fugitive race, The
Book Description
In a profound examination of racial consciousness and identity, Stephen P. Knadler presents a transformative analysis of how whiteness has functioned as a protected category throughout American literary history. This scholarly work invites readers on a journey of racial awakening, exploring how the concept of white superiority has shaped cultural narratives from the antebellum era through the 1980s.
Knadler argues that whiteness has operated as a fugitive force, avoiding meaningful engagement with communities of color while maintaining its privileged position. Through careful study of minority writers spanning over a century, he reveals how authors of color have consistently challenged and disrupted these racial boundaries.
The book illuminates the courageous work of writers including William Wells Brown, Pauline Hopkins, Abraham Cahan, Younghill Kang, Zora Neale Hurston, and Arturo Islas, who refused to simply seek assimilation into existing structures. Instead, these literary voices created powerful moments of reflection, forcing white readers to confront their racial identity from an external perspective for perhaps the first time.
Rather than merely documenting resistance, this work demonstrates how minority writers actively sought to dismantle the foundational assumptions of white identity itself. For readers committed to personal growth and expanded consciousness, this book offers essential insights into the psychological and cultural dimensions of race, providing tools for deeper self-examination and understanding of America's complex racial landscape.
Who Is This For?
π Reading Level: Medium (200-400 pages) (~7 hours)
π Length: 249 pages
What You'll Discover
- β Explore Whites in literature
- β Explore Minorities in literature
- β Explore Race in literature
- β Explore Psychological aspects of Human skin color
- β Explore Ethnic groups in literature
- β Explore White people in literature
- β Explore American literature
- β Explore American literature, minority authors