Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author Wesley Lowery on new book, 'American Whitelash'

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Wesley Lowery is the author of "American Whitelash: A Changing Nation and the Cost of Progress." He joins "CBS Mornings" to share what he defines as "whitelash," how that backlash follows moments of racial progress and how he sees that cycle impacting the upcoming presidential election.

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Each weekday morning, "CBS Mornings” co-hosts Gayle King, Tony Dokoupil and Nate Burleson bring you the latest breaking news, smart conversation and in-depth feature reporting. "CBS Mornings" airs weekdays at 7 a.m. on CBS and stream it at 8 a.m. ET on the CBS News app.

[chriss]

LOL, , this piece in and of its self is racist. Can you imagine if a white author wrote a similar book maybe called "Blacklash" highlighting affirmative action and similar topics? He or she would be deemed racist for certain.

[Reylas]

I prefer “Black American” but Obama is actually truly AFRICAN American. Father is from Kenya, mother from Kansas.

[theunknowngamer]

Racial identity is a social construct, created and enforced by Caucasians?
Can I place that insight onto the list of make believe behaviors already including Right and Wrong?
i hope the concept of money and all laws make the list.

[JustTiga]

This is an example that racism is here to stay.

I respect Wesley Lowerys take with the title of the book "American Whitelash" because there are people who truly believe that the US shouldn't be concerned about equal opportunity once a person of color has made a few advancements. So topics like exterminating the NAACP, and other programs that help the progress of people of color are tabled for discussion.

The title "American Whitelash" suggest that the advancement of African Americans or people of color is taking opportunities from someone else.

Martin Luther King Jr. explained that at the end of slavery, white America already had hundreds of years advancement over people of color and couple that with no means or resources to support them in that regard meant they are still left behind or enslaved. So the Black Code as explained in the book "Unexampled Courage" by Richard Gergel is still in full effect; meaning, its by design to make things a little more difficult for people of color to keep them in their place. Example: on paper, youre free but in principle youre still bound to supremacy. IE. Making it a little more difficult to achieve certain housing, schools, and other opportunities.

One African American or Black President, a few Senators or a Supreme Court Justice of color will never make up for the years that were never afforded and the many that are not given the same opportunities that no one wants to talk about or acknowledge still exists. Have we made progress; yes.

Its undeniable and I dont think any reasonable person standard can deny that the US has made some progress. But to think everything is eqaul and there's no need for prohibitions to prevent inequalities is absurd.

If a person of color gets the opportunity to achieve something that white Americans have been doing for centuries, the advancement is all of a sudden equal and everyone should shut up and be satisfied. There are some who actually think this way.

I'm reminded of the time when Lebron James voiced his opinion about current /world events and a popular news personality told him to " shut up and play basketball". As if to say, youre affluent because of your ability to play a professional sport, so stay in your lane; and he said, I will not just play basketball and shut up.

There are many many more examples but if a few African Americans or people of color make a few advancements, this is not a bulletin that we all have arrived.

People have agendas and when history is being repeated this is a handicap that the US will always inherit generation after generation. What do I mean? When the nature of hate is nurtured, it breeds generational ignorance and so racism, prejudices, stereotypes, micro-insults, micro-aggessions, micro assaults, etc will exist. Its real and its here to stay. Being in denial is one thing but being ignorant is another.

[billbissenas]

Wesley Lowery: Race Hustler, no different than Rev. Al or Rev. Jackson, different decade, same false message.