Accountable: Making America as Good as Its Promise

Front Cover
Simon and Schuster, Feb 17, 2009 - Social Science - 320 pages
Tavis Smiley presents the successor to his two bestselling books, The Covenant of Black America and The Covenant in ActionAccountable will serve as a report card, holding the politicians accountable for what they have promised and holding the community responsible for its actions or inactions.

In Accountable, New York Times bestselling author Tavis Smiley addresses two issues: Public officials and the promises they have made regarding issues of concern to the African American community; and holding individuals and communities accountable for the degree to which they have utilized various tools and strategies outlined in his previous books, The Covenant and The Covenant in Action, to effect change. In sum, this book will explore how well the covenant goals have been realized. It explores topics such as healthcare, education, the unequal justice system, and jobs, and it will do so through story—real life examples of how an issue manifests itself on the ground.

Accountable will examine the conditions of our present day and the consequences for America if we fail to effect real change within the next two decades. It will make the case for American citizens to be driven by “the cause and not the candidate,” and demonstrate the need to hold our politicians and ourselves accountable—because the stakes have never been higher.
 

Contents

Unequal Justice
65
The Economy
87
The Environment Energy
109
Democracy
139
Retelling the American Story
163
NOTES
261
INDEX
293
Copyright

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About the author (2009)

Tavis Smiley is a nationally known intellectual, activist, political commentator, entrepreneur, and radio and television personality. He founded the ground-breaking and historic State of the Black Union series. Mr. Smiley has authored several best-selling books, including The Covenant and The Covenant in Action.

Stephanie Robinson, Esq. is the President and CEO of the Jamestown Project a national think tank that focuses on democracy. She is a Lecturer on Law at the Harvard Law School, and formerly served as the Chief Counsel for Senator Edward M. Kennedy. Ms. Robinson is a nationally recognized expert on issues related to social policy, family, and electoral politics

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