“This book is a fascinating analysis of race and class in the age of President Bill Clinton. It provides much-needed clarity in regards to the myth of the ‘First Black President.’ It contributes much to our understanding of the history that informs our present moment!” —Cornel West As President Barack Obama was sworn into office on January 20, 2009, the United States was abuzz with talk of the first African American president. At this historic moment, one man standing on the inaugural platform, seemingly a relic of the past, had actually been called by the moniker the “first black president” for years. President William Jefferson Clinton had long enjoyed the support of African Americans during his political career, but the man from Hope also had a complex and tenuous relationship with this faction of his political base. Clinton stood at the nexus of intense political battles between conservatives’ demands for a return to the past and African Americans’ demands for change and fuller equality. He also struggled with the class dynamics dividing the American electorate, especially African Americans. Those with financial means seized newfound opportunities to go to college, enter the professions, pursue entrepreneurial ambitions, and engage in mainstream politics, while those without financial means were essentially left behind. The former became key to Clinton’s political success as he skillfully negotiated the African American class structure while at the same time maintaining the support of white Americans. The results were tremendously positive for some African Americans. For others, the Clinton presidency was devastating. Brother Bill examines President Clinton’s political relationship with African Americans and illuminates the nuances of race and class at the end of the twentieth century, an era of technological, political, and social upheaval.

While white Americans were evenly divided about Bill Clinton's impeachment ninety percent of African-Americans opposed it. Now from a founding member of the National Association of Black Journalists comes a groundbreaking new book that explores the deep and unique connection between the former president and the black community-in the words of journalists, celebrities, academics, and other thoughtful Americans. Going well beyond mere TV punditry, luminaries such as Dr. Mary Frances Berry, Bill Gray, Kweisi Mfume, and Alice Randall, as well as ordinary citizens, offer insight into why African-Americans for the first time saw themselves in the soul of a president-Whether it was the large African-American presence in his administration, his perceived legal persecutions, his personal style, or his lasting yet tumultuous marriage-and why that kinship has sweeping cultural implications. Bill Clinton's actions, associations, and essence are all analyzed in light of their effect on and appeal to this crucial constituency. Much-awaited and long overdue, "Bill Clinton and Black America features fascinating, provocative interpretations of the special relationship between the black people and this extraordinary man who, when his presidency ended, moved his office from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue-White America's most famous address-to Harlem's 125th Street-the heart of Black America. "From the Hardcover edition.

A study of the relationship between race and American politics, organised around the institutions and processes of American government. It includes readings by individuals like Bill Clinton, Charles Hamilton, and Carol Swain, across a wide variety of ideological perspectives.

'Clarence Lusane is one of America's most thoughtful and critical thinkers on issues of race, class and power. African Americans at the Crossroads represents an important contribution to the literature on African-American politics and the future of American race relations. I enthusiastically recommend this book to scholars and community activists alike.' Manning Marable, author of How Capitalism Underdeveloped Black AmericaClarence Lusane uses the 1992 elections as a prism to explore Black community leadership and offers a long-term vision of Black empowerment and resistance, inside and outside the electoral arena.

In 2002 a distinguished interdisciplinary group of scholars gathered at the Diane D. Blair Center of Southern Politics and Society at the University of Arkansas to provide a critical evaluation of the Clinton-Gore administration. Their groundbreaking assessment of the most controversial president in modern times treats such crucial topics as race, women, and minorities; the character issue; foreign policy; and the media. This book provides a unique vantage point on the "Clinton riddle” that all future studies will need to consider.