Who's Afraid of a Large Black Man?

by Charles Barkley, Michael Wilbon (Introduction)

Overview

In this controversial national bestseller, former NBA star and author of I May Be Wrong But I Doubt It Charles Barkley takes on the major issue of our time. Who's Afraid of a Large Black Man is a series of charged, in-your-face conversations about race with some of America's most prominent figures, including Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Jesse Jackson, Samuel L. Jackson, Morgan Freeman, Ice Cube, Marian Wright Edelman, Tiger Woods, Peter Guber, and Robert Johnson.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593298473
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	01/26/2021
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.25(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Charles Barkley is a studio analyst for TNT's Inside the NBA. Named one of the 50 greatest NBA players of all time, he was selected to 11 All-Star teams and won the NBA's MVP in 1993.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Foreword xi

Introduction Michael Wilbon xix

Author's Note xxix

Looking Back at the Balcony Tiger Woods 1

Political Race/s Barack Obama 16

Acting Black Samuel L. Jackson 39

Building a Culture of Dignity President Bill Clinton 64

Color Television George Lopez 78

Go Down, Moses Rabbi Steven Leoer 103

The Next Level Ice Cube 120

The Best of Times, The Worst of Times Marita Golden 140

The Color of Power Peter Guber 152

Carrying it Forward Jesse Jackson 170

Step on that Field Robert Johnson 187

Kicking it Around: A Conversation with Morgan Freeman 200

On Our Watch Marian Wright Edelman 219

Afterword 235

Editorial Reviews

Don't let the cheeky title, the byline or the picture on the cover fool you: this is a serious book that's not about Charles Barkley. Instead, this work, edited by the Washington Post and ESPN's Wilbon, is a candid collection of 13 interviews by Barkley with prominent Americans like Bill Clinton, Jesse Jackson, Tiger Woods, Morgan Freeman and comedian George Lopez on the oft-avoided subject of race. Barkley, well known for outspokenness as a player and an on-air commentator, challenges his interviewees to deal with this delicate issue head on. Barkley wisely keeps his opinions brief, letting his dynamic counterparts take center stage. In doing so he gets these stars to open up on how American society fares on such topics as racism, race relations, welfare reform, economic and social discrimination and creating opportunities for minorities. Mixed in with the bigger name celebs and politicians are lesser-known folk, such as Robert Johnson (the NBA's first black owner), the Children's Defense Fund's Miriam Wright Edelman (who laments that there are 580,000 black men in prison compared to about 45,000 who graduate from college each year) and Rabbi Steven Leder. For all the different backgrounds and opinions, all the participants believe the racial divide in America can only be bridged with a combination of reforms to our educational, medical and economic practices and a strong self-evaluation by the African-American community. Everyone also agrees that a core group of strong black leaders must emerge for these changes to be enacted. Surprisingly, this eye-opening book might point to Barkley as just such a leader. (Apr. 5) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

Barkley (I May Be Wrong but I Doubt It) was a great basketball player who was never afraid to speak his mind on any number of topics. In this book, he attempts to discuss the controversial issue of race in America by interviewing 13 prominent men and women from an assortment of fields. Sports columnist and TV host Michael Wilbon (Washington Post, ESPN) has acted as editor. Barkley speaks with politicians Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, activists Jesse Jackson, and Marian Wright Edelman, golfer Tiger Woods, Rabbi Steven Leder, businessman Robert Johnson, writer Marita Golden (Don't Play in the Sun: One Woman's Journey Through the Color Complex), and, from the entertainment industry, Samuel L. Jackson, Morgan Freeman, George Lopez, Ice Cube, and producer Peter Guber. Diversity advocates will note nine blacks, one Hispanic, and two females but zero conservatives. There is thus not much variety of thought in the book; it is mostly blue-state boilerplate with the occasional moderate comment regarding the need for personal responsibility. However, the prominence of the author and the people he has interviewed will likely lead readers to seek the book out. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 12/04.]-John Maxymuk, Rutgers Univ. Lib., Camden, NJ Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

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