Member of the Club: Reflections on Life in a Racially Polarized World - Hardcover

Graham, Lawrence Otis

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0060183519 ISBN 13: 9780060183516

Publisher: HarperCollins, 1995

Synopsis

A collection of essays follows the author's ongoing search for racial and ethnic understanding and features such titles as "Invisible Man," "Blacks and Jews in the Suburbs," and "I Never Dated a White Girl." 50,000 first printing. $75,000 ad/promo. Tour.

About this title

About the Author

Lawrence Otis Graham is on the faculty of Fordham University in New York City.

Reviews

Graham, a black corporate lawyer and author (The Best Companies for Minorities), is best known for a New York magazine cover story reporting the casual racism he experienced while working undercover at a Greenwich, Conn., country club. While that article is being inflated into a film, this miscellany works better in miniature. There is an interesting report on a journey through Harlem "rich and poor" and a far-too-long catalogue of Graham's treatment while dining at 10 upscale New York City restaurants. Better are reflective essays like the one on the author's struggle to live an integrated life as an undergraduate at Princeton, where he claims to have been rejected by both blacks and whites. Graham's analysis of the roles black professionals play in corporate America (the informant, the rubber stamp, etc.) is savvy. But there's some tension in this collection, if not sheer inconsistency: for instance, Graham's racial solidarity argument against interracial marriage is deflated by his touchy defense of his own nose job. His critique of black civil rights leadership is turgid, and his proposal that "bias neutralizing" can supplant affirmative action is undeveloped. $75,000 ad/promo; author tour.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Being a "member of the club" is coveted more intently by those who perceive their inclusion as unlikely or unwanted than by those who don't. Graham investigates some of the racial dilemmas that cause African Americans to resent, yet seek out, the more exclusive memberships in our society and discusses some of the "clubs" that black people are often left out of or regard as hostile associations in 12 reflective essays. He not only addresses the dynamics of those "clubs" (suburban living, upscale dining, ivy league matriculation) but delves into the meaning of belonging or not belonging to the prospective African American. A prime example of Graham's shrewd observations is the "undercover guide to dining with dignity" discussion, in which he rates a restaurant visit and service and provides a "real review" of the dining experience. Overall, Graham's arguments for changing the way African Americans react and respond to issues that are often the stumbling blocks to their membership in certain areas of society are compelling and provocative, as his New York magazine cover essays "Harlem on My Mind" and "Invisible Man" indicate. His status as an "upper-middle-class African American" undoubtedly influences his perspective, yet his personal points of view are intriguing. Lillian Lewis

The 12 essays by this writer, professor, and attorney provide a window into the life of a black professional whose parents were also professionals. They clearly demonstrate why the black middle class is angry and disappointed?Graham has gone to an Ivy League school, made good grades, gotten a good position, and dresses well, yet, still, he is treated poorly by others solely because of his race. In an essay that attracted attention when first published in New York magazine, Graham writes about posing as a less educated, less wealthy man in Harlem, revealing the trap a black male can fall into when he lives in the poorer parts of the city. If he dresses for success and job opportunities, he is victimized by others in his neighborhood; yet if he tries to fit into the black world, he will never be able to get a meaningful job and improve himself. Another provocative New York essay describes Graham's experiences as a black busboy at a white country club. All these essays are well written and offer food for thought. Recommended.
-?Anita L. Cole, Miami-Dade P.L. System, Fla.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 1995
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0060183519
• ISBN 13: 9780060183516
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 320