Reviews
African American Politics is likely to be a very useful volume for students and for general readers seeking a context for understanding the Obama election and contemporary racial politics. The book elegantly melds mainstream political science ideas and topics with innovative themes, a sophisticated historical consciousness, and continued demonstration of the ways in which African American politics is, and is not, American politics tout court.
Jennifer L. Hochschild, Harvard University
Kendra King's text captures the complex interaction between African Americans and US political institutions. It provides a deep understanding of the hopes and dreams of a population often left on the outside of American democracy and how that experience is critical to understanding American political institutions and politics. Students of African American politics in particular and American politics in general will be well served by reading this text.
Mark Sawyer, University of California
Kendra King’s work carefully integrates a number of literatures in American politics, including political institutions, political theory, racial and ethnic politics, and offers faculty and students a complex portrait of the politics of African Americans in the 21st Century. She takes seriously the responsibility to explore a wide range of work, using legal analysis, the historical record, survey research, and economic data to offer a broader range of perspectives on Black political issues than is usually available. King’s African American Politics explores different approaches, including contemporary popular culture, to understand surprising outcomes such as the Obama presidential election and to consider its impact on the political status of the Black population. Her volume will be of use in classes on Black Politics for years to come.
Dianne Pinderhughes, University of Notre Dame
Kendra King’s new book provides students with an insightful introduction to black political realities in the United States. The breadth and diversity of topics covered is one the text's unique strengths, and its extensive use of primary materials beyond the cannon will set it apart from its peers.
Valeria Sinclair-Chapman, University of Rochester