Mismatch

How affirmative action hurts students it's intended to help, and why universities won't admit it. Richard Sander, Stuart Taylor. New York : Basic Books. 2012.

Dylan + Mingus

Their friendship compromised by the belief systems of the racially charged 1970s, Dylan Ebdus and Mungus Rude share a series of misadventures based on their mutual obsession with comic book heroes.

Mixed reviews.

Forty Acres and a Goat

Campbell, Will D. (1986). Forty acres and a goat: a memoir. Atlanta: Peachtree Publishers.

Library Journal Reviews This is a funny, touching, beautifully written sequel to Campbell's autobiography, Brother to a Dragonfly. A Baptist preacher, farmer, and civil rights activist, Campbell has combined parable, allegory, and personal recollection to create a fascinating account of the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Using animals as symbols and a composite black co-worker named T.J. Eaves as a sounding board, he charts the uncertain course of social change in the South during this turbulent period. One grows to admire Campbell and his pet goat, Jackson, enormously. Although not as focused as his previous memoir, this is wonderful to read. Highly recommended for academic and public libraries. Anthony O. Edmonds, History Dept., Ball State Univ., Muncie, Ind. Copyright 1986 Cahners Business Information.

Passing

Sandweiss, Martha A. (2009). Passing strange: a Gilded Age tale of love and deception across the color line. New York: Penguin.

Kirkus: An intriguing look at long-held secrets, Jim Crow, bad faith—and also, as Sandweiss observes, "love and longing that transcends the historical bounds of time and place."

Speaking treason fluently : anti-racist reflections from an angry white male.

In this absorbing compilation of essays, Wise (White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son), an anti-racist activist and writer, continues to plumb white privilege, racism and responsibility.

A mighty long way

 LaNier, Carlotta Walls. (2009). A mighty long way: my journey to justice at Little Rock Central High School. New York: One World Ballantine Books.

An inspiring and important story: Book-a-Day calendar.

Kirkus: Well-crafted look at the wrenching experience of the youngest of the "Little Rock Nine. Keenly observed and moving.

King's dream

Book of the day on Book-a-Day calendar.

In this new exploration of the "I Have a Dream" speech, Sundquist places it in the history of American debates about racial justice and demonstrates how the speech, an exultant blend of grand poetry and powerful elocution, perfectly expresses the story of African-American freedom.

The Friday night knitting club

Book of the day on Book-a-Day calendar.

Kirkus Reviews: A Steel Magnolias for the 21st-century set in a New York City knitting shop

Caucasia

Senna, Danzy. (1998). Caucasia. New York: Riverhead Books.