blacks that will condemn their (the uppity blacks) actions. Those recruited will have 91superstanding status92 while those that decline will be punished. The example given is that of Muslim minister Louis Farrakhan. Rule #5 - The truth that the knowledge will lead to frustration and no chance of repeal. In other words, there is no possibility of change for blacks. In "Racism92s Secret Bonding" Bell tells us of a 91data storm92 that enlightens White America to the plight of the black person. The frustrations of discrimination, under education, unemployment, low wages and poor housing conditions. These are not the only injustices, just some of the more glaring. Bell then goes on to talk about how whites know what they are doing and encourage it. There is an unspoken pact to keep blacks at the bottom so as to keep social and economic stability. This pact is how, in Bell92s view, all whites are bonded by racism In the "The Space Traders" I could go into who betrayed who and who was considered to be an "Uncle Tom" and for what reason the blacks were allowed, or should I say forced, into leaving "the New World as their forebears had arrived," (fearful and in chains). Instead I will simply ask the same questions that the author did (rephrased slightly): Would you stay someplace that you knew would persecute you even more than now, and probably kill you for their continued plight? and Would you send away millions of innocent people, not knowing if they would be turned into slaves or even murdered, just to receive a better way of life? ERIK :) Erik S. Weidner ffff,0000,0000esweidn@rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu From ???@??? Wed Feb 19 15:59:32 1997 Received: from thor.cmp.ilstu.edu (root@thor.cmp.ilstu.edu [138.87.1.6]) by rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu (8.8.5/8.7) with SMTP id PAA45264 for ; Wed, 19 Feb 1997 15:51:54 -0600 Received: from localhost by thor.cmp.ilstu.edu (AIX 3.2/UCB 5.64/4.03) id AA31888; Wed, 19 Feb 1997 15:51:42 -0600 Date: Wed, 19 Feb 1997 15:51:42 -0600 Message-Id: <01ifll7ozyd299dq81@crf.cuis.edu> Errors-To: gmklass@rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu Reply-To: pos302-l@thor.cmp.ilstu.edu Originator: pos302-l@thor.cmp.ilstu.edu Sender: pos302-l@thor.cmp.ilstu.edu Precedence: bulk From: CRFTHOMPSWL@crf.cuis.edu To: gmklass@rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu

X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Comment: Political Science 302 Discussion List Erik Weidner's review of Derrick Bell was at times intriguing, at times provocative. He claims that some of Bell's thesis is "restating the obvious." Curious choice of words. Legendary sociologist C. Wright Mills in his seminal piece "The Sociological Imagination" used the exact same phrase to describe the enterprise, craft and science of sociology. Sometimes, Erik, the obvious bears restatement. In the case of this book, you noticed that the use of story is the medium through which cultural and structural analysis of race relations is approached. In "Space Travellers," a story in which visitors from beyond offer to purchase all African Americans and give white America only days to decide, I believe Erik misses the point. This story is being used by anti-racism trainers from Crossroads Ministry of Chicago and People's Institute for Survival and Beyond in multicultural consulting situations with churches and community groups. As these organizations tell it, Bell was suggesting that the story has already occurred in America. White Americans have already sold African Americans for their thirty pieces of silver. What happened between the ancient Egyptians and Hebrews resulted in utter hopelessness for race relations in that society. In "Space Travellers," we play a game of Twilight Zone proportions in which a futuristic science fiction story is really a reflection of what has already happened in our midst. Will the future of race relations in the United States turn out like Bell's high-tech science fiction yarn or like ancient Egypt? Bell suggests structural changes will better the state of race relations in America. Only when Americans of European descent come to grips with terrible things that were done in their name to give them a better life at the expense of people of color will they be willing to remove the obstacles to full access to the American dream for all Americans. Living with this "secret" and the resulting denial of responsibility is what puts a wall between whites and African Americans and other people of color. In the process, white America can heal itself and come to the multicultural table on a more honest basis. Perhaps then trust can be reestablished and we could build a truly multicultural society. The healing of which Bell often speaks is a cultural process; dismantling the privileges of being white in this society is a structural one. Both are necessary to move beyond the impasse and boundaries of race in America. Besides raising a number of interesting issues, I did find Erik's review to be difficult to read, due both to cryptic and elliptical prose and to some binary-type characters being inserted throughout the text. Did you type this on a word processing program? Wayne Thompson Sociology Dept. Concordia University River Forest IL 60305-1499 (708)209-4075 CRFTHOMPSWL@CRF.CUIS.EDU From ???@??? Fri Feb 21 07:02:35 1997 Received: from thor.cmp.ilstu.edu (root@thor.cmp.ilstu.edu [138.87.1.6]) by rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu (8.8.5/8.7) with SMTP id TAA43518 for ; Thu, 20 Feb 1997 19:10:05 -0600 Received: from localhost by thor.cmp.ilstu.edu (AIX 3.2/UCB 5.64/4.03) id AA21461; Thu, 20 Feb 1997 19:09:53 -0600 Date: Thu, 20 Feb 1997 19:09:53 -0600 Message-Id: <01ifmwuzedzy99dugf@crf.cuis.edu> Errors-To: gmklass@rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu Reply-To: pos302-l@thor.cmp.ilstu.edu Originator: pos302-l@thor.cmp.ilstu.edu Sender: pos302-l@thor.cmp.ilstu.edu Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: 856528176.004 From: CRFTHOMPSWL@crf.cuis.edu To: gmklass@rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu

X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Comment: Political Science 302 Discussion List Status: RO In a dialogue about my reaction to Erik's review of Bell's "Faces...," Doug Kershaw asks about the limits of white guilt and shame. Whites weren't 'white' until they engaged in denial of responsibility for systemic racism in North America. Forgetting European roots (religion, culture, history, communalism) fuels denial of responsibility. How? I would argue that responsibility must be communal. After all, the God of the Abrahamic religions (Islam, Judaism, Christianity) often spoke to Israel, not to particular Hebrews per se. Jews acknowledge this in the holiday of Yom Kippur -- if one of us in our community has sinned, failed or is in pain, on some level the entire community needs to ask how this could have happened, how we all failed. It is only in developed, modernized, urban societies where the notion of the individual emerges at all. So, the responsibility for the problem of racism and its solution must be collective, not merely individual. Personal responsibility for racism is a waste of time and a divergence from the real issues. Making people feel guilty, on a personal level, does not dismantle systemic, institutionalized racism. People of European descent need to claim responsibility on both personal and cultural levels for the unfair advantages of being born "white" (and/or male) into this society. The key point here is that Euro-Americans continue to benefit in 1997 from things done in their name in the proximate and remote past. To deny that is at the heart of white flight to the suburbs and other forms of running away from our true heritage as oppressors. Perhaps I didn't discriminate, I didn't enslave. But, to be fair, as an American of Swedish ancestry, I do reap the bennies of those actions done in my name. European-Americans cannot begin to break out from the prison of systemic white racism until they morally come to terms with this legacy. Contrary to the extreme individualism of our culture, white people in 1997 did come from somewhere; our privileges in this society were created unfairly, through the enslavement of one people and the near genocide of another. As Martin Luther King said often to white volunteers in the freedom struggle for civil rights, "white man (woman), go home and heal your own people." It is not only people of color who are damaged goods because of racism. White people have forgotten their true heritage, including not only systemic racism established in their name but also many among us who have resisted against racism. The function of a racist system is to socialize the next generation of oppressors who deny that the system favors them, that they directly benefit from the racist actions of their forebears. When whites realize that racism cuts them off from their brothers and sisters of color, and from an honest recollection of their cultural identity and heritage, then they can begin to heal, too. Coming to the multicultural table on that more honest basis is the only way people of color will begin to trust us again, so together we can struggle against oppression and dismantle the privileges that are now the birthright of European Americans. Racism is a prison. Rethinking our past and putting our cultural identity on an anti-racist plane is the key to unlocking the prison door. Peace, Wayne Luther Thompson, Ph.D. and budding anti-racist Dept. of Sociology and Social Work Concordia University River Forest IL 60305-1499 (708)209-4075 CRFTHOMPSWL@CRF.CUIS.EDU From ???@??? Wed Feb 26 13:50:47 1997 Received: from thor.cmp.ilstu.edu (root@thor.cmp.ilstu.edu [138.87.1.6]) by rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu (8.8.5/8.7) with SMTP id MAA55550 for ; Wed, 26 Feb 1997 12:38:23 -0600 Received: from localhost by thor.cmp.ilstu.edu (AIX 3.2/UCB 5.64/4.03) id AA31467; Wed, 26 Feb 1997 12:38:10 -0600 Date: Wed, 26 Feb 1997 12:38:10 -0600 Message-Id: <3.0.1.32.19970226120819.007ad100@rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu> Errors-To: gmklass@rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu Reply-To: pos302-l@thor.cmp.ilstu.edu Originator: pos302-l@thor.cmp.ilstu.edu Sender: pos302-l@thor.cmp.ilstu.edu Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: 856982671.000 From: Juan Jose Ortiz To: gmklass@rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu

X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Comment: Political Science 302 Discussion List Status: U Derrick Bell, FACES AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WELL reviewed by: Juan J. Ortiz One could easily read Derek Bell's book and think that there is no hope for blacks in America. His preface alone could give that impression but, this book is not about cynicism it is about giving another voice to a problem that has existed for hundreds of years. The problem of race relations Bell argues has become an integral part of the American way of life. This fixture in American culture is a problem Bell addresses in his book in a very intellectual and entertaining manner. The book itself is compromised of nine different short stories. Each story is different and touches on a variety of subjects, I believe this is what makes this such a good book. He presents these stories in a variety of styles yet, keeps on a single theme. Each story presented is used to illustrate how the problem of racism is an integral part of American culture. Bell touches