The Western Journal of Black Studies

Volume 25, Issue 2

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Towards a Grand Theory of Black Studies:
An Attempt to Discern the Dynamics and the Direction of the Discipline

Arthur Lewin

This paper attempts to develop a grand theory of Black Studies by drawing on the works of some of the foremost writers in, and critics of the field. It uses the history of the Black intellectual tradition as a frame and places Black Studies in the context of multicultural studies, the contemporary academy and the development of the global economy and culture.
pp. 75–80

 

Making Sense of U.S. Immigration Policy and Multiculturalism
Seth Asumah and Matthew Todd Bradley

 Antagonism towards multiculturalism continues to adversely affect superordinate and subordinate group relationships, even in this age of globalization. Antagonism manifests itself in various ways, not least of which is the unicultural notion that immigration has reached epidemic proportions in the United States. The cleavages between the advocates and opponents of immigration have been exacerbated by the unfounded suggestion that newly arrived immigrants (Neo-Sojourners) are "taking more, than they are giving" to the "American way of life." Thus, in this article, we argue that the immigration "problem" has not reached epidemic proportions yet, and the economic deprivation thesis is a facade developed by uniculturalists to reinvent the failed and unworkable "melting pot" idea. The uniculturalists' efforts to derail the value of multiculturalism have been a bane to the American ethos.
pp. 82–92

 

Empowering African American Exceptional Learners:
Vision for the New Millennium
Sunday O. Obi and Festus Obiakor

One of the major issues facing schools today is the problem of distinguishing genuine learning problems from students who come from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Differences in culture can act as effective barriers for African American students and families in school programming. General educators often turn to special education for assistance and to some extent, place African American students in at-risk positions that magnify denigrating stereotypes. Though many educational programs contain multicultural content, they are frequently directed toward half-baked measures that downplay the African American experience. As a consequence, many African American learners are misidentified, misassessed, miscategorized, misplaced, and misinstructed. This article discusses (a) factors underlying the education of African American exceptional learners, (b) multi-dimensional needs of these learners in this new millennium, and (c) ways to enhance empowerment possibilities for these learners.
pp. 93–100

 

The Parenting Roles and Goals of Single Black Full-Time Fathers
Roberta L. Coles
pp. 101–116

 

The Significance of Race in Urban Elite Political Behavior:
A Case Study of the Atlanta Airport Affirmative Action Controversy, 1973–1980
Manley Elliott Banks, II

Local business leaders, according to urban regime theory, are key political actors in urban politics. Economic self-interest is presumed to be the dominant motive behind elite political behavior. This assumption minimizes the importance of race in elite decision-making. However race was shown to play a significant role in the political behavior of Atlanta 's white and black leaders in this study. A case study of elite political behavior in the 1973 to 198O Atlanta airport affirmative action controversy was done using the dominant-subordinate group theory. The larger significance of the study is that its findings should help scholars to comprehend the important structuring influences of race on urban elite behavior.
pp. 117–125

 

Malcolm X's Critique of the Education of Black People
Jerome E. Morris

Noticeably absent from discussions of Malcolm X's contribution to the modern Black freedom movement is his critique of the education of Black people in the United States. Too often, critiques of the Black experience are given more validity if emanating from formally trained academics. In this article, the author illustrates how Malcolm X used his life experiences as the basis for his critique of the education of Black people. Explicated is Malcolm's incisive critique of major educational issues facing Black people during the height of his leadership in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Throughout, the author illuminates the importance of situating Malcolm X within the historical tradition of Black intellectual activism, and concludes by highlighting the legacy of Malcolm 's revolutionary spirit in contemporary African American education.
pp. 126–135

 

Book Reviews

Vicgtory Without Violence: The First Ten Years of the St. Louis Committee of Racial Equality (CORE), 1947–1957
Authors: Mary Kimbrough and Margaret Dagen
Reviewed By: Lee A. Harris
p. 136

 

 

 

 

 

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