Everything You Need to Know about Racism (Need to Know Library)

Discusses the nature and effects of racism and ways to deal with it and take a stand against it.

Grade 6-10-An informative overview that begins with Columbus's treatment of Native Americans, proceeds through the Civil War, and then documents the wave of immigration in the late 1800s. Although Native Americans, Asian Americans, and Mexican Americans are mentioned in the introduction, they take a backseat to the coverage the author gives to African Americans. There is an entire chapter on the civil rights movement, followed by chapters on the effects of racism on the individual; how to cope with prejudice; and how to make a difference, not only in one's personal sphere but also in the world at large. Photos, some black and white, some in color, are often vague and/or confusing. The media as an opinion shaper is supposed to be the focus of one photograph, yet a boy is shown staring at a blank television screen. In another photo, there are two groups of teenagers, one of whom, the caption tells us, has made a disparaging remark to the other, yet neither the ethnicity nor the attitudes of either group are apparent. This same problem exists with a photo showing a city sidewalk scene: the mixture of races is hardly obvious. Gerald Newman's Racism (Enslow, 1995) makes the issues more apparent, especially for students who need simple explanations. Preference should be given to that title.
Marilyn Fairbanks, East Junior High School, Brockton, MA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Highlighted by subtle as well as blatant examples of discrimination, this five-chapter text offers students a cursory view of racism and briefly suggests ways to combat it. Chapter 1 relates historical details from as far back as Columbus, clearly showing the undercurrent of prejudice existing well before groups such as the Ku Klux Klan came into being. Citing landmark judicial and political shifts concerning U.S. civil rights, the next two chapters relay how personal actions can tweak the conscience of the entire world. Through first-person accounts, the last chapters demonstrate some less obvious racist behaviors, then suggest nonaggressive ways individuals can confront the problem. Although the photos depict mostly high-school-age teens, the style and reading level of the book are appropriate for much younger readers as well as reluctant high-school-age readers. Roger Leslie