America in Black and White: On

Argues that the prevailing pessimism on the status of African-Americans and the state of race relations is not justified by the facts, which show that the lives of most African-Americans have improved over the past five decades, and advocates doing away with affirmative action and similar policies. Analyzes historical developments in race relations that climaxed in the 1960s, contending that substantial progress was made before the civil rights movement, and discusses recent statistics on poverty, education, crime, and jobs. For general readers. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.