Historians and Race

"It was most revealing to read what motivated these major historians...(This book) is an important inquiry into the craft of historical scholarship, how historians arrive at their subjects of investigation, and the influences on framing historical questions. I was struck by a consistent thread of serendipity in the evolution of their careers, in the way that they arrived at their research, and in the joy of working in uncharted territory." - Robert L Harris, Jr.Troubled by the lack of knowledge of and interest in the continuing struggle for racial justice, the editors determined that many people now lack a proper context for understanding the current state of race relations. Their attempts to rekindle interest in the goals of the civil rights movement led them to approach a distinguished group of scholars. Armed with the belief that human interest generated by autobiography would be the most effective route to their goal, they asked these scholars to reflect upon their careers and how personal experiences have influenced their scholarship. Responding to this invitation were Dan T Carter, Eric Foner, Darlene Clark Hine, Jacqueline Jones, David Levering Lewis, Leon F Litwack, Mark D Naison, and George B Tindall.