The Negro and the City

A forthright examination of the Black American in urban society - documented with fifteen candid articles and over fifty dramatic photographs. The vivid, first-hand accounts in this book bring to life both the exciting and the discouraging aspects of black urban experience from the late nineteenth century to the present day. Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. DuBois, and Kenneth B. Clark are among the commentators who examine the deplorable frustrations that have faced Negro newcomers to the...
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A forthright examination of the Black American in urban society - documented with fifteen candid articles and over fifty dramatic photographs. The vivid, first-hand accounts in this book bring to life both the exciting and the discouraging aspects of black urban experience from the late nineteenth century to the present day. Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. DuBois, and Kenneth B. Clark are among the commentators who examine the deplorable frustrations that have faced Negro newcomers to the city - the long and often futile search for a decent place to live, for a job, and for acceptable schools for their children. The old pattern of initial enthusiasm followed by deep discouragement reveals itself time and time again in these selections. But the city has made positive contributions to Negro life, and articles describing some of these - including the Harlem Renaissance and the constructive use of political power - also appear in this volume. The result of the balanced, many-sided approach provided in this candid book is a realistic portrayal of black triumphs and failures as they really are.