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Title: Helluva writer...but work isn't that strong
Review: Let me say at the outset that the author is an excellent writer. I'm familiar with Dr. Jackson's work, and he is an excellent wordsmith.But in this case, his writing skills obscure the weakness of his argument.Jackson is arguing that for black people "class" isn't a matter of educational level, or a matter of income/wealth, but rather a matter of how one carries him/herself in different social settings. So class isn't something you ARE (as in, are you middle class or upper class) but something you HAVE (as in, are you ghetto acting or bourgie). Given the complex way politics and economics truncate black life options, this is a woefully inadequate way of grappling with race and class in Harlem, much less centers of black life like Detroit or Washington D.C.Again, VERY well written. It just isn't saying much.
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