All That We Can Be - 96 edition

Summary: [A] magnificent book. . . Every American--white or black, military or civilian--who cares about building healthy race relations in our country ought to read All That We Can Be. The foremost authorities on race relations in the armed forces recount the previously untold success story of how the U. S. Army became the most integrated institution in America. Charles C. Moskos and John Sibley Butler observe that the Army is the only place in America where blacks ...show moreroutinely boss around whites, and in this book they lay out the path by which the Army has promoted excellence across racial lines, while also showing how this military model can be adapted to fit the needs of civilian society. The Army way offers hope for our nation in a troubled time, and by following its example, Americans of all races can truly be all that we can be. Fascinating and well-written. . . Anyone who sees the need for a border vision of race in America and to reset the terms of the national racial policy debate should read this book.
--William Julius Wilson, Harvard University, author of When Work Disappears Moskos and Butler. . . are admirably informative about the principles that under lie 'the Army way' of achieving integration, and their book reminds us that integration itself is not a vain hope or lost idea.
--Wall Street Journal A great American success story--and a reminder that a truly color-blind America is a 'hill worth taking,'
--Washington Monthly This detailed, readable book implicitly tells us to stop complaining about the lack of race fairness in America--and look at how the military has begun to solve the problem. Virtually every one of the military's keys to success can be adapted in civilian society, so let's get on with it.
--George Anne Geyer, Universal Press Syndicate
When one thinks of those institutions in America that have been at the vanguard of social change, the U. S. Army does not spring readily to mind. And yet, over the past two decades, the Army has become the most successfully integrated institution in America - from the ranks of the lowliest privates to the highest level of command. What has made the Army's experience so striking is that this success was achieved without resort to numerical quotas or manipulation of test scores, nor has the promotion of black officers engendered the racial resentment that has become all too common in business, government, and higher education. All That We Can Be reveals how the Army created such a smoothly functioning system, how it works, and how this military model can be adapted to fit the needs of civilian society. The authors, Charles C. Moskos and John Sibley Butler, are the nation's foremost authorities on race relations in the armed forces, and together they bring more than a half-century's experience observing and analyzing how the Army gets things done. Moskos and Butler point out that what makes the Army unique is that it is the only place in America where blacks routinely boss around whites, and in this book they lay out the path by which the Army has promoted excellence across racial lines. Colin Powell is the most visible symbol of the Army's success, for his career has exemplified the guiding tenets of the Army system of merit-based recruitment, training, and promotion. There are many surprising findings in this book, especially for those who may think of the Army as a hidebound and rigidly hierarchical organization. Moskos and Butler reveal how the Army has created a transracial "Afro-Anglo" culture that fosters organizational effectiveness, and they make the point that black advancement does not depend upon the absence of racists in an organization so long as opportunity channels exist for minorities. ...show less