Prometheus 6

author: Houston A. Baker asin: 0231139640 binding: Hardcover list price: $24.95 USD amazon price: $16.47 USD

Betrayal: How Black Intellectuals Have Abandoned the Ideals of the Civil Rights Era by Houston A. Baker isn’t properly described by its title because it covers a bit more than Black intellectuals. It reminds me a lot of Harold Cruse’s Crisis of the Negro Intellectual. It’s roughly three parts analysis and one part vengeance. Prof. Baker takes aim at a wide array of target, from John McWhorter (for failing to live up to Dr. King’s example) to Irving Kristol (for creating the political movement he feels was key in undermining Black interest). He draws on the writings of Dr. King and W.E.B. DuBois to establish his position, yet never claims to present more than his personal reactions.