1. Last week (I think) we touched on the question of whether scholarship can help change things, and I was reminded of it when Orleck discussed the influence of Pat Moynihan (and others) in creating the image of the pathological black welfare mother. Maybe I'm missing it, but it seems like scholars are much less connected to public life than they were in the past. Maybe the rise of thinktanks has taken thought leadership away from academics? Or maybe folks were scared away from playing that role by the poisonous impact that Moynihan's bullshit had? I dunno.
2. Did it seem that Orleck was trying to shield white women from responsibility for racial violence in the south in the first chapter? Seemed kind of icky to me.
3. Small point: why didn't Orleck mention Tom Hayden when she lists the celebrity marchers? (155) If Dave Dellinger rates a mention, surely his Chicago 8 compadre should, too. Heck, Hayden is right there on the cover, looking dapper in a corduroy jacket.
4. No point: The only monster here is the gambling monster that has enslaved your mother! I call him Gamblor, and it's time to snatch your mother from his neon claws!
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