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Better Day Coming: Blacks and Equality, 1890-2000
From the end of postwar Reconstruction in the South to an analysis of the rise and fall of Black Power, acclaimed historian Adam Fairclough presents a straightforward synthesis of the century-long struggle of black Americans to achieve civil rights and equality in the United States. Beginning with Ida B. Wells and the campaign against lynching in the 1890s, Fairclough chronicles the tradition of protest that led to the formation of the NAACP, Booker T. Washington and the strategy of accommodation, Marcus Garvey and the push for black nationalism, through to Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and beyond. Throughout, Fairclough presents a judicious interpretation of historical events that balances the achievements of the Civil Rights Movement against the persistence of racial and economic inequalities.
400 pages, Paperback
First published July 23, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
July 4, 2012
This was one of the few books that have taken me a long while to finish. I could only read so much at once before I had to stop and digest what I read. Definitely not one to just sit down and read.
That being said, I learned so much new information about the struggle for equality. Looking at and comparing my knowledge before and after reading this book, I knew pretty much only the basics, which is sad. Too much of this is neglected in the education of America (honestly, any thing past World War II seems to be rarely covered in the US public education curriculum).
A great book that is an eye-opener to the struggle for racial equality and rights. Would be an excellent resource to any high school teacher teaching a unit or a college level instructor.
That being said, I learned so much new information about the struggle for equality. Looking at and comparing my knowledge before and after reading this book, I knew pretty much only the basics, which is sad. Too much of this is neglected in the education of America (honestly, any thing past World War II seems to be rarely covered in the US public education curriculum).
A great book that is an eye-opener to the struggle for racial equality and rights. Would be an excellent resource to any high school teacher teaching a unit or a college level instructor.
dnf
July 15, 2024I DNF'd this so I'm not going to rate it. This is a really informative book and has lots of really good information. The problem is that this is a slog to get through. I originally got this book for a civil rights class I took in my undergrad but never actually read it (I was notoriously bad at reading assigned books). I wanted to circle back and read it now but maybe there was an actual reason I never read it in the first place. Long story short, its boring and dry. I soft DNF'd this in February but thought I was going to eventually come back and read it. I picked it up today, read one page, and knew I was never going to finish this book. I just think I can get this information in other books especially since there are so many books about African American history coming out continuously. Maybe I will come back in the future and read some parts of this or look at this for background information but I don't think I will ever come back and read the full thing. Also don't like how he refers to black people as Blacks.
August 24, 2022
Really great overview for schoolwork or just interest. Not the most suited for extreme detail on a single group but clearly goes over the main developments.
I only take issue with his phrase “the politicisation of homosexuality” to refer to the gay rights movement. Feels out of place in a book about equality!!
I only take issue with his phrase “the politicisation of homosexuality” to refer to the gay rights movement. Feels out of place in a book about equality!!
February 25, 2021
This book would have received 5-stars had it not entirely ignored, nay, insulted, the black participation in the Communist movement of the 1930s-1950s. Whilst Paul Robeson is treated respectfully (as he should be), whilst black activists and theorists like Harry Haywood are derided with phrases such as "Stalinist dogma."
The book even then would've received 4-stars if not for its pathetic treatment of the Black Power movement. Genuine and fair criticisms of its practice and tactics aside, the ideological criticism of the Black Power movement as some kind of "reverse racism" and deluded fantasy of downtrodden and lower-class black masses is absurd and ignores the harsh realities poor blacks were facing, and still face.
However, as an entry-level survey of the Civil Rights Movement from the era of Redemption to the Clinton Presidency, it is, although flawed, a good work. The only other problem is that, to borrow and repurpose the words of a white supremacist President, "...it is all so terribly true."
The book even then would've received 4-stars if not for its pathetic treatment of the Black Power movement. Genuine and fair criticisms of its practice and tactics aside, the ideological criticism of the Black Power movement as some kind of "reverse racism" and deluded fantasy of downtrodden and lower-class black masses is absurd and ignores the harsh realities poor blacks were facing, and still face.
However, as an entry-level survey of the Civil Rights Movement from the era of Redemption to the Clinton Presidency, it is, although flawed, a good work. The only other problem is that, to borrow and repurpose the words of a white supremacist President, "...it is all so terribly true."
