Reviews
Winner of the APSA Foundations of Political Theory Best First Book Award"Lebron argues that we lack the 'will to be racially egalitarian' despite our stated commitments. We ignore the moral lessons taught by our institutions and consequently fail to reform those institutions to support development of our moral capacity for racial egalitarianism. Lebron points to an alternative path. His is a terrific and compelling argument."-Danielle S. Allen, author of Talking to Strangers"The Color of our Shame offers a trenchant and sobering indictment of the character of American society. Americans claim to be committed to a principle of equal citizenship, but our public policies systematically treat blacks as of lower worth. Lebron demonstrates the power of virtue theory in coming to grips with our failure to live up to our democratic ideals. This is vital reading for all morally serious Americans."-Elizabeth Anderson, John RawlsCollegiate Professor of Philosophy and Women's Studies, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor2018 recipient of the Hiett Prize in the Humanities, for a person "in the early stages of careers devoted to the humanities and whose work shows extraordinary promise and has a significant public component related to contemporary culture.", Winner of the APSA Foundations of Political Theory Best First Book Award "Lebron argues that we lack the 'will to be racially egalitarian' despite our stated commitments. We ignore the moral lessons taught by our institutions and consequently fail to reform those institutions to support development of our moral capacity for racial egalitarianism. Lebron points to an alternative path. His is a terrific and compelling argument."-Danielle S. Allen, author of Talking to Strangers "The Color of our Shame offers a trenchant and sobering indictment of the character of American society. Americans claim to be committed to a principle of equal citizenship, but our public policies systematically treat blacks as of lower worth. Lebron demonstrates the power of virtue theory in coming to grips with our failure to live up to our democratic ideals. This is vital reading for all morally serious Americans."-Elizabeth Anderson, John Rawls Collegiate Professor of Philosophy and Women's Studies, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Winner of the APSA Foundations of Political Theory Best First Book Award"Lebron argues that we lack the 'will to be racially egalitarian' despite our stated commitments. We ignore the moral lessons taught by our institutions and consequently fail to reform those institutions to support development of our moral capacity for racial egalitarianism. Lebron points to an alternative path. His is a terrific and compelling argument."-Danielle S. Allen, author of Talking to Strangers "The Color of our Shame offers a trenchant and sobering indictment of the character of American society. Americans claim to be committed to a principle of equal citizenship, but our public policies systematically treat blacks as of lower worth. Lebron demonstrates the power of virtue theory in coming to grips with our failure to live up to our democratic ideals. This is vital reading for all morally serious Americans."-Elizabeth Anderson, John Rawls Collegiate Professor of Philosophy and Women's Studies, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 2018 recipient of the Hiett Prize in the Humanities, for a person "in the early stages of careers devoted to the humanities and whose work shows extraordinary promise and has a significant public component related to contemporary culture.", "Lebron argues that we lack the 'will to be racially egalitarian' despite our stated commitments. We ignore the moral lessons taught by our institutions and consequently fail to reform those institutions to support development of our moral capacity for racial egalitarianism. Lebron points to an alternative path. His is a terrific and compelling argument."-Danielle S. Allen, author of Talking to Strangers "The Color of our Shame offers a trenchant and sobering indictment of the character of American society. Americans claim to be committed to a principle of equal citizenship, but our public policies systematically treat blacks as of lower worth. Lebron demonstrates the power of virtue theory in coming to grips with our failure to live up to our democratic ideals. This is vital reading for all morally serious Americans."-Elizabeth Anderson, John Rawls Collegiate Professor of Philosophy and Women's Studies, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor "[The Color of Our Shame] is essential reading for students and scholars of liberalism, democracy and racial inequality. The book weaves moral and political philosophy together with a discussion of US institutions, highlighting the ways in which they sustain and propagate unjust racial formations. It is a compelling book, rich in detail and ambitious in scope." - Contemporary Political Theory "In this book, Christopher Lebron artfully joins Rawlsian-inspired theorizing about social justice with critical race theory's focus on ongoing racial injustice to illuminate what is needed to develop a distinctly political theory of racial justice. In so doing, he also sheds light on the role of popular culture and national character, or civic culture, in perpetuating the gap between venerable American ideals and deplorable American realities." - Perspectives on Politics, Winner of the APSA Foundations of Political Theory Best First Book Award "Lebron argues that we lack the 'will to be racially egalitarian' despite our stated commitments. We ignore the moral lessons taught by our institutions and consequently fail to reform those institutions to support development of our moral capacity for racial egalitarianism. Lebron points to an alternative path. His is a terrific and compelling argument."-Danielle S. Allen, author of Talking to Strangers "The Color of our Shame offers a trenchant and sobering indictment of the character of American society. Americans claim to be committed to a principle of equal citizenship, but our public policies systematically treat blacks as of lower worth. Lebron demonstrates the power of virtue theory in coming to grips with our failure to live up to our democratic ideals. This is vital reading for all morally serious Americans."-Elizabeth Anderson, John Rawls Collegiate Professor of Philosophy and Women's Studies, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 2018 recipient of the Hiett Prize in the Humanities, for a person "in the early stages of careers devoted to the humanities and whose work shows extraordinary promise and has a significant public component related to contemporary culture."
