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About Last of the Black Emperors
How did Marion Barry pull off his political resurrection? Why
are African-Americans so enamored of him? And why, despite his
return to power, has Barry's story so dramatically lost promise?
The Last of the Black Emperors explains the many paradoxes of
Marion Barry's career, and documents the growth of his racial
and political identities parallel with those of his largely
black constituency. Jonetta Rose Barras places the D.C.
mayor in context, comparing him with politicians-black and
non-black-of his generation, and with "the new black
leaders" who have rendered his style obsolete. Focusing
on the period from Barry's 1992 prison release, through his
1994 mayoral victory, and the subsequent erosion of his influence
in the nation's capital, BARRAS' study traces the uneven trajectory
of a wily, controversial, but captivating personality.
About Jonetta Rose Barras
 Jonetta
Rose Barras is a columnist and former reporter for the Washington
Times, a former associate editor of the Washington City Paper,
and a contributor to the New Republic. She frequently contributes
to The Washington Post and American Enterprise Magazine as well.
A respected authority on black politics, Barras has provided
commentary for NPR's "All Things Considered," CNN,
C-Span, and CBS's "60 Minutes.". She is also a published
poet.
Her most recent book in May 2000 was Whatever
Happened to Daddy's Little Girl? The Impact of Fatherlessness
on Black Women.
Barras resides in Washington, DC.
Jonnetta
Rose Barras Website |
