Reviews for Crisis of the Black Intellectual

The average rating for Crisis of the Black Intellectual based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2008-10-14 00:00:00 James Wilson I only finished this because I have to write a "professional" review of this book; otherwise, I would have long ago put it down. Although there are good points and valid arguments made in this book, it is far too repetitive, didactic, and long-winded for my liking. Also, the point of the book, as Wright stated, simply is to rile up Black intellectuals and make them pay more attention to what they say and write. Oddly the best parts of the book are both appendixes, the first explaining the connection between Ancient Kemet (Egyptian) religion with Judaism and Christianity and the second specifically outlining how Black intellectuals can be connected with and pertinent parts of their communities rather than aloof scholars simply examining them. One thing I specifically found disconcerting was Wright's lack of clarity on his definitions for "white" and "White" society, especially since he so often makes the distinctions between "black" and "Black" society. Also, this book clearly was in need of further editing, as basic grammatical errors can be found pretty much on every page. Were it not for the extremely repetitive nature of the book and its almost pointless arguing for argument's sake, I would have found Wright's perspective fresh, insightful, and necessary. Controversy abounds within the book's pages, so those frustrated with Black academics might find it worth reading simply for the purpose of reading Wright's opinionated claims.

Review # 2 was written on 2008-01-28 00:00:00 Steven Burrows Another book called: The Crisis of the Negro Intellectual (New York Review Books Classics)