Author shares his perspective on racism in America
THORNTON, Colo. – On November 4, 2008, Barack Obama was elected as the first black president of the United States. It seemed to signal a new era in America – the end of racism. Yet even though this was a historic accomplishment and a sign of progress, it was not a solution to the many who continue to be on the losing end of preferential treatment. Author Carl A. Benson Sr. shares his view on the continued prevalence of racism in What Your Black Friends Don’t Tell You: A Must Read for Whites and their Black Friends (published by AuthorHouse).
“The reason that you don’t know this side of me is because no one ever asked me how I really felt about these things. No one really wanted to know. As long as I smiled and performed a service for my employers, team members, neighbors, and acquaintances, I was left pretty much alone to continue to enjoy a modicum of success and good fortune,” says Benson.
What Your Black Friends Don’t Tell You is Benson’s attempt to finally express the frustration he has felt his entire life. Make no mistake; he has considered the possible repercussions he may face for publishing such a brutally honest opinion. But he feels passionately that something must be said.
Benson says exactly what he thinks about the current racial climate. He encourages readers to speak their minds about the racist discrimination they see in order to get the conversation started. He believes this is the only way racial issues will be tackled. Benson feels that the issue must return to the forefront of American minds, where it can’t be ignored.
Benson details the many instances throughout his life that he experienced racial discrimination. From warnings to stay in at night to unprofessional business practices, Benson has seen it all. He knows first hand, that racism still exists in America.
In What Your Black Friends Don’t Tell You,Benson opens the eyes of readers to see racial issues that they may never have considered before.
Carl A. Benson Sr. graduated from the University of Cincinnati. He has two sons. Benson has written several articles for magazines and has taught African and African American History at Defiance College and the University of Idaho. He has also taught Urban Sociology at St. Francis College. This is his first book.
