Richard L. Zweigenhaft – författare

“The next thing the girl said was, ‘I’ve never been near anyone black except for my maid.’ And I thought, I’m going to have problems here.”—Bobette Reed Kahn  What were the feelings and experiences of the young blacks from economically impoverished backgrounds who in the 1960s were placed in white upper-class prep schools? What do their current attitudes and achievements reveal about the importance of race and class in America? In this sensitive and engrossing book, a social psychologist and a political sociologist report on the early graduates of A Better Chance, a program designed to recruit and prepare minority students for entry into exclusive boarding schools, elite colleges and universities, and ultimately positions of power and prestige. Zwegenhaft and Domhoff’s book is a vivid testimony to the costs and the rewards of this innovative attempt to transcend racial barriers.  As Zweigenhaft and Domhoff relate, these young men and women faced difficulties in the dramatic transition from black ghettos to the most exclusive boarding schools in the United States. Yet most not only endured but flourished. We hear their stories about the orientation programs they attended, their experiences in prep schools and colleges, the overt and covert forms of discrimination they faced, and the problems they encountered when they went home again. They discuss the pressures they felt, the friendships they made, the marriage partners they selected, and the frustrations and gratifications in their occupational lives.  The question of the relative importance of race and class in the United States is an ongoing controversy among policymakers, educators, and social scientists. Zweigenhaft and Domhoff’s study sheds light on this debate—it concludes that while the importance of class has increased in the past few decades, race is still the paramount factor in the personal and social identity of blacks.

This extensively revised edition of Blacks in the White Establishment? adds fifteen years to the life stories of the African Americans whose opportunities were dramatically changed by a nationally prominent educational opportunity program that provided scholarships for disadvantaged people of color to attend the same elite boarding schools that educate the children of wealthy white Americans. Beyond tracing the individuals into middle age, and expanding coverage of their careers, with special attention to experiences in the corporate world, a new chapter on their children''s education and early careers gives the new edition a poignant and unusual intergenerational perspective.Blacks in the White Elite shows why America is at a crucial juncture in relations between blacks and whites, when advances made since the Civil Rights Movement could either continue or retrench, depending on the decisions made by our governments, communities, and schools. The voices of African Americans heard in this book bring home for the reader the everyday impact of national policy issues and debates on race and class in America.

The New CEOs looks at the women and people of color leading Fortune 500 companies, exploring the factors that have helped them achieve success and their impact on the business world and society more broadly. As recently as fifteen years ago, there had only been three women CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, and no African Americans. By now there have been more than 100 women, African American, Latino, and Asian-American CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. Richard L. Zweigenhaft and G. William Domhoff look at these “new CEOs” closely. Weaving compelling interview excerpts with new research, the book traces how these new CEOs came to power, questions whether they differ from white male Fortune 500 CEOs in meaningful ways, asks whether the companies that hired them differ from other companies, and discusses what we can learn about power in America from the emergence of these new CEOs. As Americans continue to debate corporate compensation, glass ceilings, and colorblind relationships, The New CEOs shares information critical to understanding our current situation and looks toward the future in our increasingly globalized world. The paperback edition of The New CEOs features a new Introduction and an updated comprehensive list of new CEOs to date.

The New CEOs looks at the women and people of color leading Fortune 500 companies, exploring the factors that have helped them achieve success and their impact on the business world and society more broadly. As recently as fifteen years ago, there had only been three women CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, and no African Americans. By now there have been more than 100 women, African American, Latino, and Asian-American CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. Richard L. Zweigenhaft and G. William Domhoff look at these “new CEOs” closely. Weaving compelling interview excerpts with new research, the book traces how these new CEOs came to power, questions whether they differ from white male Fortune 500 CEOs in meaningful ways, asks whether the companies that hired them differ from other companies, and discusses what we can learn about power in America from the emergence of these new CEOs. As Americans continue to debate corporate compensation, glass ceilings, and colorblind relationships, The New CEOs shares information critical to understanding our current situation and looks toward the future in our increasingly globalized world. The paperback edition of The New CEOs features a new Introduction and an updated comprehensive list of new CEOs to date.

Diversity in the Power Elite is a provocative analysis of the diversity that exists—and doesn’t exist—among America’s powerful people. Richard L. Zweigenhaft and G. William Domhoff examine the progress that has been made, and where progress has stalled, for women, African Americans, Latino/as, Asian Americans, LGBTQ people, and Jewish people among what C. Wright Mills called the “power elite,” or those with significant financial or political influence in the U.S.The third edition of this classic text has been fully revised and updated throughout. It highlights examples of profound change, including the presidential election of Barack Obama, the nation’s first black president, as well as the growing acceptance of LGBTQ people. And it also highlights the many ways that the promise of diversity has stalled or fallen short—that the playing field for non-white males and women is far from level. Filled with case studies that illuminate deep research, the book reveals a critical examination of the circles of power and discusses the impact of diversity on the way power works in the U.S.