The Color of Culture: African American Underrepresentation in the Fine Arts and

Utilizing written sources as well as nationally representative survey data, Daniel H. Krymkowski analyzes the extent and causes of African American underrepresentation in the cultural realms of golf, hiking, hunting and fishing, water sports, winter sports, classical music, painting and sculpture, ballet, and the theater. African American participation significantly lags behind that of non-Hispanic whites in all of these areas, and it is not due to an aversion to these types of activities. Rather, as Krymkowski shows, its primary sources are racial-ethnic socioeconomic differences, as well as historic and contemporary discrimination, both overt and subtle. These causes are rooted in the systemic racism that continues to plague the United States. The lack of opportunity to participate in such cultural forms deprives African Americans of aesthetic experiences that are central to the human condition, and it has implications for both health and the accumulation of cultural and social capital. Krymkowski also explores current efforts to increase African American representation in these areas of culture and discusses the benefits of doing so.

Author: Daniel H. Krymkowski
Publisher: Lexington Books
Published: 01/15/2021
Pages: 206
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.98lbs
Size: 9.02h x 5.98w x 0.50d
ISBN: 9781498597869
About the Author
Daniel H. Krymkowski is professor of sociology at the University of Vermont in Burlington.