Black Presidency: Barack Obama and the Politics of Race in America

A New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice Michael Eric Dyson dives deep into the true meaning of Barack Obama's historic presidency and its effects on the changing landscape of race and blackness in America. How has race shaped Obama's identity, career, and presidency? What can we learn from his major race speeches about his approach to racial conflict and the black criticism it provokes? Dyson was granted an exclusive interview with the president for this book, and Obama's own voice shines through. Along with interviews with Eric Holder, Al Sharpton, Maxine Waters, and others, this intimate access provides a unique depth to this engrossing analysis of the nation's first black president, and how race shapes and will shape our understanding of his achievements and failures alike. AUTHOR: Michael Eric Dyson is a New York Times op-ed contributor, a Georgetown University professor, an MSNBC political analyst, and best-selling author of seventeen books. He is an American Book Award winner, and two-time NAACP Image Award winner. Dyson's writing inspired Vanity Fair to say that he is "one of the most graceful and lucid intellectuals writing on race and politics today." REVIEWS: "A brilliant and complicated portrait of a brilliant and complicated president."?Salon "Readers will recognize Dyson's practiced flair for language and metaphor as he makes an important and layered argument about American political culture and the narrowness of presidential speech. . . [The Black Presidency] might well be considered an interpretive miracle."?New York Times Book Review "Immensely engaging, unflinchingly honest, and appropriately provocative, Michael Eric Dyson proves, once again, that he is without peer when it comes to contextualizing race in twenty-first-century America. . . a must-read for anyone who wants to better understand America's racial past, present, and future."?Gilbert King, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Devil in the Grove "A brilliant and complicated portrait of a brilliant and complicated president."?Salon SELLING POINTS: ? As the quotes in the praise section show, Michael Eric Dyson is an intellecutal rock star, admired and respected by both public intellectuals like Cornel West and some of the biggest celebrities in the world like Jay Z. His writing bridges the political divide, earning him accolades from Noam Chomsky and Ann Coulter alike. His audience is wide and varied. ? Michael Eric Dyson was given a private Oval Office interview with President Obama for this book, lending the work an extra depth. Among others, he also interviewed Eric Holder, Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Andrew Young, and Maxine Waters in order to provide a 360 degree portrait of Obama. ? Dyson is a professor at Georgetown University, a political analyst on MSNBC, the best-selling author of seveteen books, and a preacher. He will be able to get the word out about his book though all of these venues, and will continue to be able to push the book in these venues when it publishes in paperback.