Publisher’s Thoughts:
In these trying times of social justice activism, Critical Race Theory, and constant drumbeats of alleged white supremacy, comes Germinal G. Van’s timely book, Black America & The Illusion of Political Power. Van, who bills himself as an “Economist, Political Scientist, & Scholar” on his website, shines through the political muck, illuminating many of the problems afflicting the Black community throughout the United States today.
He takes direct aim at the 1964 Civil Rights Act, noting with mathematical models and equations, how Black Americans’ employment opportunities dried up following the passage of the landmark legislation. Additionally, he fleshes out the fact the 1964 Civil Rights Act may have provided some Black people with greater access to the political process but accomplished little towards raising the economic status of millions of Black Americans, especially those living in inner cities.
Van also addresses educational failings within the Black community and notes teachers’ unions are against charter schools, a solution he offers to the ongoing educational crisis in the Black community across the country. Loyalty to teachers’ unions and the Democratic Party together have created a vicious cycle of political dependency for many in the Black community and it has reduced economic opportunities for many Black people, a problem Van says continues to this day.
Finally, he offers solutions to help raise the economic standards of the Black community. Improving educational opportunities, reinvesting within the Black Community, and other solutions are offered.
Staff Thoughts:
Van is a prolific writer and self-publisher, having published numerous books over the years. If you’re a little hesitant about self-published writers, don’t be concerned: this is the future of publishing. Van does a great job outlining his mathematical equations and models in explaining his views and solutions of the problems he outlines.
The simplicity he offers in short and concise chapters presents something of a uniquely and positive challenge: I’m used to reading books which explain in detail their premises; with Van’s book, he gets straight to the point and uses math to accentuate it.
Since Black America & The Illusion of Political Power a self-published book, expect a few spelling and grammar errors, which do nothing to take away from his excellent breakdowns of problems, their causes, and his solutions. I highly recommend his book precisely because it offers a succinct and reasonable assessment of the problems Black Americans face today.
