Vernon Can Read!

Jordan, Vernon E., Jr.; Gordon-Reed, Annette

ISBN 10: 1586481266 ISBN 13: 9781586481261

Publisher: Public Affairs, 2001

Synopsis

The civil rights leader, attorney, and former head of the National Urban League recounts his boyhood in segregated Atlanta, his career, and the social changes he helped to bring about.

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Reviews

Dismayed that his daughter, Vickee, showed little true comprehension of the world of the Deep South in which he grew up, a world of forced servility and oppression toward blacks, Jordan decided that telling his story would help to "bridge that gap" between their experiences. He set out to write a "very personal take on the black experience since the end of the Second World War." The title of this memoir comes from an incredulous outburst by Robert Maddox, "one of the leading figures in Atlanta's white elite" for whom Jordan worked as a chauffeur while home from college on summer break. The irony is that, although Jordan can write, the actual reading of his writing leaves much to be desired. Often a writer's reading of their own words adds depth to the work. Unfortunately, that formula fails here. The listener does not get the sense of being spoken to; instead Jordan reads in a somewhat formal, oratorical tone. Although the work does a fine job of chronicling the progress of blacks in Jordan's lifetime, it does not delve very deeply into Jordan's personal feelings and beliefs. This production's lack of personality echoes that sentiment. Based on the Public Affairs hardcover (Forecasts, Oct. 15, 2001).
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Jordan came to national attention as a civil rights leader--head of the Voter Education Project, the United Negro College Fund, and the Urban League. He is now a prominent corporate attorney and an advisor to such political figures as former President Bill Clinton. This memoir takes us from his childhood in Atlanta, Georgia, through the early 1980s. This may be a case where listening is better than reading. Jordan has a rich and melodious voice; he reads clearly, and where needed, with much emotion. It's hard to imagine a better reader of his sometimes humorous, sometimes painful, but always moving story of life before, during, and since the Civil Rights movement. R.E.K. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Many will remember Jordan as a close friend of former president Bill Clinton who tried to help intern Monica Lewinsky get a job after she left the White House. Few will note that he was the Georgia field director of the NAACP at the time civil rights leader Medgar Evers was head of the same organization in Mississippi. Jordan also served as executive director of the United Negro College Fund and eventually became president of the National Urban League after the death of Whitney Young. He attended DePaul University in the early days of the Civil Rights movement and worked to secure the rights of blacks in Georgia. This is a standard, run-of-the-mill autobiography until Jordan reveals the assassination attempt on his life and his decision to leave the Urban League to join a private law firm. The author's reading is flat at points, and his Southern accent and mispronunciations are grating; one wishes that an actor had been employed to provide some emotion and continuity to the narration. Recommended for libraries with African American history, biography, and American studies collections. Danna Bell-Russel, Library of Congress
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Public Affairs
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1586481266
• ISBN 13: 9781586481261
• Binding: Audio Cassette
• Number of pages: 10