Race: How Blacks and Whites Think and Feel About the American Obsession

Studs Terkel's Race: How Blacks and Whites Think and Feel About the American Obsession is an oral history that explores the complex and often fraught relationship between Black and White Americans regarding race. Through interviews, Terkel captures a wide range of perspectives, revealing deep-seated feelings of disenchantment and resentment.1

The book delves into the historical and social construction of race in America, where racial classifications have been used as a mechanism for social division. This ideology posits that distinct races possess inherent qualities and should be ranked, leading to institutionalized inequalities and segregation. Terkel's work provides a unique, albeit often somber, insight into these deeply ingrained attitudes and their impact on American society.21