Public Confessions: The Religious Conversions That Changed American Politics

Abstract

during his childhood in South Chicago and is present among Black Americans today. Despite its merits, there are several critiques to be raised with this text. In places, this book appears to be written for readers who are already familiar with Black identity scholarship and Cross’s work. Too often terms and phrases are engaged in the text before they are defined or given context. For example, the ‘‘buffering’’ strategy for protecting identity appears on page 83, but the term is not aptly defined until page 86. Until it is defined, the reader is left to use context clues to fully understand the meaning and practice of buffering. Similarly, though the term eudaimonia appears in the title of the book, there is no section of the text that unpacks its meaning or application to Black identity. As such, the term ‘‘eudaimonia’’ is mostly implied and alluded to throughout the text. At each brief mention (a sentence or two here and there) the term is defined a little differently, and the reader is left to connect the dots of ‘‘eudaimonia’’ and Black identity for themselves. After having read the book, I have a general sense of the author’s direction and intention for this term. But in truth, I am left with more questions than answers. Finally, I must offer that I was disappointed that the ‘‘barber’s chair’’ motif did not figure more prominently into the text. As the author implies, childhood and adult experiences in Black barber and beauty shops can greatly inform a sense of identity and community. Given the title of the book, the title of the first chapter, and the photo on the book cover, many readers will be expecting this concept to be well integrated throughout the text. While the ‘‘barbershop bias’’ is disused briefly in the first chapter, it does not figure prominently into the text as whole and feels a bit like a ‘‘bait and switch.’’ The strengths of this text are many. Notwithstanding my previous comments about the presentation of concepts and terms, the text does not present as overly abstract or esoteric. In fact, the major themes and concepts are illustrated for the reader through application to historical events and prominent figures in ways that will resonate with many audiences. Though readers will have to do a bit of digging for the meaning of some of the key terms, the book is still accessible and digestible to learners at various levels, including advanced undergraduate students, graduate students, and academics. Next, the book is interdisciplinary in its approach, drawing from the broad fields of history, psychology, sociology, literature, and art. This approach lends itself well to discussions of identity, since the character of humanity is complex, including the social, the creative, and the psychological self. For this reason, the book will also appeal to some readers outside of the academy. In all, Black Identity Viewed from a Barber’s Chair is a worthwhile and engaging read for anyone interested in Black humanity and experiences.