on many different aspects of the race problem in his stories. He touches on economic issues, inter-racial dating, and job advancement. Each story could almost be seen as a parable. A parable of course tries to teach us something and I believe that's all Bell is really trying to do. "The Afrolantica Awakening" is one of the best short stories in Bell's book. In this story Bell tells of an island that arises from the ocean off the coast of South Carolina. This new island is filled with natural resources and is described as a paradise. There is only one problem, no one can get close enough to the island to survey it and really see what's going on that is, all except black Americans. This new island black Americans come to believe is their version of the Jewish promiseland. In the story Bell tries to make a connection between the island migration to the migration of blacks back to Africa in the early nineteen century and the nineteen-twenties. He cites three specific black Americans who, in their earlier attempts to return to Africa were either successful or had some measure of success. In the story Bell goes on to describe how the United States Government is willing to pay blacks to move to the island. The black community comes together and is ready and willing to move to the island when disaster strikes. On the eve of their departure the island sinks back into the ocean and is never to be seen again. This story I believe shows two different points one negative and one positive. The positive point I believe is the coming together of the black community to accomplish the goal of moving to the island. There is always talk of the lack of black unity among black leaders. This story though, not factual still shows that when people work towards a common goal it can be accomplished. I believe that this is what Bell is trying to get at. Even though the Island disappeared it showed that black unity was not an unattainable goal but, one that is out of reach due to lack of participation among some blacks. The negative aspect of this story seems to imply that America wants to rid itself of all black people. This of course goes back to Bell being seen as cynical. I believe at times that Bell feels so down trodden that he loses all hope and gives into paranoia. This paranoia being that if given the chance white America would easily see itself free of all black people. "The Space Traders" another story in Bell's book deals with this theme exactly. The story goes that aliens from another planet come to planet earth and particularly the United States. The aliens arrive on January first and want to reach an agreement with the United States. This agreement was that if the United States would give up their black citizens they in turn, would supply the United States with an unlimited energy supply, gold to bail out the economy, and a cure to the ailing environment. The aliens give the United States fifteen days to decide the fate of it's black citizens. The story then progresses to the United States proposing that black citizens be drafted to go with the aliens. The president and his cabinet members see this as the only way. The cabinet members seem to justify their motives by appealing to patriotism. Patriotism for a country that has never shown full and equal respect for all of it's citizens. As the days slowly go by black America begins to leave the country. Black people fear the worst from the aliens and know what lies ahead for them if they don't get out. The fifteen days are up and the United States is has decided to give up it's black citizens. The aliens come back and unload the promised goods and take the remaining black population with it. This once again shows that Bell has a notion that if given the chance America would get rid of it's black citizens. In this particular story though, it is science fiction, it doesn't give what I believe to be a realistic argument. Even if there were no space aliens what if, another country proposed the same thing. I don't believe, despite Bell's thinking that America would abandoned it's citizens in such a manner. I believe the Unites States would look for other alternatives. Perhaps it would try to get rid of people from another country before our own. He also does not give enough credit to the black people as a whole. We are not dealing with African bushmen who were lured in with trinkets. Today we have very many strong black people who would oppose the idea of such a thing. Though it is science fiction the question still remains. Derek Bell's book as a whole is trying to establish a very poignant argument. That is despite the Civil Rights movement and all of the rhetoric between the races not much has changed since those days of the sixties. Sure we eat in the same places and we even go to the bathroom in the same places but, that's about it. There is still unequal employment, unequal payment, unequal housing, and unequal education. All of these things have been around for many years know and we all know it. So why has nothing changed? Bell argues that even when changes are made, they may better the black population but, only to the advantage of the white people. There can be no equal footing in a society that refuses to let it's citizens reach the top. This is where Bell gets the title for his book. Were all in a hierarchical well with blacks being at the bottom. Even though there may be whites who are just as worse off they can always say "At least I'm not down there." This is an attitude that has been ingrained on white America. I believe Derek Bell has a right to be cynical at times. After so many years of fighting for what he believes should come naturally and still doesn't see a path one could easily give up hope. Bell's only hope lies in the cooperation of the races. Bell addresses