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  • Race and the Obama Administration: Substance, symbols, and hope
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  • Andra Gillespie
  • 2020
  • Published by: Manchester University Press
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summary

The election of Barack Obama marked a critical point in American political and social history. Did the historic election of a black president actually change the status of blacks in the United States? Did these changes (or lack thereof) inform blacks' perceptions of the President?

This book explores these questions by comparing Obama's promotion of substantive and symbolic initiatives for blacks to efforts by the two previous presidential administrations. By employing a comparative analysis, the reader can judge whether Obama did more or less to promote black interests than his predecessors. Taking a more empirical approach to judging Barack Obama, this book hopes to contribute to current debates about the significance of the first African American presidency. It takes care to make distinctions between Obama's substantive and symbolic accomplishments and to explore the significance of both.

Table of Contents

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  1. Cover
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  1. Half-Title Page, Title Page, Copyright
  2. pp. i-iv
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  1. Dedication
  2. pp. v-vi
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  1. Table of Contents
  2. p. vii
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  1. List of Figures
  2. pp. viii-ix
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  1. List of Tables
  2. pp. x-xi
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  1. Acknowledgments
  2. pp. xii-xiv
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  1. Introduction: My president was black. So what?
  2. pp. 1-8
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  1. 1. The triple bind
  2. pp. 9-23
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  1. 2. How he did: The racial successes, failures, and impact of the Obama presidency
  2. pp. 24-54
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  1. 3. Was Obama a paddling duck?: Seven vignettes of substantive politics in the Obama Administration
  2. pp. 55-94
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  1. 4. The right person saying the right thing: Descriptive representation and rhetoric in the Obama Administration
  2. pp. 95-145
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  1. 5. The political power of symbolic representation: Artistic performances and commencement speeches from presidential couples
  2. pp. 146-162
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  1. 6. The substance of hope: Public opinion and black attitudes toward the Obama presidency
  2. pp. 163-189
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  1. Conclusion: Was it worth it?
  2. pp. 190-199
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  1. Epilogue: Considering the Obama legacy in the age of Trump
  2. pp. 200-205
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  1. Appendix
  2. pp. 206-207
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  1. Bibliography
  2. pp. 208-230
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  1. Index
  2. pp. 231-237
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