Outsider Blues
A Voice from the Shadows
Through columns and evocative photos, Clifton Ruggles showcases everyday life, cultural contributions, and untold stories, shedding light on perspectives often overshadowed. This book also includes an illuminating article on ‘Deconstructing Racism’ by Olivia Rovinescu.”
About the book
"The articles that appear in this book originate in the shadows-those marginal spaces that black people have been forced to inhabit ever since the first slaves reached the shores of North America.” Ruggles tells us that “Black is more than just a racial category, it’s a way of viewing the world.” It is out of this set of eyes that Clifton Ruggles writes a column in the Montreal Gazette. This book is a collection of those columns and of Ruggles’ photographs, which visually illustrate the “Black” experience. He tells stories of Black people’s everyday lives, provides non-stereotypical role models, details their contributions to culture, politics and so on-stories which are often either ignored or underplayed. Among the photographs are two photo essays, one autobiographical and one entitled Shadowlands.
The book also includes an article by Olivia Rovinescu entitled “Deconstructing Racism.”
Contents
- History, Identity and the Politics of Exclusion
- Racism and Everyday Life
- Reducing Prejudice: The Role of Multicultural Education
- Education, Access and Social Mobility
- Crossing Cultural Boundaries
- Race, Representation and the Arts
- Combatting Social Problems/Making A Difference