The Ordeal of Integration: Progress and Resentment in America's Racial Crisis

Previous readers and reviewers seem stuck on the idea of Patterson's liberalism or conservatism or "the side he has taken". This book, as all of Patterson's, is fact-driven, and his genius comes in analyzing what might otherwise appear to be discrepancies between statistical findings. Thus, he may occasionally be speculative, but in my opinion creatively rather than opinionatedly. Sometimes the statistics alone are remarkable. One that has stayed in my mind---because it explains so much--- since my first reading of this book when it was published is that both Black and White Americans (or, as Patterson prefers, Euro-Americans and Afro-Americans), when asked what percentage of the American population is Afro-American, overestimate the real figure (something like 13%) by about a multiple of 3 (30-40%). But Patterson's analysis, and probing additional questions, contextualize raw numbers such as these and make sense not only out of the numbers but, when one reads more, of the entirety (!) of American racial matters. He is a historian as well as a sociologist/economist (he is also something of a philosopher), and writes better than most sociologists, even if not up to the level of the great American historians (Bailyn, Woodward, etc.). It is in this area--- and only in this area--- that I would rate this book anything less than five stars. A brilliant and enlightening book!

Orlando Patterson in a seemingly departure from entrenched positions on both sides of the debate on African American issues chooses a mid ground.It is a collection of essays the first entitled PARADOXES OF INTEGRATION is in my view the best.It has a number of illustrative charts.It states the fact that African Americans indeed have a bipolar distribution with an expanding middle class but also a lower class who have not benefitted much in terms of income since the 60's.He does not throw punches when he talks about problems of drugs,teenage pregnancy,lack of skills that has been also discribed by Julius Wilson as the dissapearance of jobs.He also talks about housing patterns.Other chapters deal with the moral and intellectual crisis of Liberal African American advocay and also conservatives.In these essays he refers to philosophers like Kant,Epictecus.He is critical of both groups.He also debunks the Bell curve and talks about Affirmative action which he believes should continue for now but phased out gradually.My grouses with the book are his solutions in the conclusion do not seem far reaching enough.He also prefers using the term Afro Americans and Euro Americans.The truth is no matter what explanation you provide for the nomenclature you choose the problems remain the same.Also he talks about interracial marrying and census but this is not the main thrust of the book in any way.It is indeed a welcome addition to my growing library.

Professor Patterson writes eloquently and thoughtfully on the changes made in race relations in the US. He also presents a well-reasoned summary of some of the reasons for the inte-racial friction still remaining in America, as well as a potential template for further change. Patterson is more of a moderate than most writers on this topic; and he also very succintly illustrates why and how each end of the American political spectrum has an interest in maintaining the tone of racial dialogue at its current fever pitch.