Realizing the civil rights dream : diagnosing and treating American racism / Kenneth B. Bedell ; foreword by Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr.

"The book suggests that racism is a chronic disease that infects our culture. It has gone undiagnosed, wrongly diagnosed, and inadequately treated for centuries. Just as a disease manifests differently in different people, racism manifests differently in different historical periods. Just as different therapies are effective for treating different individuals with the same disease, so are there multiple approaches that can treat the disease of racism. There is no simple cure. Racism has been at the center of social life for all of American history. One of the most important lessons of that history is that racism will not just wither away. Racism must be accurately diagnosed and then intentionally treated. Our history is full of missed opportunities to recognize racism, address it, and develop strategies to overcome it. The good news, and the premise of this book, is that we can learn from our history, apply new knowledge, and break the cycle of disease. We can--and must--confront racism today to realize the civil rights dream."--Provided by publisher.