the issue of racial cooperation in his story "Divining a Racial Realism Theory." In this story Bell's charecter, a black lawyer, finds himself in a wooded area of Oregon relaxing and doing his work. While making himself comfortable under a tree he is shot at. When he comes to his senses he is approached by a white woman who introduces herself as Erika and apologizes for her mistake. As the story line progresses we come to find out that she is a lawyer as well and is also running a shelter group. This group is devoted to the preservation of the black people in case of a "black holocaust." She explains that her group also deals with making people aware of the black plight. The story goes on as a discussion between the two charecters until they are approached by yet, another man. This man however is not as friendly and is part of a group of men who are not very tolerant. Bell describes him as wearing a WWI helmet complete with the point. The man commands the two to move because he was going to take them to his commander to be punished. Erika refuses to move and further explains that it would not look good if he were to kill a proffesional black lawyer. The man leaves with only his ego bruised but, in one piece. This story underscores what Bell sees as the only solution to the problem of racism. Bell believes only throuhg the cooperation of the races towards a better society can racism be stamped out. Bell argues that only when the white people see that they too are negatively being affected by racism will change ever come about. The white people of America have long been led to believe that racism in not about them but, about those that it affects. Only when the people of America realize that our country will never be equal as long as there are people on top who keep others down. I personally enjoyed this book and found it entertaining and enlightening. I must admit when I began to read this book I found it hard to place myself in the shoes of a blackman or woman. Despite my Latino background I have never faced blatant racism. I'm not sure on how I would react or even how to feel. This book gave me a small glimpse of what it would be like. Until faced with the ugly truth that Bell speaks of, I can only hope my time is not yet come. Derek Bell's words should not be misconstrued but, should be looked at with great admiration for, he is only trying to do what the rest of us are trying to do. Better ourselves, our community, and our country by opening peoples eyes to a problem that seems to be wearing sunglasses. From ???@??? Fri Mar 07 07:28:25 1997 Received: from w0143023.ilstu.edu ([138.87.143.23]) by rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu (8.8.5/8.7) with SMTP id HAA109048 for ; Fri, 7 Mar 1997 07:24:02 -0600 Message-Id: <3.0.1.32.19970307072724.00838c90@rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu> X-Sender: gmklass@rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu (Unverified) X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Pro Version 3.0.1 (32) Date: Fri, 07 Mar 1997 07:27:24 -0600 To: gmklass From: Don Martin (by way of Gary Klass )

Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset"us-ascii" Derrick Bell, Faces At The Bottom Of The Well (Basic Books, 1992) Review By:Don Martin Mail to:damart1@odin.ilstu.edu. Racism and color consciousness have been two prevalent issues throughout America's storied history. The undisputed fact that this country was founded on racism, asserted by Bell, has set the stage for experiences that Americans of all colors have faced. Although it may be argued by some that the Constitution set forth values of liberty, equality and the pursuit of happiness. The prior notions did not include Blacks or even women, specifically including what amounted to White male land owners. It was at this stage of American evolution that hypocrisy began to permeate written ideological statutes. This is one of the many issues Bell discusses throughout the course of the book- "law put in the books is not necessarily law followed in action." Bell utilizes an unorthodox writing style to present personal views, and those held by adversaries, on various topics relating to race. Employing a number of "female alter-egos", Bell at times argues with himself through the feminine personalities. Intertwining both fact and fiction, Bell leads the reader through a series of historical chronicles. Although much of what Bell recounts of history is one of a personal perspective, the message conveyed is clear- racism is a norm that has been en grained in American society much like that of baseball, apple pie and Chevrolet. One of the stories in which Bell uses somewhat of a metaphoric analysis is "The Racial Preference Licensing Act." The act is similar to the Environmental Protection Agency's regulation of pollution control. Allowing companies to pollute the environment, but at a cost that may or may not benefit them in the long-run. The race based act in which Bell proposes allows "all employers, proprietors of public facilities, and owners... of homes and apartments" to discriminate on the basis of color upon application to the federal government. The license to practice discrimination was expensive, however , not to the extent that it could not feasibly be obtained. A 3% commission derived from income received from employing and servicing customers on the basis of color and also the licensing fees would be used to aid blacks in attaining socioeconomic status. Although the policy would benefit Blacks, Bell recognizes through one of the feminine personalities that many Blacks may not view the act as progress, but as regression. Bell's ability to see the other side of the coin, viewing issues from an entirely different perspective, is a definite strong point of the book. Bell