Who truly represents African Americans in the American political process? If white racism seems to be declining, why does there seem to be increased white resistance to programs that seek to redress equality? And, why do so many programs that were intended to amend inequality seem to exacerbate it? In African Americans and the Public Agenda, editor Cedric Herring and a distinguished group of scholars shed light on these apparent paradoxes. This presidential collection of invited and refereed chapters have been selected primarily from the 1995 Annual Conference of the Association of Black Sociologists. The book presents competing perspectives in a rigorous yet accessible way and will help bridge the gap between scholars and policymakers. Both perceptive and timely, African Americans and the Public Agenda examines a wide variety of issues surrounding race and public policy, thus making it an essential resource for students and professionals in race and ethnic studies, sociology, American studies, political science, and anthropology.