by Gwen Ifill
First published 2009
Veteran journalist Gwen Ifill examines the American political landscape following Barack Obama's presidential victory. She argues that a new generation of African American politicians is replacing the Civil Rights era political structure. These emerging leaders directly benefit from the struggles of the 1960s while forging their own path to power. Ifill profiles prominent figures including Newark Mayor Cory Booker, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, and Alabama Congressman Artur Davis, all of whom she interviewed for the book. She also covers rising political figures from across the country. Through exclusive conversations with power brokers like President Obama, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, Vernon Jordan, Reverend Jesse Jackson, and Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr., Ifill analyzes key issues including generational conflict, race and gender dynamics, and questions of authentic Black identity in politics. The book demonstrates why this moment represents a turning point in American history and provides a foundation for understanding American democracy's future.
Genres: african-american, politics, biography-memoir, 21st-century, current-affairs, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: emerging-leaders, power-brokers
Setting: Alabama, Massachusetts, Newark, United States
Period: 2000s, 2010s
288 pages · Hardcover · Doubleday