January 5, 2021
Fascinating and depressing account of US Civil Rights struggle
The history of black liberation in the US had its moments of real achievement despite horrendous obstacles, but ultimately it’s a bleak story of failure of society to really grapple with the problem of racism. The author does not really account for this failure which I think may be down to a victim mentality becoming the biggest influence among those who want to challenge the status quo.
The history of black liberation in the US had its moments of real achievement despite horrendous obstacles, but ultimately it’s a bleak story of failure of society to really grapple with the problem of racism. The author does not really account for this failure which I think may be down to a victim mentality becoming the biggest influence among those who want to challenge the status quo.
July 28, 2020
I was gifted this book when I left my position at Legal Aid of NC or I mat never have read it. It was a great summary for anyone able to start midway into their racial wokeness.
December 21, 2024
Read for uni, biased as shit lmao
September 13, 2013
THE FIGHT BACK FROM SLAVERY
The focus of Adam Faircloughs book, as is evident from the title "Better Day Coming", is on black efforts at fighting for full citizenship within American society. Things had become extremely bleak for them after the radical Republicans (it was not an oxymoron in the 1860's and 70's) efforts at Reconstruction were defeated, and blacks lost their vote and representatives, land and legal equality. Any attempts at seeking re-dress were brutally put down by Southern Democrats and the Klu Klux Klan. Faircloughs narrative takes the reader from those bleak times through the variety of accommodations and rebellions, dead-ends and progress, that make up the black experience in America up to the end of the twentieth century.
A good deal of this history is focussed on the personalities that stood out in black history, from militants such as the forthright campaigner against lynching Ida B. Wells at one end of the spectrum, to the black Americans Samuel Smiles - Booker T. Washington, with many others including Malcolm X, Marcus Garvey and Martin Luther King. Fairclough doesn't ignore some of the movements (the communist party, the NAACP, the Black Panthers, etc) or events (the civil rights movement, the legal battles, the battle for integration, etc). In short he captures a good deal of the black Americans twentieth century experience and struggle for equality.
If there is a shortcoming in the book it is Fairclough can be on occasions a little wishy-washy in his narrative. Sometimes in his efforts to achieve "balance" he appears a little lame, merely repeating both sides of the argument without making a judgement, or calculating the costs and benefits of actions on the struggle for black equality. In contrast with the events he describes, Fairclough seems to be always on the look out for a silver lining, for the American system, if not for the blacks themselves. As an example consider this quote with regards to the Great Depression - "President Roosevelts vigorous leadership and evident sympathy for the "forgotten Americans" deepened the interest of everyone in politics." Did it really? Or was it the catastrophic economic depression, and the failure of the established political classes, year after year, to find a solution that caused an upsurge in Americans interest in politics? In another case he describes how Martin Luther King bowed to pressure from the Kennedy administration and dismissed two of his advisors and fellow activists who had a communist background, and then without qualification adds, "yet King was nobodies puppet."
Those shortcomings aside, Faircloughs "Better Day Coming" is an interesting narrative of the black struggle for equality in the twentieth century. His opinion may on occasions be questionable, but he does provide a full enough account in the text for the readers to ask meaningful questions of their own, and on that basis it is well worth reading. For anyone who is interested in the period of Reconstruction that immediately precedes the events described in this book, one could do no better than Eric Foners magnificent "Reconstruction".
The focus of Adam Faircloughs book, as is evident from the title "Better Day Coming", is on black efforts at fighting for full citizenship within American society. Things had become extremely bleak for them after the radical Republicans (it was not an oxymoron in the 1860's and 70's) efforts at Reconstruction were defeated, and blacks lost their vote and representatives, land and legal equality. Any attempts at seeking re-dress were brutally put down by Southern Democrats and the Klu Klux Klan. Faircloughs narrative takes the reader from those bleak times through the variety of accommodations and rebellions, dead-ends and progress, that make up the black experience in America up to the end of the twentieth century.
