The Last Negroes at Harvard

by Kent Garrett and Jeanne Ellsworth

[pamela]

The Last Negroes at Harvard was an important book with a fascinating subject matter and a lot to say. It was part memoirs, part journalism, part dry-ish non-fiction, which is the only reason I didn't rate it higher.

The parts of The Last Negroes at Harvard that were memoir had the best literary style. They were emotive and involving, and really helped put me in the shoes of the authors; something that is essential for a subject matter that will be read by people from diverse backgrounds and levels of privilege. It was interesting to learn about the different experiences and origins of the class of 1963, but in the parts where Garret writes about the history of education, the book can get a little dry.

Overall, however, The Last Negroes at Harvard is well worth picking up, just for the personal stories, and its emphasis on the intersectionality of privilege.