The Burden of Being First: Race, Culture, and Politics in America

Abstract

Whether one adheres to older forms of top-down historical inquiry or newer methodologies emphasizing the endeavors of those society often forgets, it is important to recognize that to write history is to write about firsts and moments. Far from an indictment, there is much to be gained in paying attention to the modern president, a successful work stoppage, or record-breaking athletic performances. Careful historians can capture the essence of what it takes for people to rise up individually or collectively and achieve something new and remarkable. While it is tempting to celebrate these individuals and achievements it remains important to understand the burdens associated with first or participating in a moment of history. Fallen angels and diminished expectations are not strangers to historical writing but rarely do we get a glimpse of great figures conscious of how their own images are being misinterpreted and then struggling to reclaim what is theirs. Ben Keppel's The Work of Democracy is about such struggles. Ralph Bunche, Kenneth Clark, and Lorraine Hansberry are the subjects of Keppel's book and with good reason. For their respective work in international diplomacy, sociological and racial analysis, and cultural production, Bunche, Clark, and Hansberry became representatives of their race. This ascension, Keppel shows us, came at a cost none of the three were entirely willing to bear and prompted each to fight against the popular appropriation of their images and accomplishments. On the surface these may seem to be merely interesting stories, curios to be placed on the historical mantelpiece, but the scope of the author's argument is considerably more ambitious. Keppel asserts that Bunche, Clark, and Hansberry became living symbols of American racial progress and in this capacity became barometers for that progress-in effect, they were the canaries in America's racial coal mine. This, according to the author, is an awesome responsibility (whether welcome or