The House that Race Built is a fascinating account of race and racism upon the terrain of United States\u27 culture in the 1990s. Seventeen scholars, brought together at a Race Matters Conference at Princeton University, produced various essays and were evidently given plenty of leeway by the book\u27s editor, Wahneema Lubiano. Various disciplines of law, history, sociology, fine arts, ethnic studies, literature, divinity, and politics are represented. Contributors addressed issues ranging from homosexuality, affirmative action, O.J. Simpson and religion, to perspectives on work vis-a-vis play, culture, Black Nationalism, whiteness, crime, and the black diaspora. A common denominator, in my view, was the theme from Cornel West\u27s perspective that race matters. The conference took its name from his work

Spigner, Clarence

English

VCU Scholars Compass

Book Reviews male characters' respectively feminist and postfeminist responses to gender asymmetry. Clear and ambitious, Kafka's book engenders (as it were) re­considerations of Asian American women's writ ing vis-a-vis gender. It understandably says l ittle about race itself in that it focuses on gender; it surprisingly says l ittle about cultural differences between the Asian Ameri­can ethnic groups it discusses (Chinese American and Japanese Ameri­can) . Nonetheless, by complicating the often oversimplified and some­times whol ly overlooked multiple ways that gender asymmetry is de­picted by Asian American women writers, Kafka's book-which inclu,des endnotes, a l ist of works cited, and an index that are nicely arranged and useful-provides an i l luminating, new perspective. David Goldstein-Shirley U niversity of Washington Wahneema Lubiano, ed. The House that Race Built: Black AmerI­cans, U.S. Terrain. (New York: Random House, 1 997). 323 pp., $26.00 cloth, $1 4.00 paper. The House that Race Built is a fascinating account of race and racism upon the terrain of United States' culture in the 1 990s. Seven­teen scholars ,  b rought together at a Race Matters Conference at Princeton University, produced various essays and were evidently g iven plenty of leeway by the book's editor, Wahneema Lubiano. Various disciplines of law, history, sociology, fine arts, ethnic studies, l iterature,  divinity, and politics are represented. Contributors addressed issues ranging from homosexuality, affi rmative action,  O.J. Simpson and reli­gion, to perspectives on work vis-a-vis play, culture,  B lack Nationalism, whiteness, crime, and the black diaspora. A common denominator, in my view, was the theme from Cornel West's perspective that race mat­ters. The conference took its name from his work. Stephen Steinberg mounted an impressive and passionate at­tack on the l iberal. retreat during the decades following the modem black-­led Civi l Rights Movement. Simi lar to Todd G it l in's The Twilight of Com­mon Dreams or Herbert J. Gans' The War Against the Poor, Steinberg took no prisoners in  his analysis of a right-wing backlash to the social turbulence of the 1 980s-1 990s, and more specifical ly, the left's and/or l ibera l  establ ishment's lack of a proper response. Particular issue is taken with West's perspective on "nihi l ism" expressed in  Race Matters. Steinberg sees it as an inappropriate descriptor and reaction to black inner-city crime and youth violence. Simi larly, G it l in reported how ·cul­ture war" infighting al lowed the Religious Right to gain a moral and po­l itical high-ground during the 1 990s, and Gans articulated how academ­ics (and others) permitted a war to be waged against the so-called 1 07 Etltnu:-Strulies Review Volume 20 underclass. These scholars lament how such social issues, which disproportionately affect black Americans, are too often decontextual ized from the political economy that spawned them. Kendal l  Thomas pOints to West's fai l u re to address Lou is Farrakhan's homophobia, citing that the loquacious minister had " in­fl icted (black suffering) on the bodies of gay and lesbian African Ameri­cans" by his rhetoric. Angela Davis' excel lent essay on the Capitaliza­tion of the criminal justice system does not even mention West, nor does Rhonda Wil l iams' personal thesis on lesbianism. Perhaps they should have, whether in support of thei r views or as a critique. David Lionel Smith defended the Harvard scholar, pointing out that "West's concep­tion (of n ih i l ism) . . .  has only the most superficial connections to such arguments" (of underclass black pathology) . Stuart Hall rose to referee Steinberg's attack on West, but Hal l 's rambling discourse is almost inco­herent. Though West is g iven the last word, he does not produce any substantive responses to any of the specific pOints made by Thomas and especially by Steinberg ,  noting that thei r criticisms are a "misread­ing" of his work. This is a weak defense, particularly given the depth, breadth ,  and yes, val idity of the criticisms. West should have mounted a far more viable response than what he leaves in a mere two and one­fifth pages at the book's end. The House that Race Built succeeds admirably in breaking new ground on the terrain of racial ideology in  the United States. However, the last word on the subject unfortunately fal ls short. Clarence Spigner University of Washington Charles W. Mills. The Racial Contract. (Ithaca: Cornel l  University Press, 1 997). 1 71 pp, $1 9.95 paper. Over the past few years I have read a number of articles by Professor Charles Mi l ls .  I have found him to be a stimulating thinker and lucid writer. In  fact, I had the opportunity to use his article, "Non­Cartesian Sums: Phi losophy and the African American Experience" ( Teaching Philosophy, September 1 994) in an NEH seminar that I con­ducted on multicultural approaches to Honor College teaching. Mi l ls is a significant voice among the smal l cadre of Black phi losophers com­mitted to correction of and expansion beyond the Eurocentric myopia of professional phi losophy. I n  his previous scholarship he demonstrates not only that he is inSightful ,  critical and creative, but that he also grapples with questions and issues that few other phi losophers, ( including fel low Black phi losophers) , have dared to address. Of particular note is his 1 08 

[Review of] Wahneema Lubiano, ed. The House that Race Built: Black Americans, U.S. Terrain

Book Reviews 
male characters' respectively feminist and postfeminist responses to 
gender asymmetry. 
Clear and ambitious, Kafka's book engenders (as it were) re­
considerations of Asian American women's writ ing vis-a-vis gender. It 
understandably says l ittle about race itself in that it focuses on gender; it 
surprisingly says l ittle about cultural differences between the Asian Ameri­
can ethnic groups it discusses (Chinese American and Japanese Ameri­
can) . Nonetheless, by complicating the often oversimplified and some­
times whol ly overlooked multiple ways that gender asymmetry is de­
picted by Asian American women writers, Kafka's book-which inclu,des 
endnotes, a l ist of works cited, and an index that are nicely arranged 
and useful-provides an i l luminating, new perspective. 
David Goldstein-Shirley 
U niversity of Washington 
Wahneema Lubiano, ed. The House that Race Built: Black AmerI­
cans, U.S. Terrain. (New York: Random House, 1 997). 323 pp., $26.00 
cloth, $1 4.00 paper. 
The House that Race Built is a fascinating account of race and 
racism upon the terrain of United States' culture in the 1 990s. Seven­
teen scholars ,  b rought together at a Race Matters Conference at 
Princeton University, produced various essays and were evidently g iven 
plenty of leeway by the book's editor, Wahneema Lubiano. Various 
disciplines of law, history, sociology, fine arts, ethnic studies, l iterature,  
divinity, and politics are represented. Contributors addressed issues 
ranging from homosexuality, affi rmative action,  O.J. Simpson and reli­
gion, to perspectives on work vis-a-vis play, culture,  B lack Nationalism, 
whiteness, crime, and the black diaspora. A common denominator, in 
my view, was the theme from Cornel West's perspective that race mat­
ters. The conference took its name from his work. 
Stephen Steinberg mounted an impressive and passionate at­
tack on the l iberal. retreat during the decades following the modem black-­
led Civi l Rights Movement. Simi lar to Todd G it l in's The Twilight of Com­
mon Dreams or Herbert J. Gans' The War Against the Poor, Steinberg 
took no prisoners in  his analysis of a right-wing backlash to the social 
turbulence of the 1 980s-1 990s, and more specifical ly, the left's and/or 
l ibera l  establ ishment's lack of a proper response. Particular issue is 
taken with West's perspective on "nihi l ism" expressed in  Race Matters. 
Steinberg sees it as an inappropriate descriptor and reaction to black 
inner-city crime and youth violence. Simi larly, G it l in reported how ·cul­
ture war" infighting al lowed the Religious Right to gain a moral and po­
l itical high-ground during the 1 990s, and Gans articulated how academ­
ics (and others) permitted a war to be waged against the so-called 
1 07 
Etltnu:-Strulies Review Volume 20 
underclass. These scholars lament how such social issues, which 
disproportionately affect black Americans, are too often decontextual ized 
from the political economy that spawned them. 
Kendal l  Thomas pOints to West's fai l u re to address Lou is 
Farrakhan's homophobia, citing that the loquacious minister had " in­
fl icted (black suffering) on the bodies of gay and lesbian African Ameri­
cans" by his rhetoric. Angela Davis' excel lent essay on the Capitaliza­
tion of the criminal justice system does not even mention West, nor does 
Rhonda Wil l iams' personal thesis on lesbianism. Perhaps they should 
have, whether in support of thei r views or as a critique. David Lionel 
Smith defended the Harvard scholar, pointing out that "West's concep­
tion (of n ih i l ism) . . .  has only the most superficial connections to such 
arguments" (of underclass black pathology) . Stuart Hall rose to referee 
Steinberg's attack on West, but Hal l 's rambling discourse is almost inco­
herent. 
Though West is g iven the last word, he does not produce any 
substantive responses to any of the specific pOints made by Thomas 
and especially by Steinberg ,  noting that thei r criticisms are a "misread­
ing" of his work. This is a weak defense, particularly given the depth, 
breadth ,  and yes, val idity of the criticisms. West should have mounted a 
far more viable response than what he leaves in a mere two and one­
fifth pages at the book's end. 
The House that Race Built succeeds admirably in breaking new 
ground on the terrain of racial ideology in  the United States. However, 
the last word on the subject unfortunately fal ls short. 
Clarence Spigner 
University of Washington 
Charles W. Mills. The Racial Contract. (Ithaca: Cornel l  University 
Press, 1 997). 1 71 pp, $1 9.95 paper. 
Over the past few years I have read a number of articles by 
Professor Charles Mi l ls .  I have found him to be a stimulating thinker 
and lucid writer. In  fact, I had the opportunity to use his article, "Non­
Cartesian Sums: Phi losophy and the African American Experience" 
( Teaching Philosophy, September 1 994) in an NEH seminar that I con­
ducted on multicultural approaches to Honor College teaching. Mi l ls is 
a significant voice among the smal l cadre of Black phi losophers com­
mitted to correction of and expansion beyond the Eurocentric myopia of 
professional phi losophy. I n  his previous scholarship he demonstrates 
not only that he is inSightful ,  critical and creative, but that he also grapples 
with questions and issues that few other phi losophers, ( including fel low 
Black phi losophers) , have dared to address. Of particular note is his 
1 08 


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[Review of] Wahneema Lubiano, ed. The House that Race Built: Black Americans, U.S. Terrain

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