The Coverage of Randall Kennedy's "The Persistence of the Color Line"

Randall Kennedy's book The Persistence of the Color Line: Racial Politics and the Obama Presidency has gotten  quite a bit of coverage, especially for a 'black book' by an African American academic. I've recently started reading the book, and I'm really enjoying it. Among other things, I appreciate how Kennedy writes about race and politics in ways that can really advance the conversations. More on that later.

For now, a few notes and links to reviews, interviews, excerpts, and commentary related to Kennedy's book.

Sept. 27 - Obama: Gifted, Black and Boxed In: "Randall Kennedy's book is the best examination yet of Obama's racial dilemma, says this reviewer." by Thomas Chatterton Williams. The Root.

Sept. 22 - Under Obama, Is America 'Post-Racial'?  - This one appeared in The New York Times series "Room for Debate." Utilizing Kennedy's book as a basis, Duke law professor Guy-Uriel Charles organized a discussion that responded to the question "Is the era of race-consciousness over in both law and politics?" 

Sept. 22, The Black Quota By Randall Kennedy - As part of The New York Times "Room for Debate" Series, Kennedy contributed this piece. "Race consciousness is deeply and pervasively embedded in our political culture whether or not it is explicitly acknowledged. That will be the case for a long time to come," wrote Kennedy.  

Sept. 19, Why Obama's black critics are wrong by Randall Kennedy. CNN.

Sept. 19, Randall Kennedy, Harvard Professor Defends President Obama by Dr. Boyce Watkins. YourBlackWorld.

Sept. 16, Accountable. Ta-Nehisi Coates blog. 

Sept. 14, The Professor Who Schooled Tavis Smiley by Les Payne. TheRoot. 

Sept. 13, Racial politics in a post-racial presidency interview with Kennedy on  Southern California Public Radio.

Sept. 12, BookTV AfterWords: Randall Kennedy, "The Persistence of the Color Line"  interviewed by April Ryan. 

Sept. 8, Randall Kennedy Assesses Obama's Triumphs--and Shortcomings--In Erasing the Color Line Zocalo Public Square. 

Sept. 6, The Sharpton Renaissance: How the Reverend’s Reputation Got Refurbished by Randall Kennedy. The New Republic.

Sept. 4, A balanced look at Obama’s contribution by Ray Rickman. Projo.com

Sept. 2, The Too Black, Too White Presidency by Brent Staples. The New York Times.

Sept. 1, Law Profess-author Randall Kennedy. Tavis Smilely PBS.

Aug. 26, The Persistence of the Color Line: Racial Politics and the Obama Presidency by Kelly Nuxoll. The Christian Science Monitor.

Aug. 23, 'Color Line' Still A Potent Force In The U.S. excerpts from interview with Kennedy. NPR. 

Aug. 15, Randall Kennedy on 'The Persistence of the Color Line: Racial Politics and the Obama Presidency' interview on The Take Away. 

Aug. 11, One Nation, Still Divisible by Race by Dwight Garner. The New York Times. 

Aug. 11, Excerpt from ‘The Persistence of the Color Line’ by Randall Kennedy. The New York Times.

Aug. 11, The Fallacy of Touré's Post-Blackness Theory by Randall Kennedy. TheRoot.