Countdown Paper for Cornell West (Chapter 1-4)

Race Matters

5) In his book “Race Matters,” Cornell West talks about how a people live and act helps to decide the situation and lifestyles that they live. He talks about nihilism, in that, African Americans use this to ward of hopelessness and meaninglessness in their lives. West’s biggest idea is the idea of “Politics of Conversion,” which essentially combines the two main ideas of thought between the liberals and conservatives of the day. It says that shows why black people in America suffer the way they do, but it also promotes self-esteem and self-affirmation. West also points to the fact that there is a major lack of black leadership in America, and how the lack of leadership has lead to the African American conservative movement.

4) “How people act and live are shaped—though in no way dictated or determined—by the larger circumstances in which they find themselves” (West 18).

“They hesitate to talk honestly about culture, the realm of meanings and values, because doing so seems to lend itself too readily to conservative conclusions in the narrow way American discuss race” (West 20).

“The failure of nerve of black leadership is its refusal to undermine and dismantle the framework of racial reasoning” (West 38).

“We indeed must criticize and condemn immoral acts of black people, but we must do so cognizant of the circumstances into which people are born and under which they live” (West 85).

3) Race- Cornell West points to race as a huge issue in America even today, and shapes his whole argument around why race is such an important part of American society.

“Politics of Conversion”- This is West’s idea that there are some reasons why African Americans suffer, while at the same time, promotes self-esteem and self-affirmation.

Black Leadership- West says that a lack of African American leadership in America has caused the African American conservative movement, so he is calling for African American leaders to rise up and change that.

2) I think that most people try to not talk about the issue of race. West however, brings it to the forefront and forces the issue. I think its great that he does this, because it forces people to talk about why race is an important issue and why we as a society need to talk about it, even if its uncomfortable. He also brings up another interesting point, saying that most people tend to only listen to people that they agree with instead of listening to both sides of the argument. I personally can see this is daily life, because when it comes to race, people don’t want to listen to anything that will make them uncomfortable or positions that challenge their own beliefs. People seem to be afraid to listen to other points of view and ideas that are in opposition to their own.

1) Why do so many people brush off the issue of race, when in reality it is a huge deal that applies to situations in everyday life?