The Envy of the World
On Being A Black Man In America
by Ellis CoseThe title says it all; this book is about being a black man in America, and succeeding anyways. The title is actually taken from a passage in
Sula by Toni Morrison, which is quoted at the beginning of the book. Addressed to black adolescents in particular, and to everyone else in general, this book is both interesting and instructive. It forces the reader to look at the reality of being black in America, and sounds a hopeful note for improvement.
When I mentioned this book to someone earlier today, she thought that the book must have been written in a bygone era. Alas, this book's reality is that of today;
The Envy of the World was published in 2002. One of the statistics quoted in this book was a survey that asked blacks and whites whether they thought blacks were less intelligent, and 19% of blacks and 9% of whites answered yes.
Thoughtful reading.