expresses implicitly and explicitly that it is by no ordinary means will Blacks accomplish the ends they wish to achieve. In terms of the book, Bell's means of expressing personal perspectives are truly unordinary-hence the continual utilization of metaphorical analysis. As society rapidly changes in many phases the manner in which we confront racial injustices must also change. Bells asserts that changes in the way of a demand for more flexible legal forms and philosophies must accompany the struggle for improved socioeconomic status for Blacks. Although I agree the intent of such flexibility in regulations may in fact be that of a positive nature, however, the possible outcomes of such flexibility being used against Blacks may result. The old saying "be careful of what you wish for because it might become true" comes to mind. A prime example is affirmative action legislation designed to aid Blacks in attaining benefits shared by Whites is now, and has been for some time, standing in the Supreme Court for Whites alleged to be discriminated against. How is it that the efforts to benefit Blacks seem to always benefit Whites as well? Bell cites the Bakke case where the Supreme Court invalidated the policy of a California medical school of holding 10% of its openings for minorities. However, it seems that while Bell supports flexible and expanded judicial and/or legislative statutes,(as were the affirmative action when they were passed) when these same statutes aid Whites- Bell cries foul. Either this is a glaring contradiction or he is ambiguous in determining how Blacks will benefit from contemporary legislation, without Whites attaining benefits as well. It seems highly improbable to have one without the other, unless policies are written so specific as to exclude Whites from any predicted benefits. Another one of Bell's fictional chronicles depicts a vast land in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean known as Afrolantica. One of the unique features of this land, roughly the size of the New England states, was that initial attempts by the U.S. and other countries to explore it failed because no one could breathe. It was later determined that only African-Americans could survive on Afrolantica because they seemed to be immune to the strange air pressures. Many African-Americans began to pull together making preparations to leave America for what was thought to be the promise land. However, the government felt that Blacks seeking to live on Afrolantica were traitors and in some cases feared what was to come from inhabitants of this land. The number of African-Americans seeking refuge in Afrolantica began to steadily increase. There was also an increased sense of unity by blacks planning to go and even those staying. Resources were gathered, however, the first group to set sail witnessed the land, they thought to be their place on earth, sink before their eyes. Bell concludes the story by emphasizing the power that Blacks possess when there is unity. This power proved to be a source of hope that Blacks can in fact accomplish goals if they reach out and help one another. This is what I believe to be one of the lost norms in the Black community. The helping of each other to make a better way for all those in the Black community. At one time the Black community served each others needs, for example if children were engaged in mischievous behavior a neighbor would be able to set them straight, without opposition from the child's parent(s). That virtue is long gone because not only are the neighbors scared of the children, but the parents are too. Not to mention the fact that there has been a dramatic increase in the presence of single parent homes, most of which are headed by mothers. Although this may not be directly related to racial inequality, it is pertinent to the state of the Black community today. There is very little debate as to the existence of racism in America, what seems to be one of the focal points is whether or not racism is the primary barrier hindering Black's progress. Bell proposes that no matter what strides Blacks attempt to make in achieving racial equality Whites create the boundaries in which they choose Blacks to step. Blacks with superior or comparable education to their White counterparts are routinely passed over from the business community to academia. Bell's personal experience in matters of this nature have been in higher educational institutions from Oregon State to Harvard. It was in the latter institution that Bell went on a two year protest against what he asserted was a continual and deliberate practice of excluding Blacks from tenured and tenure-line faculty positions. Harvard's reasoning was that Blacks generally lacked the traditional academic background. I do not dispute that Harvard in fact purposely excluded Blacks from their faculty, however, Bell fails to note that it is extremely difficult for anyone-White, Black,or whoever to retain a position on the faculty, especially one of tenure. Furthermore, Bell asserts that education alone is not the key for Blacks success in America, although it is a starting point. I agree with Bell that for any real progress to be made sacrifices will have to made by both Whites and Blacks. However, it can be generally assumed that Whites continue to be hesitant to make any sacrifices of significance due to the dismal state of affairs in contemporary society. How can we move toward a racially balanced society when the government has knowingly operated to oppress minorities. The recent CIA scandal recently confirmed what many Blacks have held for years-they (U.S. government) simply are not concerned and/or are willing to sacrifice Black lives in favor world politics. One of the problems in bringing to light racial injustices is that two perspectives may result. One of which seems only to add to the discouragement many Blacks have endured. The other is that Blacks must continue to fight the struggle much like that of their predecessors. It seems there is only one way to attack racial injustice, that is head-on. If those in the past fell victim to discouragement and did not fight to move forward, what would be the state of contemporary society? From ???