Making Friends With Black People

February 1, 2006
Stand-up comic Adams takes a hilarious look at race relations in the U.S and the varied and often ridiculous ways we try to bridge the gap that exists between black and white cultures. He begins by examining the long and tortured history of the "N word" and why it's still not a good idea for whites to use it as casually as black stand-up comics. Adams goes on to the evolution of racial descriptors from " Negro" to " Afro-American" and " black" and takes on Ebonics. Rap music and the popularity of white rapper Eminem dominate the section on music and culture as Adams explores the American fascination with the culture of what's cool. Finally, in the section on politics and society, he tackles affirmative action, NASCAR, and other signifiers used to dodge deep racial tensions. Funny and astute.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)