The Kerner Report is a powerful window into the roots of racism and inequality in the United States. Hailed by Martin Luther King Jr. as a "physician's warning of approaching death; with a prescription for life;" this historic study was produced by a presidential commission established by Lyndon Johnson; chaired by former Illinois governor Otto Kerner; and provides a riveting account of the riots that shook 1960s America. The commission pointed to the polarization of American society; white racism; economic inopportunity; and other factors; arguing that only "a compassionate; massive; and sustained" effort could reverse the troubling reality of a racially divided; separate; and unequal society. Conservatives criticized the report as a justification of lawless violence while leftist radicals complained that Kerner didn’t go far enough. But for most Americans; this report was an eye-opening account of what was wrong in race relations.Drawing together decades of scholarship showing the widespread and ingrained nature of racism; The Kerner Report provided an important set of arguments about what the nation needs to do to achieve racial justice; one that is familiar in today’s climate. Presented here with an introduction by historian Julian Zelizer; The Kerner Report deserves renewed attention in America’s continuing struggle to achieve true parity in race relations; income; employment; education; and other critical areas.
#1001875 in Books 2015-04-27Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.40 x 1.20 x 6.60l; .0 #File Name: 0691164029352 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Finally; A Book on Chinese Elite ImmigrantsBy JLAt last; a very well researched book on how the "Chinese elite" struggled and survived in the U.S. The scholars; students; merchants; and diplomats were exempt from the restrictive immigration laws . The were allowed into the U.S. But they also experienced the racial prejudice; economic hardships; and international politics of the Cold War in their work and daily life. As a family member of the Chinese elite; I am most appreciative of Hsu's scholarship and perspective in how the efforts of the "good immigrants" were shaped by U. S. immigration policies and; more importantly; how they help shape American public policy discourse today. The book fills a void in Asian American studies. It's a great addition to personal and professional libraries in Asian American immigration!
