Diversity Rules Magazine

12|Diversity Rules Magazine | July 2023 In his fi y-year career as an award-winning journal- ist at the Atlanta Cons tu on (now the Atlanta Jour- nal-Cons tu on) and as a CNN commentator, and author of mul ple books, Frederick (Rick) Allen has had a front-row seat on drama c changes in race re- la ons in America. In his forthcoming book, Reckon- ing with Race, Allen explores his ongoing efforts as a White na ve northerner to understand the struggle of Black Americans as they seek to level an uneven playing field. To be published this August 1, Reckoning with Race (Forefront Books/Simon & Schuster) examines issues from the era of Reconstruc on through Jim Crow, the civil rights movement, the rhythms of resistance and prog- ress, into today's conten ous debates over redlining, repara ons, and cri cal race theory. As a reporter, Allen got to know and befriend legendary Black poli cal fig- ures including Julian Bond, John Lewis, Andy Young, Hosea Williams, Maynard Jackson, Jesse Jackson, and Daddy King, the father of Mar n Luther King, Jr. He also encountered ardent White segrega onists, some of whom saw the light and others who took their racism to the grave. Drawing on his experience covering poli cs, and with a Foreword writ- ten by former Atlanta mayor Andrew Young, Allen examines how presidents handled race - from LBJ and Jimmy Carter to Obama and Trump. He explores the symbolism of Confed- erate flags, the controversy over Uncle Remus, the elec on of Atlanta's first Black mayor, and the tragic case of the Atlanta Child Murders. He digs deep be- neath the surface to help readers understand how we got here. Throughout Reckoning with Race, Allen is candid about his own shortcomings as a White na ve north- erner, learning gradually about the complexi es of race in his adop ve South. "Through slavery, Jim Crow, and on into today, White people have taken for granted the love that so many Black people give them in spite of it all, have been blithely unaware of the underpinnings that support White en tlement, and—this is the key— have not always recognized the bo omless reser- voir of forgiveness that genera on a er genera on of Black folk have demonstrated, writes Allen. "In Reckoning with Race, I am telling my own flawed story – especially my efforts to listen and learn." Wri en primarily to help White readers understand what's happening today, the book chronicles Allen's personal journey toward understanding the forces that both hinder and promote equality and harmony between the races, as well as the progress our country has made— and how much further we have to go. FREDERICK ALLEN is a re red re- porter and poli cal columnist who served with the Atlanta Cons tu- on (now the Atlanta Journal-Con- s tu on) from 1972 to 1987. Fol- lowing his newspaper work, Allen joined CNN as chief analyst and commentator covering the 1988 presiden al contest. His essays for the program "Inside Poli cs" earned CNN a Cable Ace Award, and Allen was cited as the best po- li cal analyst by the editors of The Hotline. Allen was also a founding panelist on the Georgia Gang, a public affairs-related show on At- lanta television since 1982. He is the author of three prior books: His history of the Co- ca-Cola Company, Secret Formula, was published by HarperCollins in 1994 and has been translated into seven languages. Atlanta Rising, a history of modern Atlanta, was published by Longstreet in 1996 and is taught at several colleges. A Decent, Orderly Lynch- ing, Allen's account of the vigilantes of Montana, was published in 2004 by University of Oklahoma Press. Allen's research into vigilante symbolism has been cited by the Western History Associa on. Allen grad- uated from Phillips Academy (Andover) and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from the Uni- versity of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He and his wife, Linda, live in Atlanta and Cashiers, North Carolina. Reckoning With Race A Book By Frederick Allen

• Cover