Our Souls to Keep: Black/White Relations in America - Softcover

George Henderson offers us a personal and unflinching look at black/white relations in the United States. Using autobiography, analysis and scholarship, Henderson offers his readers a greater understanding of racism and prejudice and challenges them to evaluate the future of race relations in America. Henderson's goal is not to belabor the problems of race but rather to discuss the impact of these differences and offer suggestions for dealing with them effectively. Of special note is his discussion of the widening gap between black middle and lower classes and the effects of racism and prejudice within the black community itself. Henderson begins with an examination of black culture and history and how the aftereffects of slavery test the strength of the bonds between black and white Americans. Particularly rich is his focus on the black search for identity and self-acceptance, "a soul-rending process black Americans experience in discovering and becoming proud of their ethnic group's place in America." He then discusses central African American values and communication styles, an understanding of which he feels are critical to successful black/white relationships. In the second part of the book, Henderson tackles black/white differences in community, school and workplace settings. He begins by examining the "perils of segregation" for both blacks and whites in housing, schools and services. He then provides enlightening insights into the school experiences of black children and their inevitable clashes with white teachers-profiling behaviors of effective teachers who have managed to break through the students' mistrust and anger. Henderson ends with a powerful afterword in which heillustrates the triumphs and ongoing struggles of black America and calls for a coalition of blacks and whites to deal with them. It is an invaluable resource for teachers, students, businesspeople and others committed to coming to grips with racism and its effects in the United States.