Reviews

In a Shade of Blue: Pragmatism and the Politics of Black America by Eddie S. Glaude Jr.

johnaggreyodera's review against another edition

5.0

This is a remarkable book (even though the conclusion leaves much to be desired). Glaude presents a way, based on the American Pragmatism of John Dewey and a rich reading of Tony Morrison's "Beloved", for black America to contend with "the blues" - the tragedy of life as black people in America. He advocates a shift from the 1960s revolutionary mindset, which he thinks has us imprisoned, not allowing us to imaginatively think about and confront new challenges facing black America. At the same time, he also makes a valiant attempt to defend pragmatism from Cornel West's assertion that it does not pay enough attention to evil (choosing, instead, to operate using the language of tragedy).