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Acting White:

The Curious History of a Racial Slur
Front Cover
3 Reviews
St. Martin's Press, Oct 12, 2010 - History - 304 pages
In the tradition of Randall Kennedy’s Nigger and Shelby Steele’s The Content of Our Character, Acting White demonstrates how the charge that any African-American who is successful, well mannered, or well educated is “acting white,” is a slur that continues to haunt blacks. Ron Christie traces the complex history of the phrase, from Uncle Tom’s Cabin to the tensions between Martin Luther King, Jr., and Malcolm X to Bill Cosby’s controversial NAACP speech in 2004. The author also writes candidly of being challenged by black students for his “acting white,” and also of being labeled a race traitor in Congress by daring to be Republican. This lucid chronicle reveals how this prevalent put-down sets back much of the hard-earned progress for all blacks in American society. Deftly argued and determinedly controversial, this book is certain to spur thoughtful discussion for years to come.

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Review: Acting White: The Curious History of a Racial Slur

User Review  - Charlie Rosenthal - Goodreads

Interesting, but this is just a 200 page apology for Ron Christie's conservatism. Beyond that, much of his analysis is just not all that rigorous. Not a serious work of history, though he does make ... Read full review

Review: Acting White: The Curious History of a Racial Slur

User Review  - VJ - Goodreads

Ron Christie whines through this entire book. I waded through 9 chapters before finally reading of his experiences with being called a sellout, an Uncle Tom, and being charged with acting white ... Read full review

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About the author (2010)

RON CHRISTIE, a veteran senior advisor of both the White House and Congress and formerly a special assistant to President George W. Bush, is a noted political and legal analyst. He is a professor of political science and strategy at George Washington University and Haverford College and the author of Black in the White House.

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