Includes bibliographical references (p. 266-274) and index
Re-reading America : Barack Obama -- Double consciousness and the master/slave dialectic : W.E.B. Du Bois -- Excavating the promised land : Martin Luther King -- Reclaiming 'Egypt' : Malcolm X -- Transcending the nation : Toni Morrison's Paradise -- Conclusion : Exodus and return in post-Katrina New Orleans
Traces the concept of Exodus as a powerful narrative of liberation for pivotal black thinkers and explores its significance for contemporary America. Suggests new ways of thinking about America's relationship with race, the Middle East, and the wider postcolonial world