Black Rage (book)
| Author | William H. Grier Price M. Cobbs |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Basic Books[1] |
Publication date | 1968[1] |
| ISBN | 1-57910-349-9 |
| OCLC | 172989155 |
Black Rage is a book by psychiatrists William H. Grier and Price M. Cobbs. Released in 1968 after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and the subsequent riots, the book received significant attention immediately[2][3][4][5] and in the years since,[6][7] and led to an ABC TV special in 1969 entitled To Be Black.[8]
The book
The book led to the legal concept of black rage, notably proposed as a defense by the defense attorneys representing Colin Ferguson (Ferguson went against the advice of his legal counsel and represented himself, arguing that he was completely innocent of the charges). Its working title was Reflections on the Negro Psyche.[9]
The authors
William H. Grier was the father of comedian David Alan Grier.
Price Cobbs wrote an autobiography entitled My American Life: From Rage to Entitlement about his experiences following Black Rage. ISBN 0-7434-9622-1
New York Times review
After Kenneth B. Clark published a negative review of the book in the New York Times,[2] the authors wrote an editorial, stating "after 62 highly favorable reviews, the 63rd and first critical comment came from a black brother."[10]
References
- ^ a b http://lccn.loc.gov/68029925[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b New York Times, "As Old as Human Cruelty", Kenneth B. Clark, September 22, 1968
- ^ New Republic, "The Rage around Us", Robert Coles, August 17, 1968
- ^ New York Times, "Books of The Times", Christopher Lehmann-Haupt, August 7, 1968
- ^ Social Science Quarterly, (Southwestern Social Sciences Association), "Black Rage/Urban Riots: Violence and Social Change", December 1969
- ^ New York Times, "Nonfiction Chronicle", Mark Lewis, Nov 20 2005: quote: Rarely was a book as well timed as "Black Rage." Written by two black psychiatrists(...) published amid the riots that followed the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., it gave voice and context to the anger behind the violence.
- ^ Citations of Black Rage (amazon.com)
- ^ Aug24 1969 "To Be Black", ABC TV show, http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,898513-1,00.html
- ^ Chawkins, Steve (September 11, 2015). "William H. Grier dies at 89; psychiatrist and co-author of 'Black Rage'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 11, 2015.
- ^ NYTimes letter to the editor, signed Grier & Cobbs, Oct 27 1968 quote: "after 62 highly favorable reviews, the 63rd and first critical comment came from a black brother."