Sunday, June 12, 2016

Not Black and White: From The Very Windy City to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

Both Chicago and the State of Illinois have long histories of political corruption, and the author, G. A. Beller asks how it is possible in such an environment that a young African-American community organizer could have a meteoric rise through the offices of State Senator, then U.S. Senator, to become the first African-American President of the United States. This is a fictional account of Malik Alawi’s rise to the presidency, and the personalities behind the financial forces that aligned for him and against him. Beller did some remarkable research into the current events of the times in Illinois, and you’ll recognize various figures including the not-too-bright governor who tried to sell the Senate seat of the newly-elected President. This is a fast moving story, and the figures of Mas Gregory and his partner Sam Alsheriti were fascinating behind-the-scenes characters in this drama. As a fan of the Obama presidency, I have to wonder just how naïve I’ve been in my trust of the process that brought this man to the office.


I’ve given you a short and sweet review, which is all you need. If you’re a political junkie like the author and this reviewer, then this book is definitely for you.

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