The national bestseller by the author of Defending the Spirit. In this powerful and controversial book, distinguished African-American political leader and thinker Randall Robinson argues for the restoration of the rich history that slavery and segregation severed. Drawing from research and personal experience, he shows that only by reclaiming their lost past and proud heritage can blacks lay the foundation for their future. And white Americans can make reparations for slavery and the century of racial discrimination that followed with monetary restitution, educational programs, and the kinds of equal opportunities that will ensure the social and economic success of all its citizens. In a book that is both an unflinching indictment of past wrongs and an impassioned call to our nation to educate all Americans about the history of Africa and its people, Robinson makes a persuasive case for the debt white America owes blacks, and the debt blacks owe themselves. "Engaging...important...supports his attempts to reclaim African heitage and empower African-Americans." --The Washington Post "Incisive...keenly observed...beautifully written." --The Philadelphia Inquirer Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Reclaiming Our Ancient Self 2. Taking Account of the Long-Term Psychic Damage 3. Race to Class to Race 4. Self-Hatred 5. Demanding Respect 6. Race, Money, and Foreign Policy: The Cuba Example 7. The Cost of Ignoring the Race Problem in America... 8. ...and in the Black World 9. Thoughts About Restitution 10. Toward the Black Renaissance Sources Index "Engaging...important...supports his attempts to reclaim African heitage and empower African-Americans." --The Washington Post "Incisive...keenly observed...beautifully written." --The Philadelphia Inquirer Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Reclaiming Our Ancient Self 2. Taking Account of the Long-Term Psychic Damage 3. Race to Class to Race 4. Self-Hatred 5. Demanding Respect 6. Race, Money, and Foreign Policy: The Cuba Example 7. The Cost of Ignoring the Race Problem in America... 8. ...and in the Black World 9. Thoughts About Restitution 10. Toward the Black Renaissance Sources Index The national bestseller by the author of Defending the Spirit. In this powerful and controversial book, distinguished African-American political leader and thinker Randall Robinson argues for the restoration of the rich history that slavery and segregation severed. Drawing from research and personal experience, he shows that only by reclaiming their lost past and proud heritage can blacks lay the foundation for their future. And white Americans can make reparations for slavery and the century of racial discrimination that followed with monetary restitution, educational programs, and the kinds of equal opportunities that will ensure the social and economic success of all its citizens. In a book that is both an unflinching indictment of past wrongs and an impassioned call to our nation to educate all Americans about the history of Africa and its people, Robinson makes a persuasive case for the debt white America owes blacks, and the debt blacks owe themselves. "Engaging...important...supports his attempts to reclaim African heitage and empower African-Americans." --The Washington Post "Incisive...keenly observed...beautifully written." --The Philadelphia Inquirer Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Reclaiming Our Ancient Self 2. Taking Account of the Long-Term Psychic Damage 3. Race to Class to Race 4. Self-Hatred 5. Demanding Respect 6. Race, Money, and Foreign Policy: The Cuba Example 7. The Cost of Ignoring the Race Problem in America... 8. ...and in the Black World 9. Thoughts About Restitution 10. Toward the Black Renaissance Sources Index The national bestseller by the author of Defending the Spirit. In this powerful and controversial book, distinguished African-American political leader and thinker Randall Robinson argues for the restoration of the rich history that slavery and segregation sev