New answers to old questions

Black Issues in Higher Education, July 1, 2004

Underground Codes: Race, Crime and Related Fires By Katheryn Russell-Brown, New York University Press, 2004, 175 pp., $18.00 paperback, ISBN 0814775411; $55.00, cloth, ISBN 0814775403

In Underground Codes, Katheryn Russell-Brown tackles a range of race and crime issues. From outdated research methods that perpetuate stereotypes about African Americans, women and crime to the over-hyped discourse about gangsta rap and law breaking, Russell-Brown challenges the conventional wisdom of criminology. The book also delves into understudied topics such as victimization rates for American Indians--among the highest of any racial group--and how racial profiling affects the day-to-day lives of people of color.

Katheryn Russell-Brown is a professor of law and director of the Center for the Study of Race and Race Relations at the University of Florida's Law School. She is the author of The Color of Crime (1998).

Counter-Colonial Criminology: A Critique of Imperialist Reason By Dr. Biko Agozino, Pluto Press, 2003, 281 pp., $75.00, hardback, ISBN 0-7453-1886-X; $24.95, paperback, ISBN 0-7453-1885-1

In this book, Dr. Biko Agozino shows how the history of colonialism has shaped the definition of crime and justice systems--not only in former colonies but also in colonialist countries. He argues that criminology in the West was originally tested in the colonies and then brought back to mother countries and, therefore, has been instrumental in shaping modern criminology in colonial powers. Agozino also considers African and other postcolonial literature and contributions to counter colonial criminology, their originality, relevance and limitations. Finally he advocates a "committed objectivity" approach to race-class-gender criminology investigations to come to terms with imperialistic and neo-colonialist criminology.

Dr. Biko Agozino is associate professor in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Cheyney University Pennsylvania. He is the author of Black Women and the Criminal Justice System (1997).

Through Ebony Eyes: What Teachers Need to Know But Are Afraid to Ask About African American Students By Dr. Gail L. Thompson, Josey-Bass, 2004, 352 pp., $24.95, cloth, ISBN 0-7879-7061-1

Dr. Gail L. Thompson explores the Black-White achievement gap and the cultural divide that exists between some teachers and African American students. Based on data collected from 175 educators, the book provides information and strategies that will help teachers increase their effectiveness with African American students. Some culturally sensitive and controversial issues and questions explored in the book include: the debate over standard English and Ebonics; the use of the "N" word in class; how to handle accusations of racism; and whether teachers should use the term Black or African American.

Dr Gail L. Thompson is an associate professor of education at Claremont Graduate University. She is the author of African American Teens Discuss Their Schooling Experiences and What African American Parents Want Educators to Know.

Slavery in the Development of the Americas Edited by Dr. David Eltis, Dr. Frank D. Lewis and Dr. Kenneth L. Sokoloff, Cambridge University Press, 2004, 382 pp., $75.00, hardback, ISBN 0-521-83277-2

This book brings together new work from leading historians and economic historians of slavery. The essays cover various aspects of slavery and its role in the development of the southern United States, Brazil, Cuba, the French and Dutch Caribbean, and elsewhere in the Americas. Some essays explore the emergence of the slave system, while others provide important insights about the operation of specific slave economies. Reviews of slave markets and prices, and discussions of the efficiency and distributional aspects of slavery are also included.

Dr. David Eltis is the Robert W. Woodruff professor of history at Emory University. He is author of The Rise of African Slavery in the Americas (2000). Frank D. Lewis is professor of economics at Queen's University in Kingston, Canada. Kenneth L. Sokoloff is professor of economics at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Instructing and Mentoring the African American College Student: Strategies for Success in Higher Education Edited by Louis B. Gallien Jr. and Dr. Marshalita Sims Peterson, Allyn and Bacon Press, 2004, 196 pp., $32.20, paperback, ISBN 0-205-38917-1

This book focuses on the types of academic environments and classroom strategies that are conducive to the achievement levels of African American college students, particularly; in the areas of effective classroom pedagogy, models of successful campus retention and mentoring techniques that have proven to be advantageous for Black students across the country. Reflecting on experiences from professors, administrators and staff of two historically Black colleges, this book offers specific strategies on maximizing student success in the context of African American student culture.

Louis B. Gallien Jr. is professor of urban education at Regent University. Dr. Marshalita Sims Peterson is chairwoman and assistant professor in the education department at Spelman College.