Death of a Colored Man's Pedigree Author:Michael Harrison This book is an examination of how the extremely high unwed birthrate in the black community may permanently destroy the culture of a people and how this problem influences the inferior socio-economic position many blacks occupy. Author Michael Harrison carefully examines how this problem affects the United States as a whole and traces its hi... more »storical connection to this country's early development. Harrison's research includes clinical data as it relates to anthropological, primordial, and Freudian influences. He takes a hard look at various mammalian species, including human beings, and concludes that interactions of the alpha male and female with their offspring are so critically important that their lack almost inevitably results in stunted development or, worse, in anti-social behavior. Harrison also examines the positive and negative influences of rap music culture and its sometimes misogynistic references to women and the fallout this has on male and female behavior. He also examines the current historically high levels of STD cases. After all, a high degree of casual and unprotected sex is needed to maintain this high unwed birthrate. Harrison also examines how some women purposely abuse the sympathy they gain as unwed mothers by claiming victim status. As if this weren't bad enough, Harrison argues that this gradual elimination of the intact nuclear family slowly destroys the constructive lineage of the family tree. The text also questions present-day black leadership, which Harrison maintains is dominated by duplicity, propaganda, and demagoguery. Finally, Death of a Colored Man's Pedigree examines the politics that affect education's connection to this overall problem. Ultimately, Harrison offers some pragmatic solutions to reverse this self-destructive trend.« less