Afraid of the Dark: What Whites and Blacks Need to Know about Each Other - Hardcover

Myers, Jim

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1556523424 ISBN 13: 9781556523427

Publisher: Chicago Review Press, 2000

Synopsis

The definitive guide for anyone who has contact with people of another race—in companies, schools, neighborhoods, or other social situations—this book asserts that race is not the unfathomable mystery it is usually made out to be. In a revealing, accessible, and stimulating discussion based on little-known facts and innovative research, this book explains why many whites are uneasy about blacks and how blacks react to this, why numerous blacks suspect the worst from whites, why white explanations don't hold up, why myths about sex remain so prevalent, and what both races can do together to make their relations better.

About this title

About the Author

Jim Myers was the chief writer of the USA Today series “Race and Sports.” He lives in Washington, DC.

Reviews

In this ambitious but frustrating book, Myers, formerly the chief writer of the USA Today series "Race and Sports," draws on his work and life experience as a white man married to a black woman, living in a mostly black Washington, D.C., neighborhood. He's at his best when attempting to serve as a cultural bridge, explaining, for example, why seemingly innocent words and perceptions may have racial implications--such as how the word "niggardly" might offend those from a more oral culture or how both blacks and whites he knows romanticize the poor. In addition, he makes some important basic points: given the 6.4-1 ratio of whites to blacks, contact between the races can never be equal, especially given that whites live in even more segregated worlds than blacks do. Yet while Myers calls for whites to avoid incorrect generalizations about blacks, some of his own generalizations deserve better explication: yes, whites may be more "cold" and logical than blacks, but that should be a springboard for anecdotal elucidation rather than broad conceptualization. While he reminds us that most people on welfare are not black, Myers neglects to acknowledge that blacks are disproportionately represented on the rolls and that therefore political analysis--rather than Myers's simple prescription of reeducation--should lead to a solution. While he states that the "two cultures" are surprisingly similar and complementary, others might analyze the subtleties of a more creolized American culture. Still, he helpfully advises that whites and blacks must build relationships before they can talk frankly, and he's brave enough to wade into some subterranean topics, including how myths about penis size threaten relations between white men and black men. (Apr.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From a black perspective, the fact that Myers is a white man (married to a black woman) expounding on the subject of race arouses the usual skepticism, which would likely prove one of Myers' points--that black and white people have markedly different viewpoints and don't trust each other. Myers brings surprising insight and straightforwardness to one of the most compelling but least discussed topics in the U.S. He describes the different worlds inhabited by black and white Americans. Despite some progress on integration, blacks and whites generally don't live in the same neighborhoods, attend the same churches or schools, or even watch the same television shows. Myers cites statistics that belie the widespread fear of a surge in the black population and the trend among whites, abetted by technology, to move to areas with low minority populations. He also examines the stubborn persistence of myths about black and white intelligence and sexuality. Myers offers commonsense advice that he acknowledges is likely to be ignored, including more open and honest dialogue on race. Vanessa Bush

Edition details

• Publisher: Chicago Review Press
• Publication date: 2000
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1556523424
• ISBN 13: 9781556523427
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 360