The Presidency in Black and White
My Up-Close View of Three Presidents and Race in America
by April Ryan, Foreword by Hon. Elijah Cummings
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Pub Date Feb 17 2015 | Archive Date Feb 27 2015
Description
In Bill Clinton, Ryan saw both a savvy politician who did his best to stay above the racial fray in public, and a man privately pained from the wrongs done to African-Americans throughout our history, not unlike those with whom he’d grown up in Arkansas. In George W. Bush, a man she respected as a faithful husband and father, an unprecedented amount of backlash against what was spun and perceived as racism in his policies – particularly those surrounding his administration’s horrendous handling of Hurricane Katrina – from which he never truly recovered, and by which he remained personally haunted for years. And in Barack Obama – a President expected to transcend divisions and raise us above our racial squabbling simply by taking office – a leader who, especially early in his administration, drew his own form of fire from those who noted his surprising absence from various racial issues that presented themselves on the national stage, but upon which he did not seem moved to comment, much less act.
With humor, grace, and determination, April shares the highs and lows of her sometimes lonely but rewarding battle to keep questions of race relations in America on the political front burner, and in the President’s ear. She has made this battle her life’s work and will never stop fighting to give a voice to those members of our society who have too long been silenced.
April Ryan, a 28-year journalism veteran, has been the White House correspondent for 17 years for American Urban Radio Networks (AURN). She is also the Washington Bureau Chief. Along with daily responsibilities at the White House, Ryan hosts the daily feature, “The White House Report,” which is broadcast to AURN’s nearly 300 affiliated stations nationwide. She lives in Baltimore, Maryland.
A Note From the Publisher
You are reviewing uncorrected page proofs. Quote only from finished book. Contact publicity@rowman.com with any questions. Thank you!
Advance Praise
April
Ryan has taken the mystery out of the White House. She tells the story
in black and white. This is a rare story, but more importantly a story
about America. This is a very valuable contribution to the American
history zeitgeist, and a story all Americans need to experience.
— Ernest Green, "Little Rock Nine"
Despite
the bland menu press officers often serve reporters who cover the White
House, April Ryan has always been someone who insists on spice. Her
questions, sassy probing, and good humor force a predominantly white
culture in that most exclusive of places to confront uneasy questions of
race, equality, and discrimination. She made the scales fall from my
eyes, and her work—reflected in this marvelous volume—will one day
change the heart of a president she covers.
— Mike McCurry, White House Press Secretary, 1995–98
April
Ryan’s long service in the White House press corps has given her an
intimate understanding of the value of political leverage, for
presidents and the American public alike… The Presidency in Black and White is
an important contribution toward achieving that political leverage—that
place for us to stand from which we can move our nation toward the
society it is meant to become. For that, April Ryan deserves our
gratitude and support.
— Hon. Elijah Cummings, United States House of Representatives
Most
people just talk about “being in the room.” April Ryan not only is in
the room, but also grabs your attention in a fascinating, personal, and
yes, “insider’s” look at The Presidency in Black and White.
April brings us inside the Oval Office as she recounts with humor and
poignancy her observations and encounters with three American presidents
as they have tackled the often slippery and dangerous slopes of race
and racism in America.
— Michael Steele, first African-American chairman of the Republican National Committee (2009–2011), MSNBC political analyst
A
revealing and important look at the presidency—and the press—by a
veteran journalist who’s been on the inside for two decades. With often
surprising details that defy the conventional views of the Clinton,
Bush, and Obama presidencies, April Ryan takes the reader to state
dinners, aboard Air Force One, and into press conferences to explore the
role of race in the White House and press corps.
— Steve Thomma, Chief White House Correspondent for McClatchy
Marketing Plan
·April Ryan is a White House Correspondent and key component of American Urban Radio Networks, a company potentially reaching 20 million African Americans weekly with close to 475 radio affiliates in the United States.
·Ryan is available for interviews with any station either inside or outside the Urban Radio Network. She will use her political and journalistic / network of contacts to help her get more coverage and vital air time for the book.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Hardcover |
| ISBN | 9781442238411 |
| PRICE | $24.95 (USD) |
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Average rating from 2 members
Featured Reviews
Angie P, Reviewer
A front row seat to history is shared by April Ryan in this book. Written in a way that makes you want to keep reading, I found it to be informative but with ups and downs, some parts were a little dry. Overall, it's great to see a book by a woman of color in a position to share her story.
