Shadow of the Plantation [Hardcover]

Shadow of the Plantation focuses on descendants of slaves in one rural Southern community in the early part of this century. In the process, Johnson reviews the troubled history of race relations in the United /States. When reread half a century after it was first written, Shadow of the Plantation is clearly revealed as a remarkably perceptive and fresh comment on race relations and the triumph of individuals over circumstances.Charles Johnson's book is significant for its use of multiple methodologies. The research took place in an ecological setting that was a dynamic element of the life of the community. The book is a multifaceted, interpretive survey of the 612 black families that composed the rural community of Macon County, Alabama, in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Johnson describes and analyzes their families, economic situation, education, religious activities, recreational life, and health practices.Shadow of the Plantation manages to be both historically accurate and foresighted at the same time. It is as much a book about today as it is a discussion of yesterday. This volume is an important study that will be of value to sociologists, anthropologists, and black studies specialists.The author of this stunning set of essays on politics and public policy makes crystal clear the meaning of the title. The revolutionaries of contemporary America do not seek to redistribute privilege from those who have it to those who do not. These radicals wish to arrange a transfer of power from those elites who now exercise it to another elite, namely themselves, who do not. This aspiring elite is of the same race (white), the same class (upper middle and upper), and the same educational background (the best colleges and universities) as those they wish to displace. Wildavsky's bracing work takes a close look at these elites, who probably make up little more than one percent of the population. He sees their common denominator as hostility toward the masses, anti-Americanl£¼