Politics in Black and White: Race and Power in Los Angeles - Paperback

by Raphael J. Sonenshein (Author)

This book reaches deep into the past of the city of Los Angeles and carries through to the dramatic events that have recently received global attention--the Rodney King beating and the uprising in South Central L.A. Tracing the evolution of an extraordinary biracial coalition in Los Angeles behind Mayor Tom Bradley, Raphael Sonenshein shows how "crossover" politics and racial violence coexist in urban America. While challenging the prevailing pessimism about biracial coalitions in general, he also compares their relative successes in Los Angeles to their disheartening failures in New York City. What emerges is a probing look at a crucial issue of politics in the United States: can whites and minorities find common ground?

Back Jacket

"I was fascinated by Sonenshein's long-awaited book. He has compiled a compelling analysis of the genesis and growth of Black political power in Los Angeles, and his predictions about future alliances are right on target."--Maxine Waters, U.S. House of Representatives

"Politics in Black and White is a very important contribution to the literature of racial and ethnic politics . . . It is the best account of the Bradley era that I know of . . . . People who have followed recent events in Los Angeles, both academically and nonacademically, will find the book informative and accessible."--Bruce E. Cain University of California, Berkeley

"This book will become a standard work on the electoral politics of America's second largest city. It makes an argument about pragmatics of biracial coalition formation that will interest all those who study black politics or big city politics."--Juan Hull Mollenkopf, Graduate center of the City University of New York

Author Biography

Raphael J. Sonenshein is Associate Professor of Political Science at California State University, Fullerton.