Rituals Of Blood: The Consequences Of Slavery In Two American Centuries

by Orlando Patterson

In the first essay, Patterson analyzes the very latest survey data to delineate the different attitudes, behaviors, and circumstances of Afro-American men and women, dissecting both the external and internal causes for the great disparities he finds.In the second essay, Patterson focuses on the lynching of Afro-American boys and men during the decades after Reconstruction, particularly on the substantial number of cases that constituted apparent ritual human sacrifice. As no one has done before, Patterson reveals how the complex interplay between Christian sacrificial symbolism and the deep recesses of post-bellum Southern culture resulted in some of the most shameful, barbaric events in American history.The third essay brings us into the late twentieth century, with an investigation of the various images of Afro-American men portrayed by the media. From the demigod (Michael Jordan) to the demon (Colin Ferguson) to the demigod-turned-demon (O. J. Simpson) and the crossers of racial and gender boundaries (Michael Jackson and Dennis Rodman)—all contribute to the cultural complications of our contemporary society. Rituals of Blood advances Patterson's new model of ethnic relations that opens American society to a new and freer dialogue.

Genres: History, Sociology, Race, Politics, Nonfiction, American History

330 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Orlando Patterson is John Cowles Professor of Sociology at Harvard University; the author of Freedom in the Making of Western Culture, which won the National Book Award for Nonfiction, and Slavery and Social Death; and the editor of The Cultural Matrix: Understanding Black Youth, for which he was awarded the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for Lifetime Achievement. His work has been honored by the American Sociological Association and the American Political Science Association, among others, and he is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He served as Special Advisor for Social Policy and Development to Jamaican Prime Minister Michael Manley and was awarded the Order of Distinction by the Government of Jamaica.

Reviews

[Shawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very informative and educational book. And yes, the last paragraphs, so eloquently written, sum up the power of the arguments in this book. I'll quote,
"Another effect of this now pervasive influence is the near-complete rejection of intellectual achievement as a model to be strived for." (278)
|
I recommend this book. There is a substantial amount of statistical information and it is employed by the pen of a genuine scholar. Patterson references not only the analyses of other sociologists but explores myth, South American (Tupinamba) tribal behaviors, and West African patterns of kinship and their hierarchy of relations, I could go on. It is a great read for it is thorough in revealing the glaring problems.
|
"...those few who, by some sociological miracle, become engaged with their studies and do well at school must find ways to camouflage their interest, either through clowning or through overcompensatory involvement in sports." (278)
"America's conservative leadership, who dishonorably disclaim all responsibility for the unhealed injuries of the nation's shameful racist past." (279)
"But the entrapment is, above all else, the making of Afro-Americans themselves, a large proportion of whose men contemptibly choose to abandon their children to the welfare of the state, the authority of the streets, and the seductions of gang life and drugs; whose women choose to have more children than their emotional, economic, or social resources allow; and whose youth choose to reject literacy in favor of orality and choose to drop out of the educational system before achieving minimal levels of skills for survival in an advanced postindustrial society...who condemn intellect, debase women, demonstrate by their fortunes and illiteracy the absurdity of ordinary work and pay," (279)

I found this book enlightening, and disturbing. It has three parts, the first part is the longest, and the middle part is nauseating for its subject of lynching, and the third part is entertaining and somewhat a softening conclusion to so weighty a theme. Gosh, I felt in my heart several times in reading this book a profound appreciation for scholars such as Orlando Patterson who dedicate their time and direct their will for the betterment of our nation and the world.

[Meg · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read only the first section of this book but was really troubled by the sexist, pathologizing, victim-blaming arguments he makes about Black people and families. Also he made lots of claims - with statistical data, charts and graphs - that just didn't seem right. Like he goes on at length about how there's more gender hostility between Black men and women than there is among other races (for which he mainly blames Black women, as I recall). Or he claims it's not true that Black people have more robust complex kinship/ extended family structures (that have helped them to survive economic and social discrimination and violence in the US), despite generations of Black scholars naming this as a strength within Black communities.

[Sunil Rajasekar · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very emotionally difficult book to read but one that must be read by anyone who wants to understand Afro American culture and the impact of slavery.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rating this book is difficult; the second essay (which is a searing, unflinching analysis of the ritualistic aspects of lynching) definitely deserves four stars, but Patterson's methods of analysis in the first and third troubled me. I'm still planning to read On Slavery and Social Death, but I need to spend some time pondering Patterson's subject position and methodology.

[Elyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent examination of the effect of slavery on African-Americans. I appreciate Orlando Patterson's objective evaluation using statistics and studies. He is straightforward with his analysis, even when it is painful to expose. At the same time, he is optimistic and solution-oriented.

[Kenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great stats, decent organization, some good insights and a few that seem more speculative...