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Certain People: America's Black Elite
The #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Our Crowd shares an intimate social history of America’s elite Black society in the 1970s.
From New York to Chicago, Atlanta, and Washington, DC, Stephen Birmingham met with members of Black America’s upper crust—those old families of money and lineage who send their children to boarding schools and make business alliances over charity dinners. Invited into their homes, he became acquainted with their private their traditions and customs, their networks and conflicts, and, of course, their many stories.
In Certain People, Birmingham presents a panoramic social history of upper-class Black society, one full of anecdotes and telling observations. From the Palmer Memorial Institute of North Carolina, where the best families sent their children, to the halls of the Johnson Publishing Company, creator of Ebony and Jet magazines, Birmingham provides an intimate glimpse of this exclusive crowd.
From New York to Chicago, Atlanta, and Washington, DC, Stephen Birmingham met with members of Black America’s upper crust—those old families of money and lineage who send their children to boarding schools and make business alliances over charity dinners. Invited into their homes, he became acquainted with their private their traditions and customs, their networks and conflicts, and, of course, their many stories.
In Certain People, Birmingham presents a panoramic social history of upper-class Black society, one full of anecdotes and telling observations. From the Palmer Memorial Institute of North Carolina, where the best families sent their children, to the halls of the Johnson Publishing Company, creator of Ebony and Jet magazines, Birmingham provides an intimate glimpse of this exclusive crowd.
349 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 14, 2024
21 people are currently reading
112 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 12, 2025
I honestly don't even know how to rate this book. Two important things I didn't know before starting. 1. The author is white. 2. The book was written in the 70s.
First, so much of the language was distracting. This isn't the fault of the author, but a sign of the times. Although, I have read earlier texts that weren't quite so grating on my sensibilities. Anyway, I am glad we have evolved on terminology when it comes to speaking about race.
The real issue is that this book is written by a white author who just did not have the range to write a book on the subject matter. Although, to be fair, based on some of the subject interviews, I doubt some of the Black people interviewed would have given the time of day to a Black author/journalist. The internalized racism was HEAVY throughout this book (of course the author did not touch on that. I honestly question if he even knows what that is).
There were so many microagressions and a few instances of outright racist ideology from this author. BUT, while gritting my teeth when reading, I did manage to come away with some new found information and knowledge from the subject interviews. The Black owning class has always been such a fascinating subject for me. I enjoyed getting to know some interesting tidbits of which I was unaware, such as the private school in NC and the rivalry between the two Chicago Johnson clans.
Overall, this was a quick read, and I don't regret reading it.
First, so much of the language was distracting. This isn't the fault of the author, but a sign of the times. Although, I have read earlier texts that weren't quite so grating on my sensibilities. Anyway, I am glad we have evolved on terminology when it comes to speaking about race.
The real issue is that this book is written by a white author who just did not have the range to write a book on the subject matter. Although, to be fair, based on some of the subject interviews, I doubt some of the Black people interviewed would have given the time of day to a Black author/journalist. The internalized racism was HEAVY throughout this book (of course the author did not touch on that. I honestly question if he even knows what that is).
There were so many microagressions and a few instances of outright racist ideology from this author. BUT, while gritting my teeth when reading, I did manage to come away with some new found information and knowledge from the subject interviews. The Black owning class has always been such a fascinating subject for me. I enjoyed getting to know some interesting tidbits of which I was unaware, such as the private school in NC and the rivalry between the two Chicago Johnson clans.
Overall, this was a quick read, and I don't regret reading it.
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October 27, 2025This is a re-issue of a book written by the late Prof. Stephen Birmingham in the late 70's. It is an
interesting history of the "The Talented-Tenth", so named by W.E.B. DuBois. I read in back in the early 80's and loved it. It is worth reading even now.
interesting history of the "The Talented-Tenth", so named by W.E.B. DuBois. I read in back in the early 80's and loved it. It is worth reading even now.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews