All That We Can Be: Black Leadership and Racial Integration the Army Way

The authors--a white sociologist and a black one, both former draftees--offer a solid analysis of how the army became the best-integrated institution in this country. ""The Army is not race-blind, it is race-savvy,"" they declare; its nods to multiculturalism, according to Moskos and Butler, are subordinated to an overriding goal of combat-readiness, while its affirmative-action programs do not lower standards for blacks but train them to meet army standards. Moreover, they say, because of racial mixing, many white soldiers have become attuned to black culture (music, religion, etc.), even as black soldiers have adapted to the service's ""white"" history. The authors also note that black political leaders, many of them clergy, lack empathy for the many blacks in military service. Among their conclusions: an emphasis on banning racist expression (as on campuses) is far less vital than expanding black opportunity; affirmative action must be linked to pools of qualified candidates, and should be geared to blacks (who suffer the greatest stigma), not other minorities. They argue that the only way to replicate the equalizing effect of the military is to institute national civilian service for youth, which could bring together people of diverse backgrounds, serve as a ""bridging program"" for the disadvantaged and offer post-service education benefits. It's an intriguing proposal, but a politically volatile one that some may consider ominous. (Sept.)