White Men Challenging Racism

With a foreword by James W. Loewen, "White Men Challenging Racism" chronicles the compelling experiences of thirty-five white men whose efforts to combat racism and fight for social justice have been central to their lives. Based on interviews conducted by Cooper Thompson, Emmett Schaefer, and Harry Brod, these engaging oral histories tell the stories of the men's anti-racist work. While these men discuss their accomplishments with pride, they also talk about their mistakes and regrets, their shortcomings and strategic blunders. A foreword by James W. Loewen, author of "Lies My Teacher Told Me", provides historical context, describing anti-racist efforts undertaken by whites in America during past centuries. Ranging in age from twenty-six to eighty-six, the men whose stories are presented here include some of the elder statesmen of anti-racism work as well as members of the newest generation of activists. They come from across the United States - from Denver, Nashville, and San Jose; rural North Carolina, Detroit, and Seattle. Some are straight; some are gay. A few-such as historian Herbert Aptheker, singer/songwriter Si Kahn, Stetson Kennedy (a Klan infiltrator in the 1940s), and Richard Lapchick (active in organizing the sports community against apartheid)-are relatively well-known; most are not. Among them are historians, ministers, police officers, firefighters, teachers, journalists, union leaders, and full-time community organizers. Their anti-racist work varies in focus, from fighting prejudice aimed specifically at Latino communities or African, Asian, or Native Americans to addressing racism as a broader phenomenon. Many ground their work in spiritual commitments. Their inspiring personal narratives-whether about researching right-wing groups, organizing Central American immigrants, or serving as pastor of an interracial congregation-connect these men with one another and with their allies in the fight against racism in the United States.