The Rise and Fall of Modern Black Leadership: Chronicle of a Twentieth Century Tragedy

Rating:
Summary: Telling it Like it is
Review: This is one of the most complete, even-handed and fair-minded history of 20th Century Black leadership that has been produced. It is not a work of original scholarship but a very scholarly synthesis of all of the literature combined with judicious analysis. There is a major thesis; that Black leadership has been largely the product of a middle class elite that has invariably short changed the black masses. Nelson pulls no punches, he can be wonderfully acerbic in his criticism but always fair and balanced. I know of no work that is as comprehensive and useful. It is perfect for courses in contemporary African American history. It will also be of interest to scholars in the field, because of its rich interpretive and analytical qualities. I highly recommend this book