@??? Thu Mar 20 15:44:04 1997 Received: from thor.cmp.ilstu.edu (root@thor.cmp.ilstu.edu [138.87.1.6]) by rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu (8.8.5/8.7) with SMTP id PAA36354 for ; Thu, 20 Mar 1997 15:18:46 -0600 Received: from localhost by thor.cmp.ilstu.edu (AIX 3.2/UCB 5.64/4.03) id AA10217; Thu, 20 Mar 1997 15:18:45 -0600 Date: Thu, 20 Mar 1997 15:18:45 -0600 Message-Id: <3.0.1.32.19970320142126.0082bd00@rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu> Errors-To: gmklass@rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu Reply-To: pos302-l@thor.cmp.ilstu.edu Originator: pos302-l@thor.cmp.ilstu.edu Sender: pos302-l@thor.cmp.ilstu.edu Precedence: bulk From: Gary Klass To: gmklass@rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu

X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Comment: Political Science 302 Discussion List Derrick Bell, Faces At The Bottom of The Well: The Permanence of Racism Basic Books, 1992 Reviewed by Aricka Vinson mailto:alvinso@ilstu.edu Dialogue: Aricka: What are you all watching? Larry: Nothing worth mentioning. I'm sick and tired of seeing this stuff on t.v. and hearing all these white folks make their comments and judgments on us and they don't even know us. Darryl: I'm just sick of Black women coming down on me cause I don't feel like going out with them. Kim: Well I'm sick and tired of all you old tired men Freda: (cuts her off) ..Ain't that the truth girl. We sit up waiting on these men and what do they do? Kim: They run to some white woman!!! Larry: That's cause you all fuss too much. Marshall: I do not have a problem with any of the aforementioned problems I am just tired of going to work at my new job that I have supposedly been hired for based on my credentials until "they" see my face. If you are not choosing to hire me because I'm Black them tell me up front. I have a degree as a matter of fact I have three. Darryl: You know why Mr. Harvard graduate if the "man" ain't taking them, then they hiring all the "sisters" because... Sheila: Wait one minute! I go work all day, school part-time, take care of family & don't forget about the weekend hours I volunteer at work so I can compete with everyone else. Why? Freda: Because you have to work twice as hard just to keep from "them" from assuming you're some "token." Marshall: Have any of you ever read "Faces at the Bottom of the Well by Derrick Bell?" Sheila: Finally, a brother who explains our trials and tribulations by using fiction to explain fact. Larry: What does he explain? Aricka: Well, basically...... All the problems that African Americans face daily cannot be summed up by labeling it discrimination. One has to analyze the situation. One has to confront the problems surrounding the problem. In order to discuss why African Americans lack symbols in the community or feel as though they must separate from they so-called "melting pot" it takes a realistic, yet unorthodox approach. Attacking the subtle discrimination that exists in the workplace and recognizing instead of ignoring it can address some problems. Realizing that yes, some black men stray from "their" culture for whatever reason confronts the problem. Do not forget that knowing the rules of the race as we know the rules of the road is important in succeeding to locate the problems. Understanding that sometimes three degrees from Harvard and a letter of recommendation from the most prestigious member of the board cannot cut through the undying smog of racism is essential. African Americans must admits that no matter how far along they are in life they are still at the bottom of the well no matter how many nationalities migrate to the beautiful U S A (undying suppression of African Americans). When Africans who brought to America become so comfy with their status in the US that they truly believe that they are part of America realize that at any give moment they will be sacrificed as they have been for years then and only then have they solved the problem. Expecting nothing and knowing that something separates (and always will) blacks from whites is the solution!!! Sheila: He discusses that and then some. Marshall, you would really like his section about discrimination in the workplace. Marshall: I've read it and he describes "The Racial Preference Licensing Act"... Many African Americans are jobless not because they are unqualified or unmotivated but because they are unfamiliar with the Caucasian persuasion. Call it what you like. Yes, sometimes the job was already filled even though it wasn't when I spoke to the manager over the phone. It is also true that there a Black people working in the store as janitors, so they do hire us. I will also acknowledge that there are other qualified individuals, but what qualifications are being considered. Instead of wasting my time and allowing me to fill out an application that will never be reviewed just tell me "I don't like Black people and I'm certainly not going to hire one." Bell suggests that since the discrimination occurs everyday why not regulate the already illegal practices and make those people literally pay for their prejudice. Bell identifies what many of us already know but others are unwilling to see. By blatantly addressing the issues that few admit forces society in this instance to deal with African Americans reality. Darryl: O.K. so what if whites