The Rise and Fall of Modern Black Leadership is designed to show how black leaders responded to the omnipresent racism of twentieth century America. Although the efforts of black leadership eventually succeeded in eradicating de jure discrimination and brought the nation closer to realizing the idealized tenets of American democracy, their achievements occurred at a cost to their influence as leaders of the entire race. Synopses appear on the lives of the influential men and women who comprised the leadership cadre so that readers can understand the motives underlying leadership goals, and comprehend why the lofty objectives of the Civil Rights Movement remain unfulfilled. Nelson makes a strong contribution to works analyzing black leadership....His most valuable insights describe how the development of the black bourgeoisie and the ethics of free market opportunism in recent decades have led potential community leaders to shift their leadership skills away from the African American community and toward personal successes outside that community....Nelson offers wisdom on why leaders lead and how they function in a changing society that is particularly, not exclusively, African American. Summing Up: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. All levels/collections. (Smith, J. H. Choice ) H. Viscount Nelson's sense of outrage is a welcome relief from the blandness of contemporary rationalizations. The anger and compassion in this volume provide a fine contribution to contemporary college course readings and might even inspire a more committed leadership and scholarship. (M.W. Leadership Matters ) H. Viscount 'Berky' Nelson, Ph.D. is the Director of the Center for Student Programming and Lecturer in Social Sciences at UCLA. Used Book in Good Condition