The Paradox of Loyalty: An African American Response to the War on Terrorism

The terrorist attack on America in the mid-morning hours of September 11, 2001 and the American government’s swiftly declared and present global ‘War on Terrorism’ receive commentary from a black perspective in the pages of ‘The Paradox of Loyalty’. This volume of twenty-two essays, compiled and edited by entrepreneur and social commentator Dr Julianne A Malveaux and social service and community activist Reginna M. Green, features voices representing the diverse age groups, religions, and social strata of a black collective which famed author Walter Mosely warned could not be ignored. An eloquently-penned foreword by Cornel West, professor of Afro-American studies and the philosophy of religion at Harvard University, sets the tone for this important collection of dissenting voices of black Americans whose shared experiences give them an especially keen perspective on the attacks and the ensuing and present war on terrorism. From two-time World Trade Center attack survivor Gail Mitchell’s eyewitness account; to the Reverend Willie F Wilson’s reprinted sermon delivered 16 September 2001 just days after the attach; to Haki Madhubuti’s optimistic reminder of the ‘idea’ of America that often gets lost in the midst of warlike strikes and retaliations; to Laura Murphy’s warning about the heightened perils of racial profiling after the attack; to Tamara A. Masters Wilds’ candid examination of the perspectives of two black women two generations removed; to Ron Walters’ critical, uncompromising call to the American government to augment its foreign policy, ‘The Paradox of Loyalty’ is one of the best examples of the diverse and demanding voices from the nation’s collective black community.