Rating: 
Summary: The life of rich black folk
Review: I think that this book was a real eye opener. It takes you into the life of black people that you dont see every day so you dont really know what there life is like, untill you read this book.this book gives you an inside look into the lives of these people. The different situations they go through and the conflicts that they incounter.
Rating: 
Summary: Those who know don't tell....
Review: Those who know don't tell. And those who tell don't know. Enough said.
Rating:
Summary: Widening the Gap...
Review: After reading through this book, the gap between groups of Afrikan people became more clear. It only demonstrates the psychotic mindstate of many Afrikan people. We still have not (many of us) come to terms with the debilitating effects of the Slave Experience upon the collective psyches of Afrikans worldwide. Instead of finding commonalities amongst ourselves, we would rather divide over the most trivial of issues or programs. How so many Afrikan members of Frats and Sorors are at eachother's throats over cliqueishness is mindboggling.When we are faced with oppression (on any level) the oppressor could care less if we belong to the AKAs or the Deltas, the Alphas or the Omegas. We have more in common than not. We need to overlook these petty differences and come together on more important issues. BNS FOREVER. SOULONE.
Rating: 
Summary: My take on "Our Kind of People"
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book for the following reasons: It observes a segment of African-American society that has been ignored by both the media and scholars. It exposes class conflict in the African-American community. Whether or not this class conflict is a good thing is besides the point, in my opinion. It exists so there's no point in ignoring it. Most important, I learned some things I hadn't known before. So it was definitely worth my time. However, it's not without its faults. The author would have done better not to continually inject himself into the narrative. A preface describing his background would have sufficed. At heart, this book is a gossipy expose. But hey, I knew I wasn't getting an analytical, scholarly tome when I noticed that it didn't have footnotes or a bibliography. I don't belong to the circles "Our Kind of People" describes so I can't speak to its accuracy. Read it the same way you would read any other expose, with a grain of salt.
Rating:
Summary: TERRIFIC
Review: I think this book was well worth the money spent for it. While it is true that graham seems to have some issues regarding an inferiority complex regarding his choice of college to attend, he still has managed to capture a piece of history in which African-Americans should be proud. i feel that one should overlook the issues regarding skin color and hair length and concentrate on the fact that the people profiled in this book were only trying to do what most people want: to lead successful, comfortable, meaningful lives. That is one fact that cannot be overlooked by ANYONE no matter what issues they may have with the book. I think the book is controversial for two main reasons. The first reason being that whites are not ready and willing to accept that African-Americans too have class and care more about status and education. The second reason is that I believe that sadly enough, there are some African-Americans who are jealous of the successful African-Americans in this country. They feel that these people are sell-outs. Why is it that when someone is successful and prominent, they must be categorized as a sell-out? Perhaps the problems lie not within the elite class, but within those who are not in the elite class and resent this.
Rating:
Summary: Goodbye Stereotypes
Review: I really enjoyed this book because the author has put into words many of the values my family holds and has tried to pass on to me. No, we don't have money, or social prestige, or summer vacation homes, we are just middle class. I was happy to see some of our family's values represented in this book such as acquiring an education, not buying into the oppressed black stereotype, wanting to surround yourself with upwardly mobile, classy people that are like you. I can relate to other blacks that are accused of trying to "act white" just because we are trying to educate and better ourselves and our families. White folks already negatively stereotype us, why do we volunteer to live up to the stereotypes? My only criticism of this book is that I feel that he has stereotyped people that belong to these black organizations as being only rich, snobby, "lightskin-ded", etc. This is unfair! I am an AKA, I have AKA's, Deltas, Alphas, Omegas, and Links all throughout my family. I was presented at a black cotillion as a teenager. My family isn't able to go down the checklist of any of the so-called requirements to be in the elite, yet we HAVE PARTICIPATED in these organizations. I think these organizations perform a vital service to the community, and from what I have experienced, all you need to get in is a college education, community activism, and somebody willing to sponsor you.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this highly informative book! As an African-American, it gave me some pride to see a written account of the lives of successful, prominent African-Americans. HOwever, I was offended by some of the other reviews in which the book was condemned because it displays classism among blacks. There are issues of classism in a majority of the ethnic groups that exist and black people are no different. I was appalled also that some members of other ethnic groups found it amusing and highly questionable that blacks have a history of success in this world. Therefore I am glad that this book was published so perhaps some of the ignorance can be erased.
Rating: 
Summary: This may be the most boring book I have ever read
Review: This may be the most boring book I have ever read! If you're interested in the topic, save your money, go to the book store, and just read the introduction and preface there. There's no need to read any further, the rest of the book just repeats these two segments, over and over again.
Rating:
Summary: From outside looking in
Review: In another life, I was a very young white teacher just starting out a career as an English teacher in a VERY racially diverse high school. It was here that I heard for the first time the term "Jack and Jill" in reference to an organization which I came to realize was a very desirable and very elite and very social association of blacks in our community. Subsequently, I began to notice in our local newspaper photos of the debutantes of the cotillion and in other years the beaus. But I still hadn't assimilated the idea that this was a NATIONAL organization of significance. Mr. Graham's book engaged my interest immediately as a source of learning about not only Jack and Jill but also all the other organzations of black society, many of which I had seen mentioned in our local news. To the extent that the book in part reads like a chronicle (i.e., essentially listing out information without analysis), I found it somewhat disappointing. However, the extraordinarily important lesson of the history of accomplished, successful, educated, ambitious blacks in America is fascinating and well worth the time spent reading this book. This book should be a part of ANY curriculum of social history in the United States. Part of its importance is that there are those who do take issue with its premise and that it does encourage dialog.
Rating: 
Summary: Social register?
Review: I must agree with other reviewers that this book is probably a "name-dropper" to garner favors in the social registry. To compare, it is akin to reading a "vanity press" edition whose characters and narratives have "relevance" only to those who were in the original "play." I could have gained more information by reading Black Enterprise, published by Earl Graves (and still available monthly).
| 
