The Content of Our Character: A New Vision of Race In America
Reviews (57)
A deeper truth about race in America.
It is absolutely true that that there are disparities and racism. This book speaks to both the cause and effects of why SOME Blacks in America haven't' made progress. It also is very helpful in understanding generational poverty for all races. I thought it very poignant in understanding why some people in the same family are successful and some are not - for all races. I will always remember and am thankful that I was told by a stranger "there will be people that will help you along the way" (to success). The unfortunate thing was that nobody told me that people in my own community/family would hate me for my success and would try to hold me back. Overcoming the collective mindset of victimization is the greatest challenge in every recovery program. Thank you Shelby Steele for writing this book. Even 2009 when he wrote this - he saw what the collective was promoting and called it out. Please create YouTube videos! We need you.
Even more important in 2020
This book is a collection of essays written mostly in the late nineties, but which remain especially applicable to our current racial climate. Shelby Steele is the son of a black working class father and white mother from Chicago. Despite a poor upbringing, he secured his PhD and went on to become a college professor and hold to solidly middle-class American values. In these essays, he reflects on what it means to be black in America, reflecting on the power trade-offs between blacks and whites that define the current climate. For Steele, innocence is the key to power. To lose innocence is to lose power vis-a-vis the other. "The inferiority of the black always makes the white man superior; the evil might of whites makes blacks good." Thus, racism becomes a psychological necessity on both sides, despite good intentions to the contrary. The power relations between the races demand this repeated "dance." The Civil Rights Act was a giant step forward for blacks, but has not resulted in closing the wealth and achievement gap between the races. Steele attributes this to quotas and entitlements, which necessitate a continued victimization mentality as the basis of the power relationship between the races. While not minimizing the call to action to repair the sins of the past, Steele looks to development--rather than reparations--as the key to true long-term equality. "Preferential treatment does not teach skills, educate, or instill motivation. It only passes out entitlement by color." One or two of the essays lag the others in impact, but overall, this is a great read. I knocked it out in a single day.
My 2nd Steele Book but Certainly not the Last
For the second weekend in a row, I read a Shelby Steele book, and for the second time, I can recommend "The Content of Our Character: A New Vision of Race in America" to anyone, who wishes to have a better understanding of ... well ... race relations in America. Written at the sunset of the 20th Century, it deals with difficult histories, which we seem to be on the cusp of repeating or reliving. The book is a collection of essays by a renowned author and English academic. The essays recount incidents from Steele's own life beginning in the segregated 50's into the turbulent and militant 60's. However, Steele's coming of age story is only the beginning of his personal development. The stories continue by offering insight from a black man who grew up in segregation and who achieved success and enjoyed accomplishment through personal efforts in response to opportunity. He combines his individual insight with a critique of an entrenched culture of victimhood. He argues that the continued reinforcement of that culture and the resulting negative self-image prevent many capable persons from taking advantage of opportunities and offers a ready excuse for a lack of individual effort and personal achievement. Steele offers universal lessons, which may not be popular among his detractors, but those lessons have withstood the tests of time. He recommends to all: education, hard work, delayed gratification, and personal responsibility. Those lessons provide some comfort and understanding in these turbulent and seemingly incomprehensible times.
Worth reading
This is a book that should be read by anyone who wants to solve the race issue in America. To often we are given one side as if all blacks agree with black lives matter. We are not one, we are a group of Americans from the same ethnic group. We are individuals, this is what the author is saying. If the media used books like this to show different sides, progress could be made.
this is a MUST read for everyone
This is probably one of the best books I have ever read. It is very thoughtful and NEEDS to be included reading for any young person (no matter the race). It is about growing up, developing character and just being a better human being.... it's about self identity (not group identity) and how I LOVED this book
Required Reading for Anyone in the US
Life-changing to say the very least.
Profound Sociological Insights
Prior to reading THE CONTENT OF OUR CHARACTER, one will find it helpful to know something about Sheby Steele's background. He has a Masters in Sociology and a Doctorate in English Literature. As a result, we find a well-written book with profound sociological insights. Generally speaking, sociologists are not well known for being good writers. Steele is clearly the exception. From a sociological perspective, Steele employs an ecological system model as a tool to capture his personal experience enabling the reader comprehend his emergence into manhood in a racially biased society. Yes, I admit my description sounds like a bunch of academic hogwash. However, Steele masterfully strips away the academic jargon to create a meaningful book that everyone can grasp without being diverted by theoretical language. His use of a theory as a backdrop provides the reader with a connection - a meaningful experience. For several decades, sociologists have been attempting to link personality with the social structure in a manner that has some practical and meaningful application. Up to this point, all attempts have been miserable failures. Here lies Sheby Steele's great success. He created this important theoretical linkage hitherto unseen in American social science. What value does THE CONTENT OF OUR CHARACTER offer us? Steele brilliantly portrays race relations as a connection between the micro and macro human experience. In many ways, Steele succeeded to do what Parsons dreamed about in the 1940's. Steele identifies that racial problems cannot be solved merely by instituting (macro) policy change. He states that everyone has a personal (micro) responsibility to embrace the role of change agent. Most interestingly, his primary focus is directed toward African American individuals. Change yourself and change society simultaneously. This is one of the most readable books on race relations. I often assign college students (even minority students) to read this book. The book seems to change they way they think. They become more thoughtful and work harder as students. I find the effects of this book quite amazing.
Five Stars
Recommend for anyone who is seeking information and counsel to read.
Shelby Steele is a man of character.
Great thinker--cogent and articulate.
Four Stars
Worth a read to put some context in the Black Lives Matter movement
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