Being White in Black/White Relations: A Professor's Singular Life Journey

Abstract

How many seasons of observation, how many episodes of interaction, how many pauses for reflection must it take for the white man to discern what it is truly like to be black in America and to comprehend the nature of personal black/white relations? Over a life span what opportunities present themselves and what efforts must be made to understand the African-American experience and to liberate oneself from the elements of racism that still are so invasive in white lives? Can any white ever come close enough to the mass of black people to feel confident in his understanding and his effectiveness?

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