Freedom Is Not Enough

The most American thing you can do is vote. History informs the present, action shapes the future. Freedom is Not Enough reminds us we must understand where we've been as a society if we are to move forward to realize a new American dream for all people. -- Russell Simmons, chairman and CEO, Rush Communications; co-founder and chairman, Hip-Hop Summit Action Network; co-founder and president, Rush Ph
Freedom is Not Enough constitutes a serious evaluation of the current status of Black voters in the American political system by a distinguished political scientist. I recommend the book highly and would assign it as required reading in my courseson African American and minority politics.... -- Katherine Tate, University of California, Irvine; author, Black Faces in the Mirror: African Americans and Their Representatives in the U.S. Con
Walters carefully explains why the Democratic Party's most faithful constituency—African Americans—is the least rewarded and appreciated and what can be done about it. His solution: an independent political strategy for African Americans. -- Mary Frances Berry, University of Pennsylvania
Professor Ronald Walters reminds us of the empowerment objective of black voting, that was so much the goal of those whose work and sacrifices led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act. That goal was at the center of my campaigns for President of the United States in 1984 and 1988, and Walters expertly summarizes and even codifies them, suggesting that if other such campaigns are mounted in the context of a movement for social change, they may also fuel the large turnouts necessary to use elections as a potent resource to improve the lives of those who participate. -- Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr.
[Walters's] combination of statistics, theory, history, and analysis puts a lot of crucial information in one place. * Publishers Weekly *
This is a must-read for those interested in black voting power as an important avenue for political inclusion. * Booklist *
Freedom is Not Enough constitutes a serious evaluation of the current status of Black voters in the American political system by a distinguished political scientist. I recommend the book highly and would assign it as required reading in my courses on African American and minority politics. -- Katherine Tate, University of California, Irvine; author, Black Faces in the Mirror: African Americans and Their Representatives in the U.S.
This book offers useful background information on black voting habits and how the black vote is both obtained and obstructed, with an emphasis on voter turnout rather than the issues blacks should base their votes upon. Suitable for academic and public libraries. * Library Journal *
Walter's message is one of empowerment and self-determination. . . . At a time when Republicans are trying to court the black community by talking up the benefits of President Bush's 'ownership society' and making known their desire to be active participants in the reauthorization of the Voting RIghts Act. . . . Walters's message is important, both to Republicans and Democrats. * Roll Call *