Race experts

Race experts

By Elisabeth Lasch-Quinn

Book Description

In the decades following the civil rights movement, America developed an unexpected approach to addressing racial tensions: treating them as matters of personal etiquette and therapeutic healing rather than systemic justice. Elisabeth Lasch-Quinn examines this profound shift in how we understand and navigate race relations, revealing how our focus moved from equality to elaborate social protocols.

Through careful analysis of diversity training programs, multicultural educational initiatives, and cross-cultural therapeutic practices, Lasch-Quinn traces the emergence of what she calls "race experts." These practitioners have created detailed behavioral codes designed to manage interracial encounters, drawing their methods from the human potential movement and radical philosophies of the 1960s.

This transformation carries significant consequences for personal and collective growth. By framing racial issues primarily through the lens of sensitivity training and therapeutic intervention, we may be avoiding deeper conversations about justice, poverty, violence, and persistent inequality. The author suggests that our current approach, while well-intentioned, diverts energy from addressing root causes of racial discord.

For readers seeking authentic understanding of how social healing occurs, this work offers a thought-provoking examination of whether our current methods truly serve transformation or merely provide comfort. Lasch-Quinn challenges us to consider whether genuine progress requires moving beyond prescribed interactions toward more substantive engagement with underlying issues of fairness and human dignity.

Who Is This For?

📖 Reading Level: Medium (200-400 pages) (~7 hours)

📄 Length: 267 pages

What You'll Discover

  • ✓ Explore United States -- Race relations.
  • ✓ Explore Civil rights movements -- United States -- History -- 20th century.
  • ✓ Explore African Americans
  • ✓ Explore History
  • ✓ Explore Race relations
  • ✓ Explore Interpersonal relations -- United States.
  • ✓ Explore Etiquette
  • ✓ Explore Psychological aspects

Topics Covered

United States -- Race relations. Civil rights movements -- United States -- History -- 20th century. African Americans History Race relations Interpersonal relations -- United States. Etiquette Psychological aspects United states, race relations African americans, civil rights Race awareness Interpersonal relations Diversity in the workplace -- United States. African Americans -- Civil rights -- History -- 20th century. Psychological aspects of Etiquette Civil rights Multicultural education -- United States. Cross-cultural counseling Multicultural education Multiculturalism -- United States. Diversity in the workplace Civil rights movements, united states Multiculturalism Etiquette -- United States -- Psychological aspects. Civil rights movements United States -- Race relations -- Psychological aspects. Cross-cultural counseling -- United States.

Related Books You Might Like

Cover of Backlash

Backlash

George Yancy

2018 • 147p

When philosopher George Yancy published an open letter to white Americans in The New York Times, inviting them to examine their relationship with racial privilege, he anticipated debate. What followed exceeded his expectations in both intensity and r...
Cover of Ambivalent miracles

Ambivalent miracles

Nancy D. Wadsworth

2014 • 311p

Within American evangelical Christianity, a quiet revolution has been unfolding for over thirty years. Nancy D. Wadsworth examines this remarkable transformation in "Ambivalent Miracles," revealing how evangelical communities have embarked on an unex...
Cover of black fire reader, The

black fire reader, The

Albert George Miller, Estrelda Alexander

2013 • 242p

The Black Fire Reader opens a window into a powerful spiritual tradition that has shaped modern Christianity while remaining largely unrecognized in mainstream narratives. This carefully curated collection brings together the authentic voices of Afri...
Cover of bone gatherers, The

bone gatherers, The

Nicola Frances Denzey

2007 • 290p

In the shadows of early Christianity, a remarkable group of women emerged whose sacred work has been largely forgotten by history. These were the bone gatherers, devoted women who courageously collected the remains of martyred saints to ensure they r...
Cover of Martyrium

Martyrium

Nicole Hartmann

2013 • 216p

In this scholarly exploration, Nicole Hartmann examines how early Christian communities shaped their identity through the lens of martyrdom during the second century. Drawing from the premise of a highly differentiated Jesus movement, this study offe...
Cover of PEROU SOLIDAIRE

PEROU SOLIDAIRE

Francis Devigne

2012 • 350p

In Pérou Solidaire, Francis Devigne unveils the profound spiritual wisdom of Peru's pre-Columbian civilizations and their descendants, revealing a worldview that honors all forms of life through the sacred concept of Earth-Mother. This exploration de...