A good deal of this history is focussed on the personalities that stood out in black history, from militants such as the forthright campaigner against lynching Ida B. Wells at one end of the spectrum, to the black Americans Samuel Smiles - Booker T. Washington, with many others including Malcolm X, Marcus Garvey and Martin Luther King. Fairclough doesn't ignore some of the movements (the communist party, the NAACP, the Black Panthers, etc) or events (the civil rights movement, the legal battles, the battle for integration, etc). In short he captures a good deal of the black Americans twentieth century experience and struggle for equality.
If there is a shortcoming in the book it is Fairclough can be on occasions a little wishy-washy in his narrative. Sometimes in his efforts to achieve "balance" he appears a little lame, merely repeating both sides of the argument without making a judgement, or calculating the costs and benefits of actions on the struggle for black equality. In contrast with the events he describes, Fairclough seems to be always on the look out for a silver lining, for the American system, if not for the blacks themselves. As an example consider this quote with regards to the Great Depression - "President Roosevelts vigorous leadership and evident sympathy for the "forgotten Americans" deepened the interest of everyone in politics." Did it really? Or was it the catastrophic economic depression, and the failure of the established political classes, year after year, to find a solution that caused an upsurge in Americans interest in politics? In another case he describes how Martin Luther King bowed to pressure from the Kennedy administration and dismissed two of his advisors and fellow activists who had a communist background, and then without qualification adds, "yet King was nobodies puppet."
Those shortcomings aside, Faircloughs "Better Day Coming" is an interesting narrative of the black struggle for equality in the twentieth century. His opinion may on occasions be questionable, but he does provide a full enough account in the text for the readers to ask meaningful questions of their own, and on that basis it is well worth reading. For anyone who is interested in the period of Reconstruction that immediately precedes the events described in this book, one could do no better than Eric Foners magnificent "Reconstruction".
August 19, 2015
Just to put this review in context: I'm white, raised in a mostly-white upper-middle-class suburb of a large Midwestern city, went to mostly-white public schools, and didn't have any black friends until college.
This book made me want to vomit pretty early on. Remember, this books *begins* *after* slavery. Like, 30 years after. And the treatment that African-Americans were subjected to continued for almost a century, and still continues today in many forms, even if not to the same degree or as frequently as in the past.
I think the biggest impact this book had on me was how it frames modern-day race relations. Equality doesn't happen overnight. When a group of people are mistreated as egregiously as African-Americans were for *so long*, even if you contend that no discrimination occurs today, you'd have to believe that there were no consequences of all that mistreatment. I have been able to do what I've done with my life mostly because of the resources provided by my parents, who were in turn helped by the resources of my grandparents, etc. If my grandparents were not allowed to go to college or hold well-paying jobs, what effect would that have had on me? When I see people making statements like "Slavery ended in 1865, stop whining" I wonder if they've ever read a book like this (or any book, really..)
Anyway, good book. Very readable, filled with lots of data to back up its claims.
This book made me want to vomit pretty early on. Remember, this books *begins* *after* slavery. Like, 30 years after. And the treatment that African-Americans were subjected to continued for almost a century, and still continues today in many forms, even if not to the same degree or as frequently as in the past.
I think the biggest impact this book had on me was how it frames modern-day race relations. Equality doesn't happen overnight. When a group of people are mistreated as egregiously as African-Americans were for *so long*, even if you contend that no discrimination occurs today, you'd have to believe that there were no consequences of all that mistreatment. I have been able to do what I've done with my life mostly because of the resources provided by my parents, who were in turn helped by the resources of my grandparents, etc. If my grandparents were not allowed to go to college or hold well-paying jobs, what effect would that have had on me? When I see people making statements like "Slavery ended in 1865, stop whining" I wonder if they've ever read a book like this (or any book, really..)
Anyway, good book. Very readable, filled with lots of data to back up its claims.
July 10, 2012
This book really reminded me of the forgotten struggle that our forefathers & mothers had 2 endure just 2 get the rights that most of us take for granted 2day;...
Well written & engagingly detailed this read is a must for anyone who wants 2 know more about the race divide that inspired true human spirit;...
I like a few before me found myself reading every page TWICE just so I could fully digest & absorb all of what I was reading;...