are forced to pay for their prejudiced actions how is that going to change anything if you are hired? Aricka: Bell knows from personal experience that a job does not equal job security. He addresses this in his section called "The Law Professors Protest." Fighting discrimination in the workplace can be handled in a variety of ways. For example, one may choose to refuse the job on principle while others may accept in hopes of changing the environment from the "inside." Well assume that one chooses the latter and attempts to lobby for change. Even at Harvard University, which has been categorized as a prestigious maker of minds, racism is ingrained in the system from the hiring, promotion, firing, and admissions process. So Bell sets the scene for his next lesson in the day of the life of a black person which involves a system such as the one described. The professors and administrators at the university have decided to discuss the problems and in hopes of reaching a solution to the racial inequalities that exist. However, this discussion is ended abruptly by a bomb which kills each and every person that including all the black professors that attended. This meeting was to reveal numerous positive changes in the curriculum as well as hiring practices. This extreme example demonstrates the existence of institutional racism and the truth that efforts by those on the inside continue to fail. Kim: Well I'm glad that he discusses the truth about some of our Black men's pattern of leaving Black sisters behind for white women. Bell writes as if he is amongst family (blacks) discussing problems that he has noticed, but he also includes company (whites). Darryl you should this section on "The Last Black Hero." Many Black men have a tendency to go outside of their race and not just the affluent brothers. Many of the reasons include a lack of common interests or that they are just easier to get along. Whatever the reason many sisters continue to support these men and for what, betrayal. After years of slavery and continued racism Black men fail to realize that their actions are a direct slap in the face. Not only do they parade around with white women as their trophies but they expect Black women to accept them both into the community. Darryl: (interrupts) I date who I choose to date! Why should I have to only date Black women. Kim: You don't. At the same time do not exclude all Black women as if we are not worthy to grace your presence. Do not belittle us. Do not compare us. And certainly do not expect us to accept you and yours when you cannot accept yourself. Aricka: O.K. what I think Kim is attempting to communicate is the feeling of betrayal that stings the heart and stabs the soul of Black women. Black men's tendencies to date only white women and the continual impression that we are acceptable only at a certain status concerns us when we continue to support you. Larry: Well, I detect a bit of prejudice in Bell's tone. Freda: You detect a tone of preparation for what can happen again. We are so comfortable in America that we have forgotten who and where we are. Many Blacks fail to remember how we got here and the thousands on top of thousands who died to build the land of the brave. In the "Space Traders" Bell challenges us all and asks us to recognize that just as easily as we were brought here in shackles we can find ourselves in them again. Larry: I'm a part of the workforce. Freda: Everyone is expendable! Daily Blacks go to work and come home without ever questioning or contemplating that tomorrow they could be sold. If you were to ask a person what they would be doing 10 years from now they might think of their class reunion, but not many if any would say, "Um... I think I'll be enslaved so it really does not matter." Bell challenges Blacks to imagine the unimaginable that "their" government for guaranteed stability is willing to sacrifice all African Americans. Bell is aware that many African Americans have forgotten that they are not originally from this land, so why should America care if Africans brought to America are sent to some unknown land and keep in mind it's for a profit. This section invites Blacks to truly comprehend their role in society as the country's scapegoat. Aricka: Each section of Bell's book is like a new release of a Spike Lee or John Singleton film. They are the new generation of Derrick Bell waiting to tell their story in hopes of enlightening & educating African Americans. They convey in film what he does in writing; the plight of the Black person. Bell holds a conversation with the reader and that conversation is targeted towards the Black person, but if someone white overhears it that's even better. There is a theater with a line of Black people wrapped around the building waiting to get in to see "Faces at the Bottom of the Well. Once you've entered the theater there is a curtain which keeps some white and black people out, but they can hear the story. During the movie the crowd laughs and cries because they understand the author. Bell gives the impression that some Blacks and whites are on the outside looking in and cannot fully understand his ideas and/or his methods for explaining The Permanence of Racism. Permanent is the scar of slavery across the backs of African Americans. Lest us not forget the millions of African Americans that are permanently disadvantaged because they were never allowed to be equal. How can one forget the permanent skin tones that encompasses every shade of brown that enables onlookers to pass judgment. Remembering always the permanent strong black features that others try to emulate which allows African Americans to be mocked by others as well as themselves. Racism cannot be anything but permanent it is in every element that makes an African an American. .

Derrik Bell FACES AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WELL Basic Books, A Division of HarperColins Publishers, Inc. (1992) Reviewed by: Erik S. Weidner esweidn@rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu Derrick Bell�s Faces at the Bottom of the Well might seem to be, at first glance, a very morbid book with a very depressing message. The message might be misconstrued as saying to blacks: "No matter how hard you try or what you do you will never succeed in America because this is a white man�s land." This is not the message at all thought. I believe that the message Bell is trying to convey is: "Even though things may be tough, they are better than they were, and if the fight is not fought then all is lost. It is better to fight and lose than to never fight, because the battles fought today, might well become victories for our children tomorrow." I think that Bell is trying to get all of America, and the world, to see the problems that are inherent in America. Our social problem are so deep and so ingrained into everyone�s head that it may take decades to change the problems. Bell�s book is that of nine different short stories of different styles, but similar content and messages. I would like to review three of these stories and offer a brief summary of each. The first, "Racial Licensing Act," is acknowledging the fact that racial discrimination exist in America. Using this line of logic the argument that ALL "civil rights laws or constitutional provisions" only benefit the whites. The black community may benefit a little but only if the white community benefits a lot. This is known as "White self-interest lawmaking." Sometimes viewed as nepotism (giving preferential treatment to family members) because whites view themselves as one big racial family. He sites this later in the book in �Racism�s Secret Bonding.� Bell argues that knowing this, and the fact that it can not be done away with, this tendency to discriminate should then be used to try to help blacks and other minorities. If whites are going to discriminate then they should have to pay for the privilege of being racist. Making whites pay large, but not impossible, amounts of money in advance for the right to be able to discriminate. This would in the long run help everyone and Bell sites what the advantages are and that this is the only short term solution. Advantages to RLA: 1.) Allows the right of non-association, if someone does not want to be around a certain group of people then they don�t have to. This might very well reduce some of the tensions and violence between racial groups. 2.) Public admission of racial discriminatory actions along with the high payments for that "right," not only do they have to admit publicly that they are racists, but they have to pay big bucks for that privilege. The money collected from the RLA will then be funneled into minority communities to use in education and housing improvements. This improvement in education will in the long run give minorities the weapons to better fight the racial inequality battle. 3.) Blacks will know up front if they will be discriminated against and won�t have to waste their time in that establishment. It will help minorities to better target their career/housing search so as to be more productive and less frustrated. They will know in advance why they won�t get the job/apartment. Racist whites who read this might think this is a great idea, "a God send", now we can keep those "niggers" out and all we have to do is give them some money. Where do I sign up? I personally think that this is horrible. That we as Americans would even consider such a thing. I do think that money should be redirected into low income areas for the purpose of increasing education and the opportunities that go along with increased education, but I don�t think legalizing racism is the way to do this. I don�t think that Bell feels this way either. He is just trying to help us to see how bad the problem is, and that the time has come to fix the problem. The second, "The Rules of Racial Standing," Bell describes for us the five rules of racial standing and uses examples from the not so distant past the show how these rules are truly rules of our society. Again this could be seen as a message to blacks of just how desperate the times are (as stated in Rule #5) or, as I perceive it, as a call to action by both blacks and white to end this crippling disease that has infected and sickened our country. Bell uses what I consider to be shock appeal to show us, the reader, how deeply embedded racial discrimination is in our society. Rule #1 - "No matter what their expertise black statements are deemed as �special pleading� and thus not entitled to serious consideration." The example used is that of Ralph Ellison�s book Invisible Man. Rule #2 - "Not only are black complaints discounted, but black victims of racism less effective witnesses than are whites, who are members of the oppressor class." The example was that of Brown v. Board of Education. Rule #3 - Similar to rule #1 except that a black person can have credibility when speaking out against another black person that is doing something that upsets white people. The exampl

Subject: Faces at the Bottom of the Well (Jessica Pearch)

Subject: Faces at the Bottom of the Well (Justin Vaughn)