Writing Our World Press' Feature Publication:

WOW! Books       Hardcover       400 Pages September, 2006       Price: $27.95 ISBN 0-9762058-1-5

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Conversations: William Jefferson Clinton, from Hope to Harlem

By Janis F. Kearney

Conversations: William Jefferson Clinton, from Hope to Harlem, introduces new and important voices to the dialogue around America's 42nd President: William Jefferson Clinton. Black Americans-from Hope to Harlem-share intimate, poignant and sometimes eye-opening experiences, memories, and opinions of America's 42nd President. Excerpts from these conversations span five decades of William Jefferson Clinton's early and political life.

In 1998, Pulitzer Prize winning author Toni Morrison wrote that William Jefferson Clinton was America's “First Black

100-year old Charlotte Filmore, former Eisenhower white house employee; finally walked through the front door of the white house, escorted by President Clinton. Photo courtesy of Clinton Presidential Library

President,” noting his legendary relationship with the African American community, and his uphill battle during his presidency. Morrison attributes part of his troubles to a country, and a political leadership discomforted by this different kind of U.S. president. Political pundits and journalists have been polite and subtle in their public questions -always centered around three myths of America's first Arkansas-born president: Myth No. 1: Though William Jefferson Clinton's racial conciliation efforts began long before his foray into politics; and certainly before January 20, 1993; There is that never-satisfied question of whether the relationship with black America is genuine, or simply part and parcel of his lifelong political ambitions. Myth No. 2: Black and white Political and social cynics question the loyalty of blacks to America's Democratic Party, and certainly, to a southern Democrat. Their sometimes not-so-subtle insinuations: Black Americans' loyalty to Bill Clinton is a mixture of blind loyalty, and an oppressed groups' need for approval by a white power figure. And, Myth No. 3: The age-old monolithic argument; that black Americans think, vote and respond uniformly when it comes to Bill Clinton, regardless of the issue, the policy, or his actions.

Conversations, and the interviews here, debunk the myths, explain their error, and “out” the silent, but conspicuous “R” word hidden behind white America's closed doors. U.S. Congressmen John Lewis believes,

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given America's difficult history with race; “Blacks tend to be blessed with a separate antennae that lets us know if a man or woman is genuine.” Black Americans, overwhelmingly, believe Bill Clinton's race-comfort is genuine. They give him marks of excellence for his courage in addressing America's racial conflicts -in any forum, in any venue; and for making equal opportunity a reality, not simply a vague 1960's sound byte. Yet, opinions are diverse when it comes to policies, initiatives or actions that impact black communities, children and families.

Conversations, in the end, is an abstract painting of a white, southern politician, who happened to become President of the United States, and dared-without coercion-to portray America's racial conflicts as a national, rather than personal crisis. It's backdrop is the rich, and complicated histories of Arkansas, and the southern delta-the environment that helped shape this complex American leader. Part historical narrative, and part oral history, Conversations is an important addition to the archives of American and presidential history. A book that needed to be written, and needs to be read, by presidential scholars, students of political science, historians and those who specialize in southern politics and history.

Interviewees include former President William Jefferson Clinton, U.S. Congressman John Lewis; former New Orleans Mayor Marc Morial; former Atlanta mayor Bill Campbell; Former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb; and former Cleveland Mayor Michael White; as well as Pulitzer Prize winning historian David Levering Lewis; William Julius Wilson, Director, Harvard's Joblessness and Urban Poverty Research Program; baseball great Hank Aaron; Women's rights icon, Dorothy Height; former Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater; former Director, Clinton White House Personnel, Bob Nash, and Autrilla Watkins Scott, the former Hope, Arkansas native, and octogenarian who was one of young Billy Clinton's first babysitters; and Petrilla Bonners, the first black country and western star who happened to have been born in Hope.