ABSTRACT

This chapter draws on the Black Leadership literature to see how scholars in the past defined and assessed black leadership. The elected officials of the first wave of new black politics faced tremendous obstacles. As trailblazers coming on the heels of the civil rights movement, they had to run in still racially tense environments. The wave of new black politics very much resembles the second wave in that this wave is characterized by ambitious politicians with more moderate politics. What distinguishes this group from its predecessors is its youth and connection to civil rights history. The Ivy League Upstarts, which include Senator Barack Obama and Newark, New Jersey Mayor Cory Booker, are among the most visible of the post-civil rights cohort of black elected leadership. This sub-cohort tends to be highly educated, graduating with advanced degrees from prestigious, majority-white institutions.