The Obama Phenomenon: Toward a Multiracial Democracy
Charles P. Henry, Robert L. Allen, and Robert Chrisman
Abstract
Barack Obama's campaign and electoral victory demonstrated the dynamic nature of American democracy. Beginning as a special issue of The Black Scholar, this probing collection illustrates the impact of “the Obama phenomenon” on the future of U.S. race relations through readings on Barack Obama's campaign as well as the idealism and pragmatism of the Obama administration. Some of the foremost scholars of African American politics and culture from an array of disciplines—including political science, theology, economics, history, journalism, sociology, cultural studies, and law—offer critical ana ... More
Barack Obama's campaign and electoral victory demonstrated the dynamic nature of American democracy. Beginning as a special issue of The Black Scholar, this probing collection illustrates the impact of “the Obama phenomenon” on the future of U.S. race relations through readings on Barack Obama's campaign as well as the idealism and pragmatism of the Obama administration. Some of the foremost scholars of African American politics and culture from an array of disciplines—including political science, theology, economics, history, journalism, sociology, cultural studies, and law—offer critical analyses of topics as diverse as Obama and the media, Obama's connection with the hip hop community, the public's perception of first lady Michelle Obama, voter behavior, and the history of racial issues in presidential campaigns since the 1960s.
Keywords:
Barack Obama,
American democracy,
U.S. race relations,
Obama administration,
African American politics,
African American culture,
Michelle Obama,
first lady,
presidential campaigns,
voter behavior
Bibliographic Information
Print publication date: 2011 |
Print ISBN-13: 9780252036453 |
Published to Illinois Scholarship Online: April 2017 |
DOI:10.5406/illinois/9780252036453.001.0001 |
Authors
Affiliations are at time of print publication.
Charles P. Henry, editor
University of California, Berkeley
Robert L. Allen, editor
University of California, Berkeley
Robert Chrisman, editor
The Black Scholar
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