American Paradox: Young Black Men. By Renford Reese. . Choice. October 2004.

Reese initiated a multicultural education program at the Colorful Flags Program at California State Polytechnic Univ., Pomona, to deal with societal influences shaping the identity of black males in the contemporary US--the subject matter of this book. The author denounces "the gangsta-thug" model of identity adopted by many young African Americans and argues for a more positive concept of black male authenticity. The success of the black male in the US depends on the rejection of this identity and of low standards of educational achievement, various symbols of defiance, illusions of racism, anti-intellectualism, and the "Bad Nigger" image. Reese backs his views with a survey of 756 young African American males in Los Angeles and Atlanta. The results are very revealing about the attitudes, perceptions, and basic knowledge of black youth regarding black public figures. Although his analysis would have benefited from a contextualization of black iconology within the larger US popular culture, Reese raises serious questions regarding the state of life among African American youth that cannot be ignored. The book, an excellent source for discussion of issues in the black community and race relations in the US, will surely be controversial. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All public, community college, and undergraduate libraries.

-- A. Mahdi, Ohio Wesleyan University American Paradox: Young Black Men