Comment

crankylibrarian
May 20, 2013crankylibrarian rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Maddening, shocking, frustrating and infuriating: these are a few terms that came to mind as I read Tanner Colby's terrific look at the successes and (mostly) failures of racial integration. Wisely focusing on 4 areas of American life within his personal experience, Colby probes the hypocrisies and bad decisions behind school desegregation in Alabama; redlining, blockbusting and restrictive covenants in Kansas City; "ethnic niche" advertising in New York; and racially divided parishes in Catholic New Orleans. Unlike many histories of desegregation, Colby highlights the reasons why many African Americans opposed, and continue to oppose "color blind" institutions: fear of continued white hostility yes, but also a pride in the historic black schools, neighborhoods and churches which often disappeared after the Civil Rights movement. Full of vivid anecdotes from a variety of witnesses of both races, _Some of My Best Friends_ should be read by anyone who truly wants to understand the challenges and perils involved in creating a racially equitable society.