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Book Review by Kam Williams
The Colorization of
America
by Jeff Chang
St. Martin’s Press
Hardcover, $29.99
416 pages, Illustrated
ISBN: 978-0-312-57129-0
“Race. A four-letter word.
The greatest social divide in
American life, a half-centu-
ry ago and today. During
that time, the United States
has seen the most dramatic
demographic and cultural
shift in its history, what can
be called the colorization of
America…
How do Americans see
race now? After eras
framed by words like ‘multi-
cultural’ and ‘post-racial,’
do we see each other any
more clearly?
From the dream of inte-
gration to the reality of col-
orization, Who We Be
remixes comic strips and
contemporary art, campus
protests and corporate mar-
keting campaigns, Martin
Luther King, Jr. and
Trayvon Martin into a pow-
erful, unusual and timely
cultural history of the idea
of racial progress.”
— Excerpted from the
Bookjacket
E
ach generation has its
share of visionaries.
Long ago, William
Faulkner warned that “The
past is never dead. It’s not
even past.” In the Sixties, R.
Buckminster Fuller con-
veyed the critical insight
that “Geniuses are just peo-
ple who had good mothers,”
while Marshall McLuhan
helped us understand exact-
ly why “The medium is the
message.” More recently,
Ray Kurzweil anticipated
the age of spiritual
machines where computers
lead and people follow.
“Who We Be” is the work
of a new sage thinker with
his finger on the pulse.
Don’t let yourself be dis-
suaded by the grammatical-
ly-incorrect title of his opus,
or it’s Ebonics chapter head-
ings like “I Am I Be” and
“What You Got to Say?” for
the actual text isn’t written
in inscrutable slang as
implied, but rather offers a
very articulate analysis of
the evolution of American
culture from the March on
Washington to the pres-
ent.
In fact, the author isn’t
even black, but Asian-
American of Chinese and
Hawaiian extraction. Not
one to be pigeonholed by
his ethnicity, Jeff Chang
previously penned a couple
of books about hip-hop,
“Can’t Stop Won’t Stop,”
and “Total Chaos.”
Here, however, he suc-
cessfully tackles subject-
matter of much more depth
and consequence in the
process sharing a cornu-
copia of profound insights
on themes ranging from the
rise of Obama to multicul-
turalism to gentrification to
the use of the N-word to
Occupy Wall Street. For
example, in a blistering cri-
tique of the economic sys-
tem, he opines:
“Capitalism aspired not
only to be the law, but
morality, too. Freedom
meant being free even from
responsibility or empathy.
All values would bow
before economic value.
Redemption would be rede-
fined. Consumption would
set the terms of the social.
Creditors ruled everything
In Loving Memory
William H. Woods Sr.
May 18, 1921 – Oct. 30, 2014
Sunrise: May 18, 1921,
in Tulsa, OK. Sunset:
Oct. 30, 2014, in Port-
land, OR.
A memorial service
will be held at 11 a.m.
Friday, Nov. 21, 2014, at
Bethel A.M.E. Church
5828
N.E.
Eighth
Avenue, Portland, OR.
In lieu of flowers,
donations in remem-
brance of Mr. Woods, may be made to Providence
Hospice, 6410 N.E. Halsey St., Suite 300, Portland,
OR 97213.
Please sign the online guest book at www/ore-
gonlive.com/orbits
around us. Debtors—a cate-
gory that included almost
everyone—were parasites.
Capital and the state
debased
fundamental
human relations… It’s
sociality itself that’s treated
as
abusive,
criminal,
demonic.”
Sobering! With the help of
a dizzying mix of evocative
essays, anecdotes, quotes,
quips and eye-catching car-
toons and photographs, he
amply illustrates what he
refers to as America’s post-
racial paradox. For although
the country might be awash
in a sort of melting pot
imagery suggested by popu-
lar movies, TV shows and
rainbow coalition commer-
cials, that superficial sym-
bolism flies in the face of
the undeniable reality of ris-
ing re-segregation in terms
of housing and school-
ing.
Pearls of wisdom from an
Asian-American wannabe
who deliberately employs
double negatives, bad gram-
mar, incorrect syntax and
even an occasional double
positive for the sake of
street cred. Still, the Utne
Reader saw right through
that smokescreen and
dubbed Jeff Chang among
the “50 Visionaries Who
Are Changing Your World.”
Who he be? He be a phat
prophet! You feel me?
Congratulations
Jesse and Norma Godfrey
On your Golden Anniversary
With much love from
Your Children, Grands
& Greatgrands!
SUB-BIDS REQUESTED
City of Portland
CBWTP Digesters 1 & 2
Compressors Replacement
Bids Due: December 2, 2014 at
2:00pm
Bids may be received by fax at (503) 394-2169
or emailed to randgbids@aol.com
R EXCAVATING, INC.
39300 Montgomery Dr.
& Scio, OR 97374
G (503) 394-2190
FAX (503) 394-2169
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We are an equal opportunity employer and request
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business enterprises.
11-19-14
November 19, 2014 The Portland and Seattle Skanner Page 7