Nation of Cowards: Black Activism in Barack Obama's Post-Racial America

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NATION OF COWARDS Indiana University Press Bloomington & Indianapolis DAVID H. IKARD AND MARTELL LEE TEASLEY NATION OF COWARDS Black Activism in Barack Obama’s Post-Racial America This book is a publication of Indiana University Press 601 North Morton Street Bloomington, Indiana 47404-3797 USA iupress.indiana.edu Telephone orders 800-842-6796 Fax orders 812-855-7931© 2012 by David H. Ikard and Martell Lee Teasley All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. The Association of American University Presses’ Resolution on Permissions constitutes the only exception to this prohibition. ∞ The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of the American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1992. Manufactured in the United States of America Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Ikard, David [date] Nation of cowards : black activism in Barack Obama’s post-racial America / David Ikard and Martell Teasley. p. cm. — (Blacks in the diaspora) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-253-00628-8 (cloth : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-0-253-00701-8 (eb) 1. African Americans—Politics and government—21st century. 2. African Americans—Social conditions—21st century. 3. African Americans—Economic conditions—21st century. 4. Obama, Barack—Relations with African Americans. 5. United States—Race relations—Political aspects 6. United States—Politics and government—20097 . Post-racialism—United States. 8. Race awareness—United States. I. Teasley, Martell L. II. Title. E185.86.I39 2012 305.8’009730905—dc23 2012017797 1 2 3 4 5 17 16 15 14 13 12 Blacks in the Diaspora Founding Editors Darlene Clark Hine John McCluskey, Jr. David Barry Gaspar Advisory Board Herman L. Bennett Kim D. Butler Judith A. Byfield Tracy Sharpley-Whiting ...