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Stars and Shadows: The Politics of Interracial Friendship from Jefferson to Obama
A sweeping look into interracial friendship's significance in American democracy from the founding to the present.
The oppression of Blacks is America's original sin -- a sin that took root in 1619 and plagues the country to this day. Yet there have been instances of interracial bonding and friendship even in the worst of times. In Stars and Shadows -- a term taken from Huckleberry Finn -- Saladin Ambar analyzes two centuries of noteworthy interracial friendships that served as windows into the state of race relations in the US and, more often than not, as models for advancing the cause of racial equality.
Stars and Shadows is the first work in American political history to offer a comprehensive overview of how friendship has come to shape the possibilities for democratic politics in America. Covering ten cases -- from Benjamin Banneker and Thomas Jefferson's ill-fated effort to navigate the limits imposed on democracy by slavery and white supremacy, to the more hopeful stories of James Baldwin and Marlon Brando as well as Angela Davis and Gloria Steinem -- Ambar's study illuminates how friendship is critical to understanding the potential for multiracial democracy. Political leaders and cultural figures are frequently involved in translating private feelings, relationships, and ideas, into a public ideal. Friendships and their meaning are therefore a significant part of any effort to shape public or elite opinion.
The symbolism inherent in interracial friendship has always been readily apparent, down to the powerful example of Barack Obama and Joe Biden, who were not only allied politicians, but most importantly, friends. Ambar weaves a set of interlocking stories that help create a working theory of multiracial democracy that demands more of us as a commitment to engage one another and to engage our past with even greater courage and trust. Such gestures are a vital part of the story of how race and America have been shaped. Stars and Shadows helps explain America's enduring difficulty in making friends of citizens across the color line -- and why the narrative of racial friendship matters.
The oppression of Blacks is America's original sin -- a sin that took root in 1619 and plagues the country to this day. Yet there have been instances of interracial bonding and friendship even in the worst of times. In Stars and Shadows -- a term taken from Huckleberry Finn -- Saladin Ambar analyzes two centuries of noteworthy interracial friendships that served as windows into the state of race relations in the US and, more often than not, as models for advancing the cause of racial equality.
Stars and Shadows is the first work in American political history to offer a comprehensive overview of how friendship has come to shape the possibilities for democratic politics in America. Covering ten cases -- from Benjamin Banneker and Thomas Jefferson's ill-fated effort to navigate the limits imposed on democracy by slavery and white supremacy, to the more hopeful stories of James Baldwin and Marlon Brando as well as Angela Davis and Gloria Steinem -- Ambar's study illuminates how friendship is critical to understanding the potential for multiracial democracy. Political leaders and cultural figures are frequently involved in translating private feelings, relationships, and ideas, into a public ideal. Friendships and their meaning are therefore a significant part of any effort to shape public or elite opinion.
The symbolism inherent in interracial friendship has always been readily apparent, down to the powerful example of Barack Obama and Joe Biden, who were not only allied politicians, but most importantly, friends. Ambar weaves a set of interlocking stories that help create a working theory of multiracial democracy that demands more of us as a commitment to engage one another and to engage our past with even greater courage and trust. Such gestures are a vital part of the story of how race and America have been shaped. Stars and Shadows helps explain America's enduring difficulty in making friends of citizens across the color line -- and why the narrative of racial friendship matters.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 12, 2022
Illuminating. Important. Inspiring.
While ostensibly a look into historically significant interracial friendships, Stars and Shadows also serves as a guide book for how we can move forward together on the issue of race in America today. Do yourself (and our nation) a favor and read Ambar's critically acclaimed book.
While ostensibly a look into historically significant interracial friendships, Stars and Shadows also serves as a guide book for how we can move forward together on the issue of race in America today. Do yourself (and our nation) a favor and read Ambar's critically acclaimed book.
April 8, 2024
These 10 cases presented represent 200 years of interracial friendship suggest that we cannot disavow friendship’s role in making over our democratic republic. On one hand I loved reading this history and on the other hand couldn’t believe how slow the progress is. Below are the 10 cases.
1. Benjamin Banneker and Thomas Jefferson
2. Fredrick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln
3. W.E.B Dubois and Wiliam James
4. Mary McLeod Bethune and Eleanor Roosevelt
5. Ralph Ellison and Shirley Jackson and Stanley Hyman
6. James Baldwin and Marlon Brando
7. Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe
8. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel
9. Angela Davis and Gloria Steinem
10. Barack Obama and Joe Biden
1. Benjamin Banneker and Thomas Jefferson
2. Fredrick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln
3. W.E.B Dubois and Wiliam James
4. Mary McLeod Bethune and Eleanor Roosevelt
5. Ralph Ellison and Shirley Jackson and Stanley Hyman
6. James Baldwin and Marlon Brando
7. Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe
8. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel
9. Angela Davis and Gloria Steinem
10. Barack Obama and Joe Biden
August 29, 2022
Should be required reading for history students. Great informative read.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews