Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Blackballed: The Black and White Politics of Race on America's Campuses
    Blackballed: The Black and White Politics of Race on America's Campuses
    Blackballed: The Black and White Politics of Race on America's Campuses
    Audiobook8 hours

    Blackballed: The Black and White Politics of Race on America's Campuses

    Written by Lawrence Ross

    Narrated by Ron Butler

    3.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    "College" is a word that means many things to many people: a space for knowledge, a place to gain lifelong friends, and an opportunity to transcend one's socioeconomic station. Today, though, this word also recalls a slew of headlines that have revealed a dark and persistent world of racial politics on campus.

    From Lawrence Ross, author of The Divine Nine, Blackballed is an explosive and controversial book that rips the veil off America's hidden secret: America's colleges have fostered a racist environment that makes them a hostile space for African American students. Blackballed exposes the white fraternity and sorority system, with traditions of racist parties, songs, and assaults on black students; and the universities themselves, who name campus buildings after racist men and women. It also takes a deep dive into anti-affirmative action policies, and how they effectively segregate predominately white universities, providing ample room for white privilege. A bold mix of history and the current climate, Blackballed is a call to action for universities to make radical changes to their policies and standards to foster a better legacy for all students.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateFeb 2, 2016
    ISBN9781515970422
    Blackballed: The Black and White Politics of Race on America's Campuses
    Author

    Lawrence Ross

    LAWRENCE ROSS is a bestselling author, lecturer, writer, filmmaker, social media and consumer trends expert. His groundbreaking book, The Divine Nine: The History of African American Fraternities and Sororities, has become the preeminent book on African-American fraternities and sororities. He's written regular pieces for CNN.com, The Grio, The Root, Ebony.com, and USA Today. He lives in Westchester, CA.

    Related to Blackballed

    Related audiobooks

    Teaching Methods & Materials For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    Related categories

    Reviews for Blackballed

    3.5/5

    10 ratings3 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 1/5
      This book is horse shit. Zero stars would be a more apt rating.
    • 5/5
      I recivied an Advanced edition of this book from NetGalley In Exchange for my honest opinion.

      When I saw this book pop up, I'm pretty sure I squealed a little. Like many African American college students I'm familiar with Lawrence C. Ross's Divine Nine and when I saw that he had written a book on race on college campuses I was beyond excited. As a former student and current administrator and employee I have worked/attended an Flagship SEC PWI, a small predominantly Black institution (not an HBCU though) and an institution often lauded as one of the most diverse in the nation. At each of these institutions I have seen and experienced my own share of micro and macro aggressions so I was incredibly intrigued to read Ross's thoughts and see his recommendation for the future.

      The book highlights three main issues and focuses on both the history or the current situation on Campuses today ( Use the terms sections because the "chapters" were broken in my ARC). The first is on the segregated Fraternity and Sorority issues. He spends a lot of time on The University of Alabama which is very similar to an institution I attended but not quite as bad. I found the information, especially on The Machine, which i had never heard of fascinating and scary at the same time. The next section focused on the history of racial incident at colleges going back to before was I was born. At first I grew tired and and disheartening reading about incident after incident but then I got mad because here were are and nothing, absolutely nothing has changed. The same incidents after incidents since 1982 ( around) just keep happening- how have these sorority and fraternity's not learned that Blackface IS racist? It just threw the idea of a post racial America right out the window. I also found myself angry when reading about the attempts to change the names on the thousands of university buildings named after murder's, segregationists and others who preached and exhibited hate. Some of the reactions from college Presidents is absolutley astonishing and it just really makes the idea of a post-racial America seems as far off as the moon. Forget about race but you get to live in a building of a man who bragged about murdering 7 black men just because.

      The next section and my favorite as a college administrator was the section on Black Student activism- he gave a a history starting in the 1800's until the Current BLM movement. This is a section I will have my Freshman students read and take note of its importance as I feel that it is a great historical context/summary for students entering an institution where they will face the incidents listed in preceding chapters. The last section was Ross' recommendations which I think are most important and the hardest.

      I honestly hope that this book sparks a fire in today's students and I plan to add this as a reading assignment for my students.
    • 4/5
      A special thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Lawrence C. Ross delivers a well-researched, timely, and critical call-to-action message in his latest: BLACKBALLED: The Black and White Politics of Race on America’s Campuses --harsh truths--universities must make radical changes to their policies and standards, in order to continue to provide education and a better college life environment, for both black and whites--no longer can they bury their head in the sand. Be proactive, versus reactive.Campus racism crisis has been at epidemic proportions for decades, and it is time for predominately white colleges and universities to start looking for effective solutions, before a tragic event erupts., which is already happening. Blackballed rips the scab off the open secret; predominately white college campuses, are hostile spaces for black students. From the great Nigerian Novelist Chinua Achebe—an African proverb: “Until the lions have their own historian, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.” Blackballed is written from the lion's point. A change is critical and the truth must be told.Racism isn’t just something that you overcome. Ross proposes the question: Is racism simply in the eyes and ears of many, an unfortunate but inconsequential aspect of life? If you have kept abreast with the headline news, it has already begun. In his controversial and insightful book, Ross stresses, every college and university in the US is a ticking time bomb. The first step is to address racism on campus-- "Admit the sickness" and work towards getting healthy—as a societal cancer. What is the treatment?Blackballed points out how colleges and universities have historically either been complicit in fostering a campus environment that was friendly to racist behavior, or reacted so superficially that they made the conditions worse. Why do programs not succeed? For the same reason why anti-racism efforts tend to fail in general society; we don’t address them honestly, with the full resources available. Ross brings up some thought-provoking points: Creating a racism-free environment on college and university campus isn’t as large a priority, as making sure the donors are happy, the football team is winning, and the tuition money keeps flowing. Everything else is superfluous, and a result, the black students suffer. Black athletes are recruited for their schools. Football is more important than culture of diversity and positive changes to the campus. Everyone wants the football team to do well. African American football players---their place is on the field--not in the frat house. Injustice. This could be used as leverage. Similar to Jeanne Marie Laskas' Concussion Dr. Bennet Omalu, the pathologist who made one of the most significant medical discoveries of the twenty-first century. Everyone pimps out the football players from Pop Warner to the NFL, and leaves them to deal with CTE, mental illness, and the fallout--all with a blind eye. Sadly, America is about power and greed. Blackballed addresses public policy, anti-affirmative action, black history, civil rights, and specifically, the injustice of fraternities and sororities. As Blackballed shows, “it may be easier for a black man to sit in the White House, than in a University of Alabama fraternity house.”While most of the campus racist incidents involve white fraternities and sororities, the question proposed: How could white millennials (a post-racial) generation who never experienced the separate-but-equal world of Jim Crow segregation, know the racial songs designed to dehumanize and humiliate African Americans? When it comes to racism at colleges and universities, we are not a generation moving closer to a nation without racism. This is sad. “Racism is as common at America’s universities as pretty cheerleaders.”Have things really changed since the 1920s-1950’s? The question: Where did all of these racist incidents come from? Did they ever stop in the first place? Not isolated incidents, but longstanding traditions. Greek row, and how they function on college campuses. Some blame on society itself. Parents spend thousands of dollars to send their children to college, and many of them are subject to daily humiliation. Not only blacks, there are other minorities, injustice—and some say social media has made it more prominent. Ross has chronicled a two-year journey —he believes discussing these issues is important, a platform, and a means for voices to be heard. Changes have to be made.Blackballed is not about predominately white institutions (PWis) not having a role in educating black college students. For over a century, black students have received invaluable educations at these white colleges and universities have gone on to change American and the world. Black students will continue to enroll, graduate, and change lives while influenced by their educations at these schools.By providing these opportunities to African American college students, does not mitigate the racism that these students will face on nearly every campus in the US. Ross stresses we should not confuse the coping mechanisms black students use to survive on these campuses with long-lasting solutions. However, at the root of Blackballed is a cry for help --These students are under attack in a hostile environment. A critical need to move campus racism from the backwaters of their administrators to the forefront. Triple budgets for diversity education. Radical change within the fraternity and sorority systems with comprehensive anti-racism plans from national headquarters to teach organizations and hold them accountable. No more excuses, “we didn’t know”. Making students and leaders cognizant of the complexities of race and racism. In the end, a complex question---given all the racial obstacles, going to a predominately white institution-- is it really worth it for African Americans? Of course, their education is valuable; however, more importantly every parent and student may ask, “is it worth the psychological damage due to racism?” The book is not saying blacks should not go to college; however, should they give up going to predominately white universities and instead attend black schools, or should they fight it out and demand a racism-free environment? Powerful and timely. Highly recommend for administrators, students, and parents of all students—regardless of color. Education on the subject is critical. We are not powerless. Confront campus racism. Making the comfortable, uncomfortable. In further reading, most say the racial harassment is not unprecedented. Take young men and women living away from home the first time, off to college; no parental control or supervision, combined with racially divided campuses, fueled with alcohol and drugs, plus thrown together with other unfamiliar ethnic groups, hormones, social media, added peer pressure, and lack of education in the social world---all compound the problem. Being aware of these issues, classes, or further education is needed to address the problems. Administrators, colleges, universities, and students have to be held accountable. After all folks, this is year 2016, not the 1950's. We are leaving these students hanging--not a great foundation for adulthood, the workplace and future generations—if not addressed at this level or before, it will only multiple.