Defending the Spirit: A Black Life in America

Short on money, long on self-confidence and values, Randall Robinson came out of the segregated South to make his mark on the American scoreboard: he graduated from Harvard Law School and began a career as a political activist. But somewhere along the way, Robinson, who went on to become the founder and president of TransAfrica, came to realize that none of his efforts - or the efforts of his fellow African-Americans across the nation - was making a difference. This searing memoir, written by one of today's most distinguished African-American political figures, paints a vivid and compelling picture of racism, not just in the American South or in South Africa, but in such sophisticated, seemingly enlightened communities as Harvard and Washington. Robinson describes his visits to Caribbean and African trouble spots, from the social strife of the western Sahara to South Africa, where he played a significant role in the dismantling of apartheid, to the restoration of democracy in Haiti. Robinson's tireless efforts to end racism worldwide led to the creation of TransAfrica, the first organization to advocate the interests of African and Caribbean peoples. His actions have altered the course of American foreign policy on more than one occasion. And now Randall Robinson has undertaken the extraordinary task of confronting racism within Washington's elite power structure and educating a new generation of political and social leaders.