It's hard 2 believe these events all took place as recent as 12 decades ago & just highlights how fortunate I am 2 not have been born 100 years earlier;...I'm almost ashamed 2 admit my knowledge on Marcus Garvey, the radical thirties & the Scottsboro protests were not as detailed as say the MILLION man march on the Lincoln memorial sum 3 decades later but this book has me mentality up 2 speed;...
We in this time are truly BLESSED & whilst others follow on like brainless sheep having their minds blown over 50 shades of soft porn, I'd rather have my mind soaked over the 50 shades of equality & slavery;...
Simply one of the most important books a knowledge soaked individual could ever hope 2 read, cause if knowledge is power then this a book for KINGS & QUEENS;....
I will read again before the years end;...
Well written & engagingly detailed this read is a must for anyone who wants 2 know more about the race divide that inspired true human spirit;...
I like a few before me found myself reading every page TWICE just so I could fully digest & absorb all of what I was reading;...
It's hard 2 believe these events all took place as recent as 12 decades ago & just highlights how fortunate I am 2 not have been born 100 years earlier;...I'm almost ashamed 2 admit my knowledge on Marcus Garvey, the radical thirties & the Scottsboro protests were not as detailed as say the MILLION man march on the Lincoln memorial sum 3 decades later but this book has me mentality up 2 speed;...
We in this time are truly BLESSED & whilst others follow on like brainless sheep having their minds blown over 50 shades of soft porn, I'd rather have my mind soaked over the 50 shades of equality & slavery;...
Simply one of the most important books a knowledge soaked individual could ever hope 2 read, cause if knowledge is power then this a book for KINGS & QUEENS;....
I will read again before the years end;...
April 4, 2016
This was a great book: extremely well researched, honest and informative. I enjoyed it until the last chapter where I feel the time period of 1970-2000 really did not receive the same extensive research as the previous time periods.
The author did a great job maintaining objectivity with DuBouis and Washington, the SCLC and the NAACP, as well as SNCC and black power; however, the last time period did not receive this same objectivity or research. It seemed rushed and heavily reliant on media headlines rather than on reviewing the facts. Case in point: the author appears to imply that as a result of school integration many whites left the cities in the seventies as if that alone was the driver, completely ignoring the economic shift from the city to the suburbs during this time. The author also points out that middle class blacks also left the city, which would further imply economic motivations for the migration. Not to mention this shift began in the post WWII period and continued throughout this time period. That is one example of a failing of the last chapter.
The author did a great job maintaining objectivity with DuBouis and Washington, the SCLC and the NAACP, as well as SNCC and black power; however, the last time period did not receive this same objectivity or research. It seemed rushed and heavily reliant on media headlines rather than on reviewing the facts. Case in point: the author appears to imply that as a result of school integration many whites left the cities in the seventies as if that alone was the driver, completely ignoring the economic shift from the city to the suburbs during this time. The author also points out that middle class blacks also left the city, which would further imply economic motivations for the migration. Not to mention this shift began in the post WWII period and continued throughout this time period. That is one example of a failing of the last chapter.
October 28, 2008
So far, this book has been very interesting. It chronologically goes in depth about the struggles African-Americans have faced and continue to face. High school lessons have made it seem as though Reconstruction bettered the lives of African Americans, but in this book we learn that the struggle for equality wasn't and still isn't quite so easy.
January 18, 2015
It takes an Englishman to offer a terrific, easy-to-read overview of U.S. Civil Rights history since Reconstruction. What makes this book very good is the thread of connections, rivalries, comparisons, etc. from era to era. Academics might complain how it's heavy on secondary sources, but in this case, that's good news for the general reader.
March 2, 2007
Chronological account of civil rights in America. Anyone who has "decided to give a shit" has much to gain from this book...
January 23, 2013
I mean, it's a text book... Interesting though, provides the facts for events as they happened, and I learned a lot.
May 5, 2013
Great read
May 12, 2015
I'm all for equal rights, but this book leans too far left. It refers to republicans as "hacks" out for themselves, portraying them as evil and liberals as saints. It also has a pro communist flavor.
August 6, 2015
Quite an eye opening read. I never understood how stratified our society was/is. Progress has certainly been made, but it saddens me how far we still need to go.
June 3, 2015
Good read.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews