In Losing Power: African Americans and Racial Polarization in Tennessee Politics, authors Sekou Franklin and Ray Block Jr. describe pivotal moments leading to what can be explained as regression in political power among African Americans in Tennessee (the Volunteer State). The political landscape of Tennessee has shifted from Tennessee being a moderate swing state to now experiencing a rise in conservative politics and racial division adversely impacting the life circumstances of nonwhite residents. Providing a race analysis, the authors give credence in helping readers understand the harmful role that polarization has on the political status of African Americans. Franklin and Block Jr. consider political and racial polarization as an established feature of Tennessee politics and the crux of American political culture. This shift is notably seen in the data collected and presented in the book from 2000 to 2012. Research infused, yet storytelling, this text showcases the way that...

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