Kelly, No Easy Way Through (Review Essay on Black Leadership at the Nadir) (original) (raw)
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The essay explores the complexities of black leadership during the nadir of African American history, focusing on the dual challenges of recognizing agency while also addressing the fragmentation within the black community. The author critiques the tendency in historical scholarship to simplify the black experience post-emancipation, resulting in a neglect of internal divisions and socioeconomic disparities. By examining Robert J. Norrell's biography of Booker T. Washington, the essay offers a revisionist perspective that aims to place Washington's actions in the context of the limitations faced by African Americans during this tumultuous period.
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