Blackballed: The Black and White Politics of Race on America’s Campuses

Ross (The Divine Nine) scrutinizes “some of the most racially hostile places in the United States”—the fraternities and sororities on American colleges and universities—via extended conversations with black former students of predominantly white institutions. He revisits some well-known incidents, such as the racist song performed by Sigma Alpha Epsilon of the University of Oklahoma in 2015, and discusses the types of racism black students encounter on college campuses, ranging from violent or overt acts to more common micro-aggressions (everyday indignities, whether intentional or not, that are often written off as inconsequential by other students). The special value of Ross’s book is that it documents incidents in recent history and the experiences of the students involved to show the severity of racism on college campuses and its persistence. As Ross points out, even when there are probations and suspensions, old patterns quickly return; he questions whether “going to a predominantly white institution is really worth it for African-Americans.” Agent: Jan Miller, Dupree/Miller & Associates. (Feb.)