Black Political Zone

Lawrence Otis Graham, author of the well-known book on the black upper-class, Our Kind of People, recently produced a new book about the life and familial legacy of Blanche Bruce, the first African American to hold a full term in the U.S. Senate. The Senator and the Socialiate: America's First Black Dynasty chronicles Bruce's struggles and influence. Most interestingly, the story of successive generations of the Bruce family, including Graham's claim that many of them are now passing for white, demonstrates the complex intersection of politics and colorism in the U.S. You can watch Graham discuss the book at C-SPAN.org.