{"product_id":"9780062323279","title":"Where Everybody Looks Like Me: At the Crossroads of America's Black Colleges and Culture","description":"\u003cp\u003eA richly reported account of the forces threatening America's historic black colleges and universities—and how diverse leaders nationwide are struggling to keep these institutions and black culture alive for future generations.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAmerican education is under siege, and few parts of the system are more threatened than black colleges and universities. Once hailed as national treasures, historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) such as Spelman College, Morehouse College, and Howard University—the backbone of the nation's black middle class which have produced legends including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Thurgood Marshall, and Oprah Winfrey—are in a fight for survival. The threats are numerous: Republican state legislators are determined to merge, consolidate, or shut down historically black colleges and universities; Ivy League institutions are poaching the best black high school students; President Obama's push for heightened performance standards, and cuts in loan funding from the U.S. Department of Education.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn this tightly woven narrative full of intriguing characters, \u003cem\u003eWhere Everybody Looks Like Me\u003c\/em\u003e chronicles this near breaking point for black colleges. Award-winning journalist Ron Stodghill offers a rare behind-closed-doors look into the private world of the boards of directors, the black intelligentsia, the leaders of business, law, politics, culture, and sports, and other influential figures involved in the debate and battle to save these institutions. Told from the perspective of a family, \u003cem\u003eWhere Everybody Looks Like Me\u003c\/em\u003e shows their struggle to secure the best education for their child. \u003cem\u003eWhere Everybody Looks Like Me\u003c\/em\u003e is a tale of vision and vanity—of boardroom backbiting, financial chicanery, idealism and passion. Here are administrators, celebrities, alumni, and others whose lives are intricately tied to these institutions and their fate—whether they will remain strong and vital, or become a revered part of our cultural past.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"HarperCollins","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47076771954928,"sku":"9780062323279","price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9780062323279","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}