cover image Fighting Words: The Politics of Hateful Speech

Fighting Words: The Politics of Hateful Speech

Laurence R. Marcus, Lawrence R. Marcus. Praeger Publishers, $86.95 (216pp) ISBN 978-0-275-95438-3

Marcus was a member of the Kean (N.J.) College board of trustees in 1994, when Nation of Islam spokesman Khalid Muhammad made his infamous anti-Semitic speech. However, this book is not a case study but a dry, dutiful exploration of the context of such hateful speech, such as strained race relations, tension over affirmative action, debates over the Western canon and attempts to regulate expression. For those new to the subject, this book can be a helpful primer, but since Marcus relies almost completely on secondary sources, he adds little to the debate. He does remind whites concerned about black self-segregation that to blacks such solidarity is but a ""supportive niche"" in mostly white institutions. While Marcus suggests that it may be possible to tighten regulations to combat campus hate speech, he also argues that it is more important to prevent such expressions by promoting racial harmony. To pursue such goals, he proposes, colleges might aim to build community, even to perform a ""human relations audit,"" a report (as done at some corporations) on race